New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-23

places In the vicinity or the corner VI A"e"''
eighth-st and Eighth-ave. where the Ch'ei is
in the habit OF lettering every night, was IN
oured into by Mr.. Moss. and the witness was
obviously at sea when the counsel pressed MIN
as to whether the men he met at that corner
wore not pooroom owners. policy operators and
d,sorderly house keepers. Devery protested that
no stood ON the corner to breathe the fresh
mir" and that as Chief OF Police he was acces-
sible to everybody.
Asked as 10 what he thought of the concert
halls and other resorts which surrounded the
spot when men and women could be seen go
ing in at all hours. he replied that he could pass
M Judgment on the character Of the places. be-
cause he had never been in them and that 1t
WAS not his duty as Chief of Police to inquire
into people's private affairs. Among the people
no met on the corner the witness admitted. was
Michael Bergen. his brother-in-law, who Is said
To he a clerk for "AI' Adams, who Is reputed
10 be a hacker of policy games MT MOSS LOT
q long time endeavored TO ascertain what
knowledse the Chief has Of the many poilcy
.bons noolrooms and gambling houses running
in this city, but the witness professeu en'"e
ignorance Of their general existence ana ue-
Tended himself in this position by s'atins '""'
the only sources OF his knowledge In th's re-
spect were the reports OF the precihc. eo'"
manders II the captains did not report that
such places we're running Devery SAID ne as
sumed that none were in existence.
SECOND DAY-APRIL 10.
c,,., reverv.s testimony was continued. along
the same lines with about the same results on
the second day.
W. p. Tostevin was also recalled, and In re-
he had with Bingham
Brothers. building contractors, said he was told
that Senator Grady's office was a good place
TO 90 on all matters concerning freproohng' but
,hot no one who went into Senator Gradys
office on such business came out with as much
r,onev as he went in with. Next he was asked
about his experience with the new library III
northumberland. which his firm had erected.
He asserted that his plans had been so delayed
NV the Buildings Department that he had lost
money on the library. Moreover, the hreproor
s,s,em which he had used In the construction
had not been in favor with the Department
since.
But YOU could have arranged 1t so, couldn't
you?" Mr.. Moss asked.
"Oh, yes; with grease enough-srease prop
erly applied" the witness answered In SO weary
a tone as to cause a general laugh.
But the principal witness OF the second DAY
was Frank H. Croker Mr.. Moss elected from
the Young man that he had given no particular
attention to freproofng or engineering or Duiiu
ings while at college and that II was al the
Democratic Club or somewhere near 'he'e'
that he flrst got the idea OF going INTO 'he
Roebling company The extent or MS ho'oins III
the company, he informed the committee was
$1,000 but when Mr.. Moss came 10 inquire
how he paid for the stock he became somewhat
tangled in his answers. He first stated that he
bought the shares by the payment of check,
but later said that he paid the SlIoVo III pi'is
which had been handed to him by his father
for the purpose of starting him In ire hreprool-
ing business Mr.. Croker did not know what
became of the money. He gave II 10 the treas
urer ard presumed that it had been banked,
but. although the secretary OF the company at
q salary of $500 a year, he had not the least
idea of the name OF the bank In which the com
nenv.s funds were deposited This statement
seemed to amaze Mr. Moss. and, proceeding TO
INQUIRE into the methods OF the company, he
ascertained that all young Croker did for his
yearly $500 was to learn the business by
talks with our superintendent" The only real
work he admitted that he had done as secretary
was to sign contracts.
THIRD DAY-APRIL A.
Richard Croker himself faced the committee
on the third day. With unexpected frankness
he stated that Democratic Judges who accepted
Tammany nominations were expected. ip the
appointment OF referees and cour: officials, and
IN giving out ernoluments generally. to give the
interference 10 men in line with the Tammany or
SANITATION Any judge. Mr.. Croker explained
who failed to recognize these obligations, or VINO
repudiated the control Of Tammany by disopey-
ing these unwritten instructions. would be
looked upon as betraying his party. and would
receive short shrift when it came to the matter
of a denomination.
In line with these admissions he was COM
pelled to acknowledge that the place OF the
judicial sales was charged by order OF the
courts from the Real Estate Exchange in Lib
ertvst TO No III Broadway where Peter F.
Never has his real estate offices. Mr.. Croker Is
q mariner OF Meyer and the change was so
beneficial Z, the firm and the friendliness OF the
Tammany Judges so marked, that whereas in
1892 Meyer had only fourteen Of the judicial
sales Of the year, Messrs. Croker ana Meyer last
year had no less a proportion than over TWO
thirds OF the entire sales ordered by the courts,
allowing Mr. Croker. on his own statement. to
draw between sos, 900 and $4,000 as his share
of the profits Of the firm for one year.
Moreover. it was demonstrated before the
committee that the principal cause OF Crokers
enmity to Justice DAILY was that the latter re-
fused to sign the order transferring the place
for judicial sales to No. Ill Broadway. MT
Croker made no attempt to conceal the fact that
he was a personal gamer by the partisanship
Of the Tammany occupants OF the bench.
WORKS FOR HIS OWN POCKET.
Then we have this" Mr. Moss suggested
"that you participate in the selection OF judges
before they are elected, and then participate IN
emolument that comes Of their judicial proceed
ings?"
YES sir" Mr.. Croker answered
And II goes into your pocket!
Yes; that is my own money, the witness as
serted