The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1899-04-18
Effort to Secure Investigation of
the Passage Of This Bill
Was Voted Down.
WORK OF THE POLICE FORCE
Ward Men Stand In With Female
Grafters. Getting Half Of the
PIunder-T Testiaony.

NEW YORK. April i7.--At a conference
Of the Mazet committee. held today be-
fore the proceedings opened, Assembly
man Hoffman offered resolutions calling
for the investigation Of the rumors "that
a certain law firm In New York, by and
with the assistance Of other persons. Jy
corrupt means. secured the passage
through the assembly Of the state OF
New York Of a bill known as the Astoria
gas franchise. and declaring that the real
purpose Of the Astoria gas franchise was
to enable the Consolidated Gas Company
% force the 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 By the
so-calied consolidation
The resolutions further declared that 1t
was necessary 10 subpoena the following
persons; The law firm OF Tracy. Board
man & Plat. Elihu Root. incoFporators
Of the Astoria Heat, light and Power
Company; Senator Thomas c. Piatt, p, n
jamln b. o'Neill jr., x-COngres ssman
Lemue Ell ouigg. John d. Crimmens ana
others. The resolutions were defeated by
a vote OF to 2, and all OF the republican
members voted no.
Buttner was a witness today. He testi-
fed that Captain Price told him he would
have to pay him 500 a month to insure
the protection OF the resort which he
started. and that II anybody was robbed,
~ -. HnIF
serted that he had known more than 100
cases in which the police had made Wno-
men share with them the money they
had stolen from men. He swore that
on one occasion a woman robbed a man
Of $500 and gave the whole amount to
the ward man. The robbed man CON-
plained 10 Captain Price. ''and," said
Buttner. this misfortune happened TO
these people price and eomplainanO.
They met the girl on the street and they
had 10 arrest her. She said: 4 gave
the ward man the wad OF $500. After she
told that, they returned the $500 and let
the girl 60"
Richard Croker was then called. Moss
asked him about the contributions made
by the judicial candidates last year.
Croker could not tell the amount Croker
had never heard that the Metropolitan
street railway or persons interested in
It had contributed $4,000 to Tammany
Hall during the last election. He said
he was interested with Mr.. Freeman in
the United States Fidelity Company.
"You know that all the bonded officers
of the city government take out their
bonds from your company?' inquired
Moss.
"Not all Of them" said the witness.
Some take them out in your boss COM
pany."
This caused loud laughter.
do you mean Mr., Platt's company"
asked Moss.
"Yes." said Croker, ''you know what Il
mean" And there was more laughter.
Croker presumed his own company had
a majority of the business in the city
and Platrs in the state. When Moss
said Croker had found that in business
matters like that OF Meyer & Co.. the
members of the organization could help
each other, Croker said, angriy; you
are trying to make us out pack OF
thieves in one combination together, and
you can't do IT,"
After a further exchange Of sharp
words. Croker, becoming greatly enraged.
Moss remarked that 1t was evident that
Croker realized "the seriousness of the
occasion"
The Tammany leader retorted: mot
very serious; 1 am not going away. am
going to stay here until this circus is
over"
'You are not going to Europe7" said
Moss.
'I am going to be here to see how long
you are going to stay; you can have me
any day you want" replied the witness.