The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-04-23

is a nephew of Croker). He had not
seen nor heard anything to show what
Mr.. Mccain was doing for the interest
he represented. Mr.. Fryer admitted
that his membership in the board
might incidentally help his business as
an architect. Mr.. Fryer was subjected
to lengthy examination regarding the
merits of the various systems of fire
prooting and the reasons which led the
board to adopt or reject them. Moth
ing very notable was ELECTED.
Mr. Croker was present at the open
ing of the session, but Mr.. Moss told
him he would not be needed until
Monday.
Mr.. Fryer was questioned closely re-
garding the rebuilding of the Third
avenue theater, in which undertaking
he was the architect. He testified that
he had received $3.50 from Peter Bren-
nan for advice in regard to building
at the corner of Courtlandt and Church
streets.
The plan had been rejected by the
superintendent of buildings before Mr..
Fryer was called in and the board of
examiners, of which Mr. Fryer was 4
member, had also rejected the plan.
After Mr.. Fryer had given his advice
the board approved the plan.
Mr.. Fryer did not vote when the
plans came up for the second time, al
though he voted to reject them at the
first hearing. He had given no reason
to his associates on the board for not
voting and had not told them that he
had been employed by Brennan. He
did not think that it was necessary to
tell them.
He had not voted in the second in
stance because he was interested in the
matter. Mr.. Fryer said he thought the
building department was we'll equipped
in engineering ability.
Mr.. Fryer admitted he might have
written an article which appeared in
print some time ago, in which it was
recommended to builders that they
should get acquainted with the build
ing inspector on the job and after it
was over make him a present.
In explaining the manner in which he
wrote Mr.. Haight when he introduced
Mr.. Young to him, Mr.. Fryer said that
Mr.. Haight's apparent assurance of his
identity 'stung me little. | smarted
under the fact that a man can some
times write you My Dear Mr.. Fryer
and get information and then forget
you. | wrote the letter that was read
here before this commission
Mr.. Fryer said he saw no objection
to member of the board passing on
the completeness and regularity of the
plans and then be consulted and paid
for services in connection with putting
the plans in execution and then passing
upon the work or being a member of
the board that passed it. Mr.. Fryer
said the present system was the best
that could be obtained and that the
building department itself was not apt
to make serious mistakes.
William j. Nihill a confidential eX-
aminer in the department of buildings.
| was called. He admitted that he had
! been indicted by the state excise board
| and bailed out in $1,000. but could not
| tell whathe had been indicted for. He
said he had plead guilty of anything
| that came up" He knew Mr.. Doener.
| superintendent of buildings, but he had
never met him in a saloon called The
| Owl"
Nihill admitted he had been arrested
| once before, in 1889, He refused to
state what for. He said he was a MEM
ber of the republican organization and
| had been recommended for the appoint
ment of the building department by
| James H. Marshall, leader of the Sixth
district. Mr.. Nihill said he got 5000 sal
| ary. The questions asked by Mr.. Moss
| intimated that the counsel did not think
Mr.. Nihill earned his salary. Mr.. Nj
| hills salary, it transpired, had been cut
down from $1,000 a year. He denied
that he had ever driven Mr.. Doener
| to Con Daly's, the saloon-keeper who
is alleged to have stated that he could
| fix the building department.
Thomas J. Brady. commissioner OF
| Manhattan and president of the board
was then called. He said he had found
| Nihill attentive to his duties and COM
| petent to perform the work entrusted tC
him. He said he acted on his own re-
sponsiblity in raising and reducing sal
aries. He said that on the 3lst OF De
cember he received a note from Mr.
| Croker to meet him and Mr.. Van Wyck
| He met them and they asked him If he
would take charge of the building de-
partment and he said he would do SO
That was the way in which he got his
| commissionership.
Mr.. Brady said the Indictment agains
him had been dismissed, he did not
know when and he was apparently no
much interested in the matter. He
stated that neither Mr.. Croker nor Mr.
Van Wyck had questioned him regard
ing this indictment, when the commits
| sionership was offered him.
| The committee then adjourned unit
| 11:30 o'clock Monday.