The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-04-22


stood that, and he really did so under
stand it," said Mr.. Freedman. 1T
really is dividends on the business that
was done: it was not stock dividends.
1t was a business dividend; that COW
ers Mr.. Croker
ANY other stockholders receiving
such dividends as that?" asked the law
yer
Yes; am" said the witness.
"Now, so you mean to say, Mr.. Freed
man, that you told Mr.. Croker that
this money you were giving him was
given him by the company"
Il have replied to that. sir. Mr.
Croker might have believed this was
a stock dividend"
But did you give him to understand
that it was stock dividend?"
mo, SIR
do you believe that your leader
your friend, the head of Tammany
Hall in this city," asked Mr.. Moss, "in
the view of the people of the city would
stoop to the business of dividing your
commissions in the bond company that
bonds the city employees? Do you be-
lieve that"
Mr.. Croker has not Mr.. Croker has
simply had a business arrangement
with me the same as Mr.. Platts son
has with his father replied Mr.. Freed
man somewhat heatedly. He added:
1T Is an old fight with Mr. Platt and
Mr.. PIatt's son and this company.
Mr.. Moss wormed out of Mr.. Freed
man that the profits he divided with
Mr. Croker were mostly from bond
ing"
Chairman Mazet said
There is a discrepancy between your
testimony and Mr. Croker's. If you
care to have the record stand as 1t
is the committee is satisfied"
Mr.. Freedman averred that it had
been explained sufficiently
Mr.. Moss suspended Mr.. Freedman's
examination for the day.
Just as he left the chair Mr.. Freed
man said:
Now, gentlemen of the press. here
is a statement of the business of the
Platt company and of the business of
our company-a statement of the en-
tire business"
Mr.. Moss claimed this to be a fla
grant contempt of the committee.
Il want to say right here" said he,
that we propose to look upon this
statement in a regular and logical and
orderly way, and when a sufficient
number of gentlemen have put them
selves in contempt of this committee
we will take care of them in a bunch
Frank A. Bell, who is employed in
the department of taxes and assess
ments and who had brought with him
the tax book of the city of New York
at the request of the committee, was
called to testify to the value of Rich
ard Croker's house on 74th street. Ex-
animation brought out the fact that the
| valuation of Mr.. Croker's house had
| been decreased by the assessors 81 900
| since 1898.
| Mr.. Moss called Abraham Himmel-
wright of the Roebling Construction
company. Mr.. Moss asked if the treas
urer of the Roebling company attend
| ed the office Of the commission regular
| ly every day.
Mr.. Himmelwright said he thought
that a matter of private business, and
| Mr. Moss retorted:
| Il am sorry to see a man like you, a
man in ordinary and respectable busi-
| ness, adopting that line of answer.
| am afraid that expression will be used
by the people for a tern. Of 20 years to
| indicate certain kinds of transactions,
| which I do not believe you are mixed
up in"
Mr.. HimmelWright haggled over every
| question and was frequently directed to
| answer and just as frequently refused
on the ground that matters connected
| with his business We're his own rer-
sonal affairs. Finally Mr.. Moss asked
| ii members of the city government had
not directed Mr.. Himmelwright to re-
fuse to answer Mr. Himmelwright
said they had not.
Mr.. Moss endeavored to bring out
| that Mr.. Briggs the treasurer of the
| Roebling company, had kept away from
the company's office because he was
| afraid of being served with a subpoena
/ to appear before the Mazet commission
and in relations to the $4,000 which
according to the testimony of Frank
| Croker was paid Mr.. Briggs for his
stock. Mr. Himmelwright said that Mr.
Briggs movements were private mat
tiers. Mr.. Moss at length got Mr.. Him.
melwright to admit that John A Doe
nor of the building department suggest
ed that he the witness) should go to
see Con DAILY. DAILY is a saloon-keeper
| who. according to the testimony of Mr.
| TosteVin of the fire-proofing firm of
Tostevin & Hays, offered to get the
| Tostevin- Hays system of construction
approved by the building department
| for a pecuniary consideration.
Mr. Himmelwright identified John A
Doener as the man he had spoken to-
He had forgotten why Mr.. Doener had
| told him to go to see Mr.. Daily. He
never went to see Daily, because he did
not think he could help him in any
way Mr.. Himmelwright stated that his
company had never made any payments
| to Senator Grady, and said he wished
to retract the statement. because he
thought it was private business mat
ter. Mr.. Moss said it was too late for
him to retract anything.
After a long series of refusals to an
swer, Mr. Moss had it noted on the min
utes that the witness made his declar-
| ations in a tlippant manner.
You decline to give us any assistance
in ferreting out the truth as to wheth-
er or not an attorney was endeavorine
to eXtort money from your concern by
reason of his connection with the build
ing department, do you, or will you
give us that assistance?" demanded
Mr.. Moss.
BY answering that question" said
the witness, Il would be compelled tC
| infer that | knew all the methods and
| conditions and everything under which
the company employed the attorney.
do not know these things and therefore
l cannot answer that question:
Mr.. Himmelwright persisted in his re-
fusal to make definite answers
When Mir. Mess said he would sus-
| pend his examination for the time be.
ing, Mr.. HimmelWright endeavored tC
make a statement, which was abruptly