The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-04-18

L
laughter!
Mr.. Croker presumed his own COM
pany had the majority of the business
in the city and Mr.. Platt's in the state.
Mr.. Moss asked Mr.. Croker how much
he paid for his stock in the United
States Bond company, and whether the
stock was given to him upon the forma-
ton of the company. Mr.. Croker refused
committee to direct the witness to an
swer. Mr.. MaZet so directed.
will you answer, Mr. Croker?''
mo, SIR said the witness firmly.
Chairman Mazet instructed him to
answer and he refused. The same thing
occurred when Mr.. Moss asked him how
much stock of the autotruck company
Mr. Croker held and how much he paid
for his interest in that concern.
Mr.. Croker said he thought the city
would be much better without a civil
service law.
When Mr. Moss said that Croker had
found that in business matters like that
of Peter Meyer & Co., members of the
organization could help each other Mr..
Croker said angrily: You are trying
to make us out a pack of thieves in one
combination together and you can't do
it"
And you think that these questions
indicate that persons who do these
things are thieves?" queried Mr.. Moss.
That is what you are trying to get
at" said Mr.. Croker, thoroughly
aroused.
say Indl the people OF the city OF
New York, when they voted for our
ticket, voted to put in the organization
and believe in the organization and be-
lieve that the organization should run
the city and when you were put out of
the police board that was what you
were put out for, because you were
not an organization man"
After further exchange of sharp
words, Mr.. Croker, becoming greatly
enraged, Mr.. Moss remarked that it was
evident that Mr.. Croker realized the
seriousness of the occasion
The Tammany leader retorted: mot
very serious. l am not going away. I
am going to stay here until the circus is
over"
You are not going to Europe?" said
Mr. Moss.
long you are going to stay
please to record the gentleman's re-
fusal all of these answers concerning
the getting of the stock and whether he
had paid for it or not, or whether he
got it at the organization of the COM
pany," said Mr.. Moss.
And record also that he declines to
answer on the ground that it is a prf-
Vate personal matter" said Assembly
man Hoffman.
Mr.. Croker said he was not interested
in the Maryland Whisky company. He
had never owned any stock in the Flush
ing gas company. Mr.. Moss wanted to
know why he made definite answers to
these personal questions and Mr.. Gro
l. w,
answer some, and must reserve some to
my judgment. If 1 did not answer
some, would sit here without answer
ing anything at ALL
He had no stock in the New Am
sterdam company, though he once had
long before the introduction of the AS
tOria business" He parted with it 'at
least ten years before the vote was
taken on the Astoria bill'' He had parted
with it because he did not wish to be
mixed up in that business He had
only held it on margin.
You We're 1000 shares short on Man
hattan?' said Mr.. Moss, repeating a
question that on Saturday Mr.. Croker
had utterly refused to answer.
Il was not" answered Croker. THAT
never happened at all. If you had acted
as a gentleman, as you are now at this
present time, the other day, 1 would
have told YOU
Mr.. Croker refused to admit that the
Democratic opposition to the passage
of the Astoria gas bill was by reason
of the fact that he and his friends and
the members of the Democratic organi-
cation held stock in the New Amster-
dam company, which was a rival COM
pany.
Mr.. Croker declared he had never said
he would resign from the leadership of
Tammany hall He had merely stated
that he would remain in Tammany hall
as long as he lived. He said there were
no inducements in the way of references
offered to young lawyers to join Tam
many nail. He denied that he was
broke when he returned from Eng
land. Witness said Judge Daley was
not turned down for refusal to appoint
a Tammany man to clerkship. but to
give the place to a better man. Witness
did not know that Senator Timothy Sui
Ivan was interested in compelling sa-
loonkeepers to buy Maryland whisky.
He knew nothing about Senator Sulli-
vans character. Mr.. Croker had never
heard that when the Third Avenue
Railway company received a permit to
open the streets and install their cleo
trical equipment a large payment was
made by someone connected with it,
in the interest of Tammany to himself,
to Mr.. Freedman, to any commissioner
or to any leader. He knew nothing
about such a payment.
Have you not during the last year
received large sums of money from in
dividuals which were neither profit nor
earnings from any business?" asked Mr..
Moss.
No" said Croker. and he repeated
his answer
Mr. Croker said that when he first
heard of his son Frank going into the
Roebling fire proofing business he did
not know that fire proofing had any
thing to do with the business at all.
He had not spoken to the Roeblings
about his going into the company or to
any member of that concern.
Mr.. Croker said he knew nothing and
had no connection with the transactions
of his nephew, Lawyer Mccain.
Mr.. Croker said he had never given his
son Richard any money to go into the
Contractors Supply company. He knew
nothing about his going in or about that
company furnishing large quantities of
sewer pipe to the city. He was not in
terested in the Tidewater company.
Mr.. Croker has said he is going to
stay with US, and we can give him
little rest said Mr.. Moss. Il think,
Mr.. Croker, we will subpoena you for
the time being for a week from today
and if there be anything to change our
plans we will let you know before that"
The committee then adjourned till
Friday morning