New-York tribune., 1900-12-23
/ sHEEHAN'S WARON CROKER
FRIENDS SAY THE BOSS TREATED HIM
UNFAITHFULLY.

HOW HE GOT BACK THE LEADERSHIP
AFTER SAYING THAT HE HAD RE
I.1NoUIsHED 1T TO sHEEHAN.
An interesting statement prepared by the
friends Of John c. Sheehan to Justify their course
,n attacking Croker and Tammany Hall was
made public last evening. The plan was 10
publish the document early next month. when
Mr. Sheehan says his new organization will be
formed and be In good lighting trim Last night'
however, it was decided that the time for us
PRONUNCIATION was opportune, and the document
was released,
The statement follows in part:
Mr. Croker resigned from the chairmanship OF
the Tammany Finance Committee at meeting
of the Executive Committee called for that pur-
pose After it had been accepted UNANIMOUSLY
Mr. Croker made a speech, In which he said
that now. having severed his connection with
Tammany Hall a. the leader, he would also
sign as a member of the organization. and that
he would never again become identihed with the
organization or take any active part in politics
Then Mr.. Croker left the Wigwam, and the
leaders thought that they would never see him
again
When the Tammany organization elected Of
hcers in 1894 MIR. Croker sent an order to the
district leaders requiring the district assess
ments, amounting to $4,000, should be paid be-
fore March l. The payments were all made
promptly. At this time the Lexow Committee was
in session, and exposures Of official corruption
and inefficiency in municipal affairs were png
up 1t said then that Croker foresaw defeat
and feared he would be called before the Lexow
Committee and his political actions exposed. He
went to Europe for the purpose Of being out of
the way. Tammany Hall at this time was with
out money, and the affairs of the Wigwam were
in bad shape.
The three strongest men in the organization
at that time were Mayor Gilroy. Police Commits
sioner James j. Martin and Henry d. Purroy.
This triumvirate managed affairs and the
time approached for the Mayoralty campaign
Mayor Hugh J. Grant urged the Executive Com
ysaiff IN ne Mai fO
ing that he was a business man with an hon
orable record, and that some such man was
needed to head the Tammany ticket. Mr.. Straus
was nominated, but in few days he saw IL
would be hopeless fight, and he refused to ac-
cept. Grant was compelled TO take the nomina-
ton, and he was defeated by $4,000, and that
defeat further disrupted Tammany Hall.
In the summer of 1895 Mr.. Sheehan became
leader. taking the place OF the Gilroy- Martin
Purroy triumvirate. He was announced as the
chairman of the Finance Committee to succeed
Mr.. Croker, and week after resolution was
introduced by William e. Stillings recognizing
and naming Mr.. Sheehan as the leader of Tam
many Hall. This action unanimous. Mr..
Sheehan believed that Mr.. Croker brought about
his selection, because he knew that on Mr. Gro
ker's return from Europe In 1895 he had sent
for the leaders and in conversation had asked
why the organization was not completed, and
who seemed to be the best man for the leader
ship The answer invariably was "Sheehan,
and whenever this name was mentioned TO Gro
ker he said, II am well pleased. In my Judgment
Sheehan is the man for the job.
WHAT sHEEHAN FELL HEIR TO.
sheehan found the organization practically
disrupted. in bad odor, with empty treasury,
and debts amounting to $4,000. When the
compaign of 1S95 opened he led the fight against
the same combination which had defeated the
Hall in 1894. The Tammany organization.
under Sheeha1's management, elected its ticket
by 1000 votes, and this in spite of the fact
that il was out of power, with no offices at its
disposal and with no way of raising money
Croker had in the mean time been in England
He returned and was loud in his praise of
AIa,, tie 4ofp fo4~ +tnc
time he insisted that he himself would never
take active part in city politics again. On
the Saturday before ne sailed, a luncheon was
given in his honor by Surrogate Fitzgerald. The
whole situation was discussed by Croker and
sheehan, and man who tells the story
to Euorpe, and I may not be back for
q year, or. possibly, for a much longer time
The only thing that is necessary is to get
a good candidate for Mayor. II come back be-
fore the campaign is over 1t WILL be simply TO
help you to raise money. Sheehan asked Croker
to come back anyway. but told him that 1t was
not necessary for him TO help in raising money.
because he (Sheehan) could get all that he
wanted Croker made this final appeal to Shee-
han: IF. in the future. any of my old friends
want to drag me back want you, as my friend
to stop them. Such fellows as Larry Delmour or
Eddie Sheehy may take X into their heads to
say that we ought TO "have the little fellow come
along and take hand in This is what want
to avoid, and want you to stop 1t IL you ever
hear of the thing being attempted 3"
Sheehap and Croker were Interested together
in a number of business contracts. One Of their
they had formed for the construction of the
underground railway. This company was capi-
talized at S5.0000O0. Early In 1894 Sheehan
had examined old routes and became convinced
that the route which is now being followed from
City Hall to Forty-second-st. was the only prac-
tical one. Croker. Sheehan and their associates
had information to this effect taken to the Rapid
Transit Commission and assured them that If
they would select this route at least one bid
would be forthcoming.
Later steps were taken to lay out the route
and to show to what an extent IT had gone, and
how deeply interested Croker and Sheehan were
together. / will tell you that Sheehan forced
through the Board of Aldermen, in the face of
opposition, a resolution approving the tunnel
route Mr.. Croker had $50O.OOo worth of stock
in this company for which he paid nothing. He
and Sheehan were bound together by mutual in
terests in proposed surety company.
FEARED CRoKER's RETURN.
Sheehan started the Tammany fight in 1897
early He use6 new methods and new men.
on September 10 1897 it was announced that
Mr. Croker coming back to the United
States A man who was on the inside of Tam
manv Hall at that time said: THAT announce
ment created CONSERVATION in Tammany Hail.
They believed that Croker's return might Jeop-
ardze what they regarded as a certain triumph
One of the leaders who now occupies hlgh
office said: The only dark spot on the sky is
Dicks return Leader after leader went to
Sheehan at Tammany Hall, urged him to have
nothing to do with Croker and told him that
although Croker said that he was out and as a
matter of fact, was out. the press would make
Croker the issue They urged Sheehan in the
interests of the organization to keep clear of
Croker and above all things not to nominate
Croker man for Mayor. To all OF them Sheehan
replied: I'm a Croker man myself, I'm his
friend and would not by word or act do any
thing to injure him "
Croker on mis- arrival declared that he was out
of politics. and went to the Murray Hill Hotel
He referred all inquirers to Sheehan. In the
mean time not a day passed that Sheehan was
not warned by more Tammany leaders
that Croker was seeking to bring about his