The record-union., 1899-08-02
Hearings Resumed Yesterday After
ask Weeks Recess.
Two Members Of a Firm Of Contractors
Placed on the Witness Stand. =
One Declines to Answer Certain
Questions Propounded by the
Attorney for the Committee
Touching His Qualifications as
an Architect, and a Lively Con-
troversy Ensues.

NEW YORK, Aug. 1.-The feature of
the Mazet Executive Investigation
Committee, which to-day resumed it's
sessions, after about six weeks vaca-
| ton, was the examination of Messrs.
Horgan q Slattery, firm of architects
and contractors. who testified that they
have had work on steamboats,, jails,
I gardens, station houses, dump scows,
| etc, for various city departments. On
account of the work performed by Hor-
gan & Slattery. Mr.. Moss. the attor-
ney Tor the committee, applied to them
the title of municipal architects"
Mr.. Moss devoted the morning to try
ing to bring out facts showing why this
| firm of architects received many con-
tracts in the city, and how it was that
they had been allowed to condemn the
plans of other architects. Mr. Slattery
declined to answer certain questions
| touching his qualifications as an archi-
tect, referred Mr.. Moss to his partner.
Mr.. Horsan, and a lively controversy
enSued.
TIL TESTIMONY.
NEW YORK, Aug. 1.-After a vaca-
ton of about six weeks the Mazet As~
sembly committee reconvened to-day
TO continue the work of investigating
the different departments of the New
York city government.
Deputy Sheriff Mulvaney was the
first witness. Mr. Moss, counsel for
the committee. wanted to know if the
Sheriff had taken any action to stop
gambling in the absence of such pre-
ventive steps by the police.
| The Deputy Sheriff said he was aware
| that Sfatlltp nrnNi6a6 atin
but believed it applied to such counties
as were imperfectly policed.
! Our. object" explained Mr. Moss,
in bringing you here was to call your
attention to this section of the law
which makes it incumbent on Sheriffs
to suppress crime. Betting on horse
traces is now practiced in this city to an
extraordinary extent. and it is our in
tention to bring this fact to the atten-
| ton of all the public authorities with
in the provisions of this resolution
| Mr.. Moss then called President
Michael Q. Murphy of the Health De-
partment and questioned him concern
ing work done by Horgan & Slattery,
city architects.
Colonel Murphy said Horgan &c
| Slattery had erected Willard Hospital
There had been no public competition
for this work
Arthur ]. Morgan of Horgan & Stat
terry was called He said he designed
the new city prison: that the steel
cells cost $4,000 and that his firm got
D per cent. for their work. He had
never talked with John F. Carroll about
the work, nor had he paid Carroll any
money. He had made most of the
| drawings for the steel cells himself;
none had been made by a Western de-
| signer.
! Vincent J. Slattery, Horgans part
ner, confirmed Horgan's statement that
| the firm had never paid any money to
| Mr.. Carroll. Slattery said that the
leading architects and architectural pa
pers had upheld his firms criticism of
the work of John Fl. Thomas, who drew
the plans for the new Hall of Records
building.
WAS that criticism professionals"
1T was and the city saved a million
dollars by it,.
| Mr.. Sattery said his firms report on
Mr.. Thomas plan was drawn up by
/ Mr. Horgan. The witness objected to-
many of the questions and spoke in a
| loud and angry tone when Mr.. Moss in
i simulated that he had been out of the
| city lately to avoid a subpoena.
| Mr.. MaZet called him to order.
What kind of marble, in your opn-
| ion," asked Mr.. Moss. sis most suitable
for interior decorations in public build
| ings?'
"Connemara MARBLE" said the witt
ness.
Now, Mr.. Slattery." said Mr.. Moss,
sit has been charged in the public
press, in the newspapers. that you are
not an architect at all, that in fact you
do not know anything about architect
ural works. Is it lie?
Yes. it is a lie.''
Mr.. Morgan was recalled He said
| that in every instance he had drawn
all the plans and specifications for city
work himself.
Which do you consider the most ser
viceable, an ordinary parallelogram
beam or one with flanges?" asked Mr..
Moss.
Il prefer beam with flanges,'
GIVE us the scientific explanation as
to why you do So
II am not here to give you theories
as to iron beams
Not to the city Of New York, which
pays your"
you are not the city of New York.
I am not here to undergo an examna-
ton as to my architectural abilities.
That's just what you are here for.'
you are not fit to examine me-"
prove to me my ignorance by an
swering the questions I ask
Il don't have to-"