New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-11-25
ARMORY SITE, ASSESSED AT
$500. Jumps TO $50. 900.
LOV AND WELLS HAVE COURTS PRE-
VENT PURCHASE OF TROOP C
PLOT - CHARGES OF AT
TEMPTED BRIBERY


partment are a good deal exercised over dis
coveries made in connection with condemna-
ton prooeedirCs begun under the Van Wyck
administration fer acquiring a site for an
arnory fnr the Brooklyn cavalry organization.
II looks as Z tric5ery was reSorted to to have
the city ray N5Gn)0 for d site in Bedford-ave
between President and Union SITS BROOKLYN
that is now assessed at S5.5aO The property
has frontage Of about two hundred feet but
Bedfora-ave- IT that point has not yet heen cut
through.
II is alleged that S!.1U0 was offered to an Off
Ger Of Troop to push along the condemnation
Of the Bedford-ave. site. and was refused bv
him. and also that $500 was offered to mem
her OF the A~mory Board to help the alleged
steal through. Lastly. it is alleged that a mem
Der Of the Armory Board is financially inter
ested in a firm which held an option on the pro-
posed armory site.
The alleged steal Was stopped in a dramatic
fashion in the Mayors Office only few days
ago President Wells Of the Tax Board and
one Of his assistants. q veteran in the Office,
called the Mayor. and the Tax Commission
ers' assistant said:
Mr.. Mayor. this Troop c armory proceeding
is a barefaced steal The site is not worth
half what the commission says. 1t is assessed
for only So 500"
But you too late" replied the Mayor,
"the Law Department has just informed me.
and here is the letter (takng il out of a
pigeonhole), that the Armory Board passed a
resolution last summer approving the findings
Of the commission. Their action vests in the
city. under the charter. the title to the site
four months after the passage of the resolution"
DISCOVERY MADE IN TINE.
The Armory Board never passed such reso-
luton" said the tax clerk.
Here is the certihcation. or statement, from
action taken" said the Mayor. Then fol-
lowed quick investigation and Mr. Coombs. Of
the Brooklyn department, soon sent the Mayor
word that he, Coombs, had been mistaken, and
that the Armory Board had not passed the reso-
luton. The discovery was made on the Satur-
day before the Monday on which the advertising
TO close the whole proceeding was scheduled to
begin.
Thereafter the Mayor took a lively interest in
the Troop armory case and discovered that
Assistant Corporation Counsel Jerome w.
Coonnbs Of the Brooklyn Law Department, had
been deceived into certifying proceeding that
Is characterized in the Tax Department as
$4,000 lob Mr.. Coombs assisted in revealing
the merits OF the transaction and on his motion
the Supreme Court has ordered a discOntinu-
ance of the entire condemnation proceeding
with a stipulation that the property owners
shall he reimbursed 10 the extent OF cash dis
bursements actually made or obligations honor
ably incurred"
AS nearly as could be learned last night, after
the Law Department had closed for the day, the
facts are substantially as follows:
On December 81. 1901. the last day of the
Van Wyck administration, Desmond Dunno
John Pyburn and William Mclaughlin, were
appointed commission by the Supreme Court
to do their part in condemnation proceedings for
the requirement Of Troop c armory site. Mr..
fc adv rfSip
police commissioner in Brooklyn,
and Mclaughlin is a relative Of Boss" Nc
Laughlln. The commission set to work 10 deter
mine the value Of the armory site. The guards
men grew impatient delays. and urged
speedy action by the commission and city Off
Gals At first the legal features Of the pro-
ceedngs were left in the hands of Assistant Cor
poration Counsel Harris but later they were
transferred to the Brooklyn department, and
intrusted to Assistant Corporation Counsel
Jerome W. Coombs. A member of Mr.. Coombs's
family is seriously I'll. and he was not able to
go deeply into the case when seen last night at
his home No. 113 Montague-st.. Brooklyn, by a
Tribune reporter.
STATEMENT OF Mr.. COOMBs.
NO sooner was the Troop c armory case
turned over to me-" said Mr.. Coombs than
great pressure was brought to bear to have the
matter expedited. The troopers are in the old
14th Regiment Armory. in North Portlend-ave.
and they need better quarters. I at once began
10 push matters. Last summer / informed
that the Armory Board had formally acted
the site question. / called up the office of Mr..
Harris the assistant in the Manhattan office
in charge Of condemnations. and asked if the
Arnory Board had acted favorably the site.
a clerk said Mr. Harris was his vacation,
but that I was correctly informed; that is, the
Armory Board had approved the site. Under
the charter the city must pay interest
site four months after the necessary resolution
acquiring such a site is passed. then tried TO
get the report Of the commissioners, but there
were delays Finally. after the advertisement
was prepared for The City Record I found
that the commission had signed a report in ia
vor OF paying S43 600 for the proposed site. AS
this twice what the ground worth |
was astonished and began investigate. Then
the report Of the commission withdrawn
and new report. signed only by Pyburn and
Mclaughlin. was substituted. This raised the
award for the site TO $4,000. Mr.. Dunno had
stood out against the $4,000 award. and he
would not sign the substitute report, because,
as he Informed me- he thought it excessive. l
applied to the court to have the whole proceed
ing discontinued The court has just granted
the necessary order, with the stipulation that
property owners and others possessing claims
against the city on account of the proceedings
shall be reimbursed only to the extent Of cash
actually disbursed or obligations honorably in
CURED. / free to say that the entire pro-
ceedinR is full Of peculiar features.
Among the allegations now being investigated
is that real estate dealer offered tax
Official 800 to keep his mouth shut and let
tie deal go through the Armory Board
SIDE LIGHTS on THE PROCEEDINGS.