Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-04-18
THEY ARE NOT AFTER PLAT.
The Mazet Investigating Committee
Voted Down a Resolution.

The Mazet Investigating Committee
Voted Down a Resolution.
! WHICH HAD IN VIEW THE PROB
ING OF THE CORRUPTION AND
CROOKEDNESS WHICH, GETS
IT'S FOSTERING CARE AT THE
| HANDS OF THE REPUBLICANS
THE LAW FIRM IN WHICH
PLATT IS INTERESTED CARE
FULLY GUARDED BY THE COM
MITTEE-THE EWID E N @ E
BROUGHT OUT AT JESTER
DAYS SESSION.
New York, April 17-In the session
! of the Mazet investigation committee
to-day, Richard Croker was again the
| principal object of Mr.. Moss's examin-
alton and the most important develop
ment was the probability that the Tam-
many chieftain and John F. Carroll
will be the subject of contempt pro-
| ceedings before the State Legislature
shall adjourn. All during the evld-
ence to-day Mr.. Croker parted the
questioning of the counsel of the COM
mittee and refused to satisfy the men,
bers with the amount of information
he was willing to give regarding GER
tain matters which he classified as
Personal affairs"
An adjournment of the committee
was taken this afternoon until next
Friday morning, and Mr.. Croker was
subpoenaed to reappear before the SEES
sion on next Monday morning. BY the
initiative of Mr.. Moss, many OF whose
questions Mr.. Croker repeatedly refus-
ed to answer, and with whom he mad
several sallies that came very neah
being personal, the chairman or the
committee took such action as would
leave Mr.. Croker in technical con-
tempt. It was stated tonight that
when Mr.. Fallows of the committee,
left this afternoon for Albany, he had
instructions to prepare papers adj
Judging Mr.. Croker and John f. Car
roll in contempt.
When the committee began It's In
uuiry to-day, about the first th1ns
brought I'D was a resort known as thS
| Broadway Garden, which had flourish
ed in the upper Broadway district for
some time In this place the alleged
robbery of former Mayor of Trenton,
Frank Mcgowan, took place, and simon
Buttner, the former proprietor OF the
garden and several of his walters were
examined. Buttner made some strait
ing charges against Police Captain
Price. and his walters corroborated, in
part, his testimony.
A portion of the very limited
space for spectators afforded in the
room of the Board of Trade where the
session was held was occupied by a
delegation of women representing the
Society for Political Study. At con-
ference of the committee held before
the proceedings opened, Assemblyman
Hoffman offered resolutions calling Tor
the investigation of rumors that
certain law firm in the city OF New
York, by and with the assistance OF
other persons, by corrupt means Sc
cured the passage through the assem-
bly, of the State of New York Dill
known as the Astoria Gas francnlse,
and declaring that 1.-The real purpose
of the Astoria Gas franchise was 10
enable the Consolidated Gas Company
to force a consolidation of all the gas
interests of the city to the END that
the supply of gas might be controlled
and the price of the same regulated py
the so-called consolidation. The res
olutions further declared that it was
necessary to subpoena the following
persons: The law firm OF Tracy,
Boardman & Plat; Elihu Root; The
Incorporators of the Astoria Heat,
Light & Power Co.: Senator Thomas c.
Platt: BENZ. B. Odell, Jr.; Ex-Congress-
man Lemuel Eli Quiggs, John y.
Crimins, and others.
The resolutions were defeated by a
vote of 5 to 2, all the Republican MEM
beers of the committee voting no.
Mr.. Mazet speaking of the resolu-
lions said the committee has certain
work to perform that its mode of pro
ceedure had been laid out and that the
present is no tome for the taking up of
extraneous matter. 1t was understood
that he sopke for all the Republicans
of the committee.
Chief of Police Devery, who had been
subponaed, was excused for the day.
Charles Stephens. formerly waiter
in the Broadway Garden, was the first
witness examined He was in the
Broadway Garden at the time Frank
| Mcgowan, ex-mayor of Trenton, claim
ed to have been robbed there. Steph-
ems did not know active robbery had
been committed and so testified when
Simon Butther, the proprietor Of the
place, was arrested Afterwards wit
ness was approached by man named
| Singer. who told him that money could
be made by swearing that Mcgowan
was robbed. Witness told Singer that
he had already sworn to the contrary.
AT a subsequent interview with Singer.
Frank Farrell. a pool room keeper. and
| Henry Schultz, restaurant keeper,
being also present, the last named man
gave witness 500, when witness said
| he was willing to swear that Mcgowan
was robbed in Butener's place. Wit
ness was promised $500 and steady en-
ployment Witness told Buttner of the
| plot and was sent by him TO Moss, who
| told him to say nothing about the mat
| ter to anybody. Stephens then said ne
went to work in pool room. He won
| S14 on the races and got S. day for
looking after pickpockets." That was
| the work he was told to do. Witness
knew no pickpockets. At the instiga-