The record-union., 1899-04-22
Two Exciting Sessions Of the Mazet
Investigating Committee.
Andrew Freedman. One Of Croker's Bust
ness Associates, on the Stand.
Answers Some of the Questions Put
to Him in q Very Forcible Man
ner, While to Many Refuses to
Reply at All, the Committee
Gaining Very Little Of the De-
sired Information From the
Witness.

| waning very A1CCAe OF Cne Oe-
sired Information From the
| Witness.
| NEW YORK, April 21-Two exciting
sessions of the Mazet Investigating
Committee were held to-day. A feat
ure was the refusal of the witness to
| give testimony Another feature was
the defiant attitude of Andrew Freed
man, on the stand and still another
feature, the election from the commit
! tee room of Abraham Himmet Wright,
of the Roebling Company, when he in
sisted upon making a statement after
he had refused to answer a great ma
| jority of the questions put to him by
| Mr.. Moss, counsel for the committee
! The chief interest centered in Andrew
Freedman, who, within recent years, has
been known as a warm personal friend
of Mr.. Croker, and associated with him
| in business way. Mr.. Freedman was
more than ordinarily forcible in his an
swers to some of the questions. and
| many of the questions he refused to
answer at all. At other times he was
rebuRed by both Mr. Moss and Chair
man. Mazet for what they termed i'm
pertinence."
| After Mr.. FNreedman's examination
had progressed to a certain point and
| the witness had refused several times
to answer question which he deemed
a personal matter" Mr. Moss excused
him for the day.
Mr.. Freedman then got down from the
stand, and turning to the newspaper
reporters, he handed them a paper say
! ing: Gentlemen of the press, here is
statement of the entire business of
the Platt Company and Allen Compa-
nies for publication
| This was paper relating to the bus
| mess done by the United States FideI-
ity and Guarantee Company, in which
Mr.. Freedman and Mr.. Croker are in
terested, and contained information
which Mr.. Moss had desired to get at
during the course of the examination
Mr.. Moss therefore was very indignant
at F'reedman's action, and he denounced
the witness vehemently, and recalled
him to the stand. The questions which
he put with regard to the paper to
Freedman were not answered, the wit
ness refusing absolutely to state by
whom the paper had been prepared.
AT this juncture Mr. Moss took. occa-
sion to say that those witnesses who
were in contempt would be dealt with
later in a regular and logical way.
! When Mr.. Croker was on the stand a
few days ago he testified that he had
received dividends from the Surety
| Company, while to-day it developed
that the company had not paid divi-
dends. Mr.. Freedman explained on
the stand, in reply to a series of ques-
| tions, that Mr. Croker is a stockholder
| in the company, and is interested in
| the business success of the Metropoli-
tan district; that he (the wftnessl re-
ceived salary of $4,000 a year as
manager for this territory and COM
miss Ans, and that he divided the money
with Mr. Croker. Mr. Freedman, how
ever, refused to name the sum that he
paid to Croker and said further that
he thought Croker might be under the
| impression that the money paid him
was in the way of a dividend.
Nearly the entire examination of the
witness centered about his and Croker S
connection with the Surety Company,
which has dealings with a large num-
ber of city officials. The witness could
not remember exactly how this connec-
tion originated, but he did remember
that there was no natural contract be-
tween Croker and himself for the pay
ment of money, Croker relying on
Freedman's word, as he himself put it.
Abraham Himrnet Wright of the
Roebling Company refused at the very
outset of his examination to answer
questions, and entered into discussion
at the slightest opportunity. After
several long wrangles the witness in
sisted upon making an explanation He
was ordered down from the witness
stand by Chairman Mazet, but refused
to leave the stand. Then Mr.. Moss
called for the Sergeant at Arms and
Wright was escorted from the room
Another session will be held to-mor-
row, and Mr.. Freedman may be recall ed.
YESTERDAYS TESTIMONY.
NEW YORK, April 21.-The Mazet
Investigating Committee to-day resum-
ed its session in this city. All sorts of
rumors regarding the possible develop
ments of the day We're in circulation.
i The members of the committee pre-
v;ous to the session met in Mr. Moss
Office and held a short conference I'M
nediately after Mr.. Mazet called the
committee to order, a Mr. Henderson.
who was among the spectators, rose
and addressing Mr.. Mazet, stated that
he was lawyer, and desired the privi-
| lege to cross examine certain witnesses.
He apparently represented Police Cap
| tain Price and was anxious to show
| that the statements made against that
official by Butler at a previous healing
were untrue.
Mr. Mazet said that Mr.. Henderson's
request would be considered ,ater.
Henry M. Mcdonald, the nominee Of
the Chicago platform Democracy for
Governor at the last State election. was
the first witness.
Have you any knowledge connected
with the affairs of the Flushing Gas
Company?'
Mr. Mcdonald stated that he had. He
stated that William B. Burnett, a di-
rector of that gas company was an as
!, sociate of his, and from him he learned
various facts.
Mr. Mcdonald said the gas company
was reorganized in the beginning of
1893, and that Henry j. Braker, mem :
Der of the Democratic Club, and he
pr esent owner of the Democratic Club
building, and another man purchased