The sun., 1903-07-27
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
FLEMING GETS OUT or THE
FAMOUS CONTRACTING FIRM.
He Had the Political End and the Pier
Leases-DrOwn Win start Company to
Take Over Business - Coogan Sees
Half.NlllliOn settlement Through.

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Newport probably mourned the absence
OF y. j. Coogan yesterday. Developments
in the Brown Fleming case detained him
in town.
After many years of fighting Brown Il
Fleming, famous recently as contractors
having relations with the last Dock Board,
will settle their differences by separating
entirely in business. Charles A. Brown
has Incorporated a company to take over
the business Of the firm and Capt. John
Fleming's interest will be bought out by
the new company. Rumor puts the price
at nearly half million dollars. Mr..
Coogan was never displaced as receiver OF
tho firm and will as receiver make the
transfer OF the assets and accounts OF the
old firm to the new company.
II will bo remembered that the receiver
seemed to get rather the worst OF it in
getting in between the warning partners
when they were fighting hardest. The
fact that he was suspected Of being salts
factory to one side made him the object
OF attack from the other. This attack
was made under a motion to reverse the
order putting the firm into the hands OF a
receiver. Mr. Coogan paid no attention
to this phase Of the litigation. But the
resulting order Jared him into taking
notice. 1t continued the rcceivership, but
reversed his appointment. The order was
pub ished extensively, accompanied by
the allegations Of the application under
which it was made. These allegations
were that Mr.. Coogan had divers and SUM-
dry judgments Of record against i'm. was
engaged in no business and possessed
Of no property. From these statements
1t was argued that he ought not to DO
receiver OF such a concern as Brown &
Fleming
Whether he wanted to be receiver or
not this sort of thing called for fight and
Mr.. Coogan's attorneys got busy. They
presented papers to the Appellate Division
in opposition to this order of which they
secured a stav. These papers set forth
what the receiver had done in connection
with the affairs Of the firm; and also that all
judgments ever recorded against MIR.
Coogan had been satisfied and that he had
more than million dollars Of real estate In
his own name in Manhattan. So il hap
pened that no successor to Receiver Coogan
was ever appointed.
The newly Incorporated company will
succeed to the leases and privileges which
the old firm obtained from the Dock Depart
ment and which Mr.. Rves and Mr.. jerome
have shown 81 much interest in. Mr. Rives
has sought to have some OF the leases an
nulied in a civil action. A story was started
that Richard Croker was Il silent partner
In the firm and shared in its profits.
In the settlement il Is Capt. Fleming,
the member oY the Arm whose acquRintances
and connections have a political side. who
IL going out of the business. Mr. Brown.
whom the politicians do not know, stays in.
Capt. Fleming, who held all the waterfront
privileges obtained from the last Dock
Board III his own name, Is member of the
Tammany organization in the Thirtieth
district
Mr. jerome has put the Brown & Flem-
ing firm into the John Doe hopper. Not
very much of the results has been made
public Capt. Fleming was on the John
Doe grill a couple OF hours, and all OF l..
Latin Kellogg = efforts to prevent his ex-
amin alton in the absence Of counsel wore
OF no avail. Capt. Fleming would not
discuss the terms OF the settlement yester-
day.
1All know is that will be out of job
tomorrow said ha. Can you get me
a job, young man? have been more than
twenty years doing business for the city
under all of the different administrations,
reform and all l have worked for the.
Dock Department, the Park Department,
the Street Cleaning Department and the
Public Works. have done lots Of work
for the United States Government, too,
and for private parties Every one of them
all will tell you that John Fleming is all
right. Have got something TO show for
It? Well, guess will be able to go up
to City Island for months vacation, but
1 will soon want to go to work. Can you
get me job3'
The property to be turned over by Re-
ceiver Coogan In this settlement consists
of the leases and privileges with the Dock
six towboats, fifty scows or
barges, such as are used at the dumps Of
the company and the Roa Hook Gravel
property and the crushed stone plant up