Evening star., 1899-04-08
MAZET BEGINS WORK
His Committee Investigating Methods
of New York Police.
BOSS CROKER'S SON 4 WITNESS
He Could Not Be Found When
His Name Was Called.
THE CONTRACTOR TESTIFIEs

| day into the workings of the departments
of the city of greater New York. The COM
| mlttee, which was appointed by the state
| assembly, is composed of Robert Mazet
| chairman; Edward II. Fallows, Thomas NJ.
| Costello Harris Wilson, James Pr McEwan.
Anthony ]. Boland and BENZ. Hoffman.
Boland and Hoffman are the only demo-
Gratis on the committee.
| The sessions opened in part of the SUI
preme court in the county court house
At the counsel table were Frank Moss
| and John Proctor Clarke, counsel to the
| committee, and Francis B. Laimbeer. who
| is retained by Mr.. Moss as his personal as
| sistant DIR. w. ]. O'Sullivan. with a pile
| of law books before him, sat at the same
| table, representing the city officials
None in particular he said. when ask
ed who were his individual clients, but the
whole lot of them"
Capt. Price n Witness.
Capt. James X. Price of the West 3Oth
street CTenderloin) police station subpoe-
naed witness, and a policeman carry
ing the books which Chief Devery had been
subpoenaed to produce, arrived early.
Chief Clerk Kipp Of the police department
had been subpoenaed to appear today and
| TO bring all books and papers touching the
acts of Capt. Price in the Tendcrloin for
lile past SIX months Mf. hlpp was a 50 or
dered to produce order No. "a issued by
CHIEF Devery. commanding all precinct
CONNIE nders to close up all gambling places
and report weekly on the subject. Among
| the papers Major Kipp is to bring are the
charges made against DeVery when n was
a police captain, and which accuse him Of
failure to close disordcrly houses in his
precinct in 1893.
Mr.. Moss called Frank Croker as the first
witness.
Just before calling for this witness Mr.
Moss made a short speech in which hc said
that the counsel in the case undertook this
work with the idea that legislation would
remedy evils they believed to exist and
which they had undertaken to develop.
Dr. OSulliVan asked that he placed on
| record appearing for the city officials, by
authority of the corporation counsel. The
request was granted.
Frank Croker Could Not BE Found.
Frank Croker, who is a son of Richard
Croker, did not respond to the call Of his
name, and the subpoena server reported
that he had not been able to find the young
man.
William Archer OF Dawson G. Archer.
builders of this city, then took the stand.
He said he had a contract for the con-
structfon of a building on Park Row, OF
which Eve floors have been leased to the
city In rendering for the contract Archer
said he estimated to build ii on 1Ae ltoeb-
ling fireproof system, for $4,000 less than
terra Gotta system was adopted
The only reason he knew for The more
expensive style baing adopted was that il
was said that the Roebling system could
not pass the department.
Abraham A. l.. Himmelwright, general
manager of the Roehling Construction
Company, was the next witness. Hs said
stock of the company was owned chiefly by
F. W. Roebling and Frank Croker. The
latter was secretary of the company. In
answer to the question If Richard Croker
owned stock in the company, Mr.. Himmel-
wright replied:
Close Corporation.
THE company is a close corporation"
Mr.. Himmelwright explained the failure
of his company to obtain the work Of fire.
proofing buildings in this city by saying
that under the rules of the building Depart
ment their methods could not pass inspsc-
ticn. The company had brought the mat
ter into court during the previous city ad-
ministration, and their system had finally
baen approved in the last days of office Of
the former superintendent, Constable.
Mr.. Moss brought out the fact that James
w. Hinckley, former chairman Of the DEM
ocratic state committee, and Mr.. Croker
Joined the Roebling company this year.
Mr. Moss then showed the witness speci-
fications for a new public school in this
city, in which the Roebling system was
included in those specifications. The wit
ness had previously testified that the Roeb-
ling process was not used in building
schools.
Mr. Moss read a copy of the Roebling
Construction Company's advertisement and
then read from the specifications asked by
the building department of the board OF
education. The demands of the board OF
education were almost word for word
identical with the advertisement. Mr.. Moss
asked:
''Under those specifications no other firm
but yours could bid for the work2'
Il don't think So"
McCann. Counsel for Company.
Mr. Moss then pointed to Deputy Assist
ant District Attorney McCann, who sat in
court Mr.. Moss asked Mr.. Himmelwright
if Mr. McCann had visited the offices of
the Roebling company. Mr.. Himmelwright
said Mccain was counsel to the original
John A. Roebling Company, out OF which
sprung the construction company, and that
he had visited their offices. Mr.. McCann,
the witness said, was very intimate with
Frank Croker and, he believed, was a rela-
tive of Richard Croker.
Ibid YOU not go with Mr. McCann to in
dviduals in this city to ask them to employ
Mr.. McCann as attorney before the new
building code commission to get such regu-
lations framed as would enable them to do
business?" asked Mr.. Moss
No"
Can you say yes to any part Of that
question: urged Mr. Moss.
The witness hesitated. Mr.. Moss said:
You may as well be frank. L know all
about it,
Nephew of Richard Croker.
Mr.. Himmelwright said he might have
suggested to the people he saw that N
would be well to employ Mr.. Mccain or
Senator Grady as counsel He said he sup
posed that counsel, TO obtain very good re-
suits would want some 5000 to $4,000.
Then here we have 1T" summed up Mr..
Moss. Mr. McCarn is nephew to Rich
ard Croker; he is attorney TO the Roebling
company; he holds Office under Asa Bird
Gardner. and you think his fee for appear
ing before the building code commission
should be 5000 or $4,000.
That was my opinion said the witness.
Mr. McCann was then called. He said ne
had been a lawyer three years, and that he
had desk room in Senator Grady's law Of
fee, but was not connected with Grady's
firm.
Are you related to Richard Croker"
asked Mr.. Moss
Il decline to answer. / do not think it
material"
Chairman Mazet thought II was mat srial
and Mr.. McCann said he 10 Mr.. Crokers