New-York tribune., 1900-11-10
VISIT FROM MR.. HAYES.
THE GOVERNORS STATEMENT.

self longer connected with the case
THE GOVERNORS STATEMENT.
Governor Roosevelt yesterday made a brief
statement relative to the Ice Trust matter and
the alleged Odeu telegram
Il have nothing whatever to say as to this
particular story" he said. Every State leader
Of prominence and most of the National leaders
of prominence at one time or another spoke to
or advised me about the Ice Trust case, and
doubt If there was any possible course OF action
which some one at some time did not recon-
mend. 1 listened to all the advice, gave due
weight to it, and then took my own course OF
action. Ten days before election 1 publicly
nounced through The Associated Press that I
was entirely willing Mayor Van Wyck should
make public his answer, but that far as l
concerned l should follow the usual course
and make public the answer. together with any
statement by the Attorney-General that was
pertinent and necessary, when announced my
decision"
z The Governor says he will go to Albany on
Monday and may be there for the rest OF the
week. He will not take his family with him.
While at Albany he will take up the Ice Trust
case with the Attorney General, and II is pos
sible the decision will be announced before he
returns TO oyster Bay.
]. Noble Hayes said last night that he
thought the Attorney-General had been justified
in believing that The World would not pre-
sent any evidence in support OF the charges.
4 understood" he said, when the charges were
drawn, that Mr.. Peckham and I to prose-
cute the charges II the Governor appointed
Commissioner to take testimony but we were
retained, learned later, to draw UP the
charges. On September 10 Mr.. Peckham wrote
to me, suggesting that we should be ready to
act If the Mayors answer was sent to the Gov
error l tnclosed his letter with one OF my
own TO The World and received the reply that
the newspaper had intention Of conducting
the prosecution"
DIFFERS FROM ATTORNEY GENERAL.
Mr.. Hayes said he did not agree with the
Attorney-Generals opinion that the charges
ought not 10 be pressed He said he thought
charges bp
sioner appointed to hear testimony the
charges The main charge" Mr.. Hayes said.
is that the Mayor was a part or the monopoly
that raised the price of ice in this city last sum-
II er and brought distress to many poor people.
The Mayor says in his answer that his office is
not adapted to the enforcement OF the anti
monopoly law, but he has at his disposal the
Law Department of the city and the charter
means something when it declares that the
Mayor shall enforce the laws. The Mayor ad-
mts much when he tells of his haste to get rid
Of his ice stock. He says that Mayor Strong
and other officials owned stock in corporations
but 1t is not on record that those corporations
created a monopoly and oppressed the people
or the city
Wheeler H. Peckham, who was associated with
the prosecution of the charges against Mayor
Van Wyck. could not be his house last
night, but earlier in the day he said in reply to
inquiries: Il have not withdrawn from the case
but decline to discuss my professional connec-
ton with it, Mr.. Peckham refused to comment
further in any way upon the matter.
Mayor Van Wyck yesterday refused to talk
about his answer to the Ice Trust charges Con-
the
Mayor had said about other city officials own
ing stock in corporations having contracts with
the city, and he said: We'll, l do own some
bank stock. but / have not been accused Of
running my office for the benefit of the banks"
WHAT Mr.. ODELL SAYS
Governor-elect Odell came from Newburg last
night to attend the dinner in honor of Senator
Hanna at the Union League Club, reaching
State headquarters. in the Fifth Avenue Hotel
at $40. When asked by a Tribune reporter
whether he had sent the dispatch to Governor
Roosevelt purporting to be signed by B. B.
Odell, he smiled, then frowned, and said
why should l pay any attention to the al
legged telegram? b. B. Odell is not my name.
I always sign my name with the 'jr.' l asked
my father whose name is B. B. Odell, If he had
sent any such telegram, and he said he had not.
But what If did send such a message? What
does it amount to? The Democrats understood
perfectly well that 1 managing the cam
paign in this State to elect Mckinley and Roose-
welt and In doing that, If suppressing letter
would have added fifty votes to McKinley's plu-
rality, would have suppressed 1t. You gentle
men who have been accustomed to frequenting
headquarters ought to know that I wouldn't be
very likely to send dispatch like the one in
question; but. as I said before, I haven't any
thing to say about the matter. 1 shall ignore it,
When Senator Platt asked what he
thought about the story that Mr.. Odell had sup
pressed the Mayors Ice Trust answer. he said:
ut isn't worth talking about"