New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-09-15

court clerks salary tn Croker took him up
advised him to. Mr.. Lauterhach had 10 so
through several "a her difficult contortions 10
answer that an" rded by giving Mr. Carroll
hrst class Endorsement as an honest man. which
ne might have been spared II he had replied TO
the original question by straight yes" or
ELECTRICAL SCHEME INVOLVED.
When Mr. Dutche- was asked to enumerate ths
assets Of the Ramapo Water Company which has
sold all its stock. S2.5o0oOO he confined his list
TO options on watershed property and the maps
and surveys made by engineers MI Lauter-
bach. however. when he was trying to show
what severe blow To- the company the securing
Of the proposed contract would be had con-
traSted the price foI which b" would ne Wiling
TO sell his stock under those conditions-one
cent on the dOllar-with the fact that al any
time in the last six months he could have sold
II at par Mr. Moss of course. followed TINS
plain lead. and demanded TO know II II Was not
the expectation that a. fat contract was about
To- be signed with the city which made S2.VpocO
or stock worth par. when the conpanys only
assets We're options and surveys Mr. Lauter-
bach was not going TO admit that. 50 he had 10
reveal another card which mas been UP the
sleeve of the Ramapo ring all the while
This consists in the hope Of the company 20
manufacture electrical energy with its water
and sell it TO consumers ia this city. Mr. Lau-
terbach declared that this plan had been de-
claied by engineers so feasible that IL con-
stituted most valuable asset and was the real
reason OF the high price Obtainablc for the COM
pany's stock The electricity. il seems. would
be manufactured by the aid Of the company
water before the water delivered 10 the
city but after ii had been brought down 70 the
city limits. in a system Of aqueducts paid FOR
10y tho money which the company could borrow
upon the city's credit, If the proposed Ramapo
contract We're signed
1t was O'Clock before Mr Moss was half
through with Mr Lauterbach and he was asked
t. return next Tuesday morning and finish his
testimony.
VAN WYCK INSULTING
Croker's short wasted short sighted. short
tempered Mayor was the first witness OF the
day. He did little else bur sass" counsel from
the beginning to the end Of his examination.
He iiAed at Mr. Mosss supposed political ambi-
ton. which he declared to be a seat upon the
Supreme Court Bench, he severely snuhbed Com
missioner Dalton. who he thought wished % aid
him in answering certain questions. he chal-
lenged Mr.. Moss to have him ousted from his
office and. projected 10y his privileges AS q Wit
ness. renewed his cowardlv charge that Theo-
dore B Willis is ? thief and a scoundrel. The
Mayor wound up by protesting entire ignorance
Of the Ramapo company never having invesu-
gated the proposed contract nor having con-
suited with Mr. Croker or any of his Commits
sioners about H.
CROKER HITS At MOSS
Richard Croker followed the Mayor Tho
Boss was decidedly surly at first but after
working of his -avage mood upon Mr. Moss re-
laxed somewhat. and when he finally left the
room on the arm Of Or. O'Suyan. was laugh
ing grimly at the way h. had done the COM
mttee's counsel His great stroke had been
the handing Of typewriter document direct
TO the reporters. This he de- Jared, was an OK
posure Of Mr. Moss's real character. Mr.. Croker
had employed detectives and had spent good
money to rake up Mr. Moss's past and here t
was revealed. that all the world might and
point the finger Of scorn. This sensational ex-
posure turned out to be an extract from the
opinions Of the Justices OF the General Term.
Ist Department. In the case Of the People
against SchOoey. IN which Justice Van Brunt
scored Mr.. Moss and another notary for care
lessness in the matter Of taking an acknowledge
ment.
Friends Of Mr. Moss declare that he ought 10
have il framed a genuine though unnten-
tional testimonial 70 his clean record. When
a powerful politician. moved by personal hatred.
and with plenty Of money and detectives az
command. has secured the land 10 reveal some
blot on mans career. and can only produce an
act Of carelcssness. his money and time would
seem 70 have been wasted.
on the stand Mr.. Croker pursued his well
known policy of refusing 10 tell what companies
ho owns stock in. on tho ground Of private busi-
ness He. too pleaded entire ignorance Of the
Ramapo affair. save what be- had seen In the
newspapers. He said he was investigating n on
his own account lie will be pat on the stand
again.
NLATGIIIIN WON'T TALK
Hugh Mclaughlin the aged Democratic lead.
Of Kings County. was courteous Croker
was boorish. yet he declined just as firmly TO
answer all questions concerning his interest in
the Long Island Water Company. and could
not he drawn into admitting that Tammanys
refusal To let the city pay S2JuOoOH for that
property was the real cause Of the opposition
Of Coler. Shea and kearny 10 the RamapO job.
Silas butcher president ~ the Ramapo
company being recalled the stand. promised
10 try and produce the stock book of the COM
pany at next Mondays session of the commit
tee He declined Wednesday 10 tell from
whom he got his Ramapo stock. Yesterday no
said he got IL from Mr. lngraham.
F. CirOut President Of the Borough OF
Brooklyn. told how he had opposed the Ramapo
contract al previous sessions Of the Board Ot
Public improvements He was I'M Europe when
the recent attempt To- jam tho contract through
was made He said prominent man had told
him that fifty thousand shares of the company
had been offered him II he would become presi-
dent Of the company. Mr Moss said that man
would be present to testify on his own behalf
Hence his name was not announced
Senator Rice Of Rondout who represents the
district i'm which the RamapO watershed lies.
said the farmers up there had given many op-
tions 20 the company on their lands. and were
wondering when they would SOC any of the
company's cash Harrison Won Dayne told how
Newark came to buy its own water plant
William c. De Witt. one ~ the Charter Com
mlssioners and George NJ Pnney. jr. secretary
Of the Charter Commission. testified that Com
missioner seth Low Was IN charge ~ the draft
ing OF Section ~ of the charter. which ia
eltrnosed 10 he especially favorable 20 the foist-
ing of Jobs Ike the Ramapo iniguity upon the
CITY Mr. Moss said that Mr.. Low would be
present TO testify to-day.
DETAILS OF THE SESSION.