The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-04-18
RICHARD CROKER
ENRAGED BY THE
POINTED QUESTIONS
He HupIS Defiance at Examiner
Moss and Contempt Pro-
Ceedin2S Will Be Carried
to the Legislature.

majority of the business in the city and Mr..
Platt's in the State.
Moss asked Croker how much he paid for
his stock in the United States Bond Company.
and whether the stock was given to him upon
the formation of the company Croker re-
fused to answer, and Moss requested the COM
mittee to direct the witness to answer. Maze:
so directed
VIII you answer, Mr. Croker?"
No, SIR said the witness firmly.
Please to record the gentleman's refusal to
answer all of these questions concerning the
getting OF the stock and whether he had paid
for 1t or not. or whether he got it at the
organization of the company" said Moss
And record also that he declines TO answer
on the ground that it is private matter
said Assemblyman Hoffman.
Croker said he was not interested in the
Maryland Whisky Company. He had never
owned any stock in the Flushing Gas Com
pany.
Moss wanted TO know why he made definite
answers to these personal questions, and Mr..
Croker said: Il don't know, l have 10
answer some. and must reserve some to my
judgment If 1 did not answer some I would
sit here without answering anything at all
he had no stock in the New Amsterdam Com
pany, though he once had, long before the
introduction of the Astoria business He parted
taken on the Astoria bill. He had parted with
1t because he did not wish TO get mixed up in
gin
You were $1,000 short on Manhattan said
Moss, repeating a question that on Saturday
Croker had utterly refused TO answer.
l was not, answered Croker. That never
happened at all. II you had acted as a gentle
man, as you are now at this point, the other
day, would have told you"
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
organization held stock in the New Amsterdam
Company, which was rival company
Moss asked Croker again If he had given his
son Frank 1900 with which TO buy stock in
the Roeblng Construction Company. Croker
declined to answer.
hp tod
and he refused The same thing occurred when
Moss asked him how much stock OF the Auto
Truck Company Croker held and how much
he paid for his interest in that concern.
Croker said he thought the city would be
much better without a civil service law.
When Moss said that Croker had found that
so in business matters like that of Peter Meyer
& Co.. members of the organization could help
each other. Croker said angrily: You are
trying to make us out a pack of thieves in one
combination"
And you think these questions indicate that
persons who do these things are thieves %
quered Moss
That is what you are trying TO get at" said
Croker, thoroughly aroused. Il say that the
people of the city of New York when they
voted for our ticket, voted to put in the organ
ization, and believe that the organization
should run this 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.
Croker becoming greatly enraged, Moss re-
marked that II was that Croker realized the
Seriousness of the occasion"
The Tammany leader retorted: mot very
serious. I not going away. / am going to
stay here until the circus is over"
You are not going to Europe?" said Moss.
Il am going to be here TO how long you
are going to stay; you can have me any day
you want" replied the witness.
Croker declared he had never said he would
never resign from the leadership of Tammany
Hall. He had merely stated that he would re-
main in Tammany Hall long as he lived
He said there were no inducements in the way
a references TammlnV
He denied that he was broke when he re-
turned from England.