New-York tribune., 1903-06-18
TWO MILLIONS WASTED,
TESTIMONY ABOUT PIERS.
If John Doe Proceeding Jushfes 1t
Grand Jury WiU Act.
Photograph by Howes.)

Assistant District Attorney Marshall Is. Clarke
yesterday began examining witnesses in the
John Doe inquiry to determine whether
Charles F. Murphy, leader of Tamlnany Hall. ].
Sergeant Cram chairman of the Tammany
General Committee. and Peter f. Meyer. for
mer business partner of Richard Croker. COM
prising the Tammany Dock Board under the
Van Wyck administration were guilty of wilful
or criminal negligence in the discharge of their
duties. If the evidence seems to be conclusive.
these former officials will be indicted for misde-
meanor and possibly for conspiracy. If con-.
viCted of misdemeanor they can be fined or i'm
prisoned.
When Charles F. Murphy former treasurer
of the Dock Board and dispenser of political
patronage was asked yesterday about the pro-
ceeding begun by the District Attorney he said:
jerome might get up John Doe proceedings
against a couple of heads of departments in
this administration and find more wrongdoing
than he can find by digging into the Van Wyck
administration. One of the departments 1 refer
to is the present Dock Department"
MIR. Murphy would not explain what he meant
by his reference to the administration of the
Dock Department by Commissioner Hawkes..
Assistant District Attorney Clarke yesterday
examined two witnesses. 1t was reported last
night that they John a. Bouker, head of
the Bouker Contracting Company. of No. "a
+ State-st.. and A. c. Chenoweth, water front
contractor living at No East Thirty-first-st.
The report could not be verified, although it is
likely that Messrs. Bouker and Chenoweth will
be asked TO see Mr.. Clarke before long.
In connection with the alleged misrlanagement
of the citys interests by the old Dock Board it
was learned yesterday that the Sinking Fund
Commissions has received an offer of 100000
year for dumping board privilege on the Old
slim formerly OccuOad dunn nv
Brown * Fleming, who got the privilege from
the old Tammany Dock Board at 900 year
the afternoon of the last day of 1901. The
bidder is willing to deposit bond for the faith
full performance of his contract
AS stated in The Tribune yesterday. the city
is in position to lose more than S2000O00 by
reason of the undervaluations of pier leases by
Murphy, Cram and Meyer On ten leases. nearly
all of which for thirty year terms. the
city will lose more than 100000 comparing
the lease prices accepted by the old board with
prices obtained by Commissioner Hawkes. after
public advertising. It is practically certain that
with the return of Tammany to power the old
scale of prices would be resumed
The Murphy board leased the Canal-st. pier
10 Brown & Fleming at $500 a year for thirty
years. This pier is worth $1,000 year. The
difference between its true and rented value is
5000 year. Multiplying this by thirty, which,
it will be remembered. is the lease term, also, of
the Joseph Egan lease which the city is trying
TO cancel on the grounds of conspiracy and
fraud and the city's loss is S2160o0
The Murphy board leased to the mysteu.1us
Egan the bulkhead at Twenty ninth-st., for
thirty years at $50 year. a total for the
thirty years of S22500 The dump at Thirtieth-
ST. one block north was leased by Comnlls-
sioner Hawkes. after advertising, to the 1nde-
pendent Contracting Company for SlSSo a
wear on this basis the Egan lease should have
brought S5640o instead of only S22'h The
loss TO the city is therefore,. Soil. 800
I. The Murphy board granted dumping board
Ieas at Thirty-ninth-st. to Michael j Egan for
81 go wear. At public auction the city got for
a dump at Forty-third-st. four blocks distant
81 700 wear The difference in this case is
81 40 a wear or a total loss in thirty years Of
S132, 800
The Murphy board leased dumping board at
Forty-third- st to a favored contractor at S1,Sbo
a year Commissioner Hawkes. at public auc-
tion sold the lease at 50. 100 year as before
eto+ed This is a difference of $4,000. which in
thirty years would mean loss to the city of
$4,000.
The Murphy board leased to Brown & Fleming
the West Fifty ffth-st. pier dump at Sl2vo
wear The DUMP on the same pier at public
auction last year brought $2,6'o year, or dlf-
ference of 81. 100 year, which for thirty years
would mean a loss TO the city of $4,000
The Murphy board leased to Charles F.
Nt,srnbv,s own brother John. the president of
+ba New-York Contracting and Trucking Com
many the pier at Seventy -ninth-st., North River.
Continued on sixteenth page.
TUE ,Ry1Nc, NATIONAL BANK.
11 ,.onr a,court with The Irving National