New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-06-26
BROKE CHARTER IN PIER LEASE
COMPACT BETWEEN ALDERMAN GAFFNEYS CON-
PANY And OLD DOCK BOARD
Michael Egan Confession at Inquiry Thomas F. OBrien Tells Of
City Contracts Sublet at a Profit.

strong pull with the old Dock Board. Egan
made a statement which was substantially as
follows:
In the fall of 1901, just before Tammany
went out of office, I read that the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad would build a tunnel to this
city, and thought that on account of the dig
ging dumping board lease would be a good
thing to have. L got tip that lease could
be obtained by doing certain things. and 1 set
about the task OF getting it. 1 went to James
J. Frawley Cnow Senator Frawley. Tan1many
leader of the XXXIId DistricD, and I didn't
have any trouble in getting what 1 wanted.
Mr.. Frawley did the whole thing. Mr.. Fraw-
ley tried to get the lease for less. but he could
not Mr.. Frawley did it out of friendship for
me. He did not make anything out of it. As
an investment the lease is a disappointment.
1 would like to get rid of it,
You never pay the rent yourself, and rare
", If ever go to the pier said Mr.. Clarke.
Mr.. Cohalan looks out for the rent part of it.
I send him my check. and he pays the rent with
his own check My checks would not
show regular payments to Mr.. Cohalan, be-
cause I keep a running account with him, and
when the rent comes due he pays it,
Egan disclosed the interesting and somewhat
Iudicrous fact that when the Erie Railroad Com
pany tried TO do business with the mysterious
Joseph Egan they got hold of him, Michael, by
mistake. Joseph is the lessee ef the Twenty
ninth-st. bukhead, that the Erie wanted When
the company made Michael proposition for his
pier lease he was disposed TO accept the offer
until he found the company wanted the Twenty
ninth-st. bulkhead.
I'm off for the Klondike, and I've told you
all I know about piers" said Egan, as he left
Mr.. CIarke's office.
William Hastorf, who tried to get piers and
dumping boards from the old board and could
not, said. among other things: Il didn't get all
wanted from the old board. but I took my
medicine, and I'm disposed to stand with them"
SUBLET RIPRAP CONTRACTS.
1t was left for Thomas F. O'Brien, of Nos "a
and % South-st., to shed a lot of light upon a
most remarkable system of contract letting
practised by the old board. Assistant District
Attorney Clarke noticed by the minutes of the
old board that O'Brien Brothers apparently
were rank outsiders" with the old board.
They tried to get things. and could not. "Ap-
plication denied was the usual answer to their
requests for piers and dumping boards. 1t
happened that there was a lot of riprap work
TO do. and OBren Brothers wanted slice of
the work. Charles F. Murphy the dispenser
of all such business, as the treasury order"
system was in full swing. and Mr.. Murphy
handed out the contracts he fit The
firm of Murray & Co. had monopoly of this
work under Charles F Murphy. Their place
of business is at No. 259 Avenue c, and Joseph
Murray the head ot the firm, lives at No. 3ll
East Eighteenth-st, IL Charles F. Murphys AS
sembly district. Under Mr.. Murphy's manage
ment, Murray & Co. Jared pretty well. Mr..
Murphy gave to them contracts. without ad-
vertising amounting to S14S913 q
we couldn't get any Of this work from the
board direct" said Thomas F. O'Brien yester-
rlxe mi we
Murray & Co. who sublet it to U.S.
.eDid they sublet il TO you at loWer price
than they themselves got for it from the city?'
asked Mr. Clarke.
why. certainly. or at least 1 suppose So,
said Mr. O'Brien without hesitation. 1T doesn't
stand to reason that they would give out such
work without making money on it.
William J. McGirr told Mr. Clarke that pier
was taken away from him and given TO a ram
many concern at a much lower price thah ne
stood ready to pay. Il saw all the commits
; .nd then l went to see Mr.. Croker,
said Mr. McGirr. Croker sent me PACK 10 lhe
r,ocL DEPARTMENT and soon after that he went
.broad When l went down TO see the DOCK
commissioners the next time. they laughed at
me and Murphy said: You'll have TO 90 10
England and see your friend Croker we can
Go ANYTHING for you here
II Harrison one of the witnesses yester-
sav was dockmaster under the FORMER ooaiu'
Ind had charge Of old Pier No. 2o He was
hrouebt up on charges which, il is alleged , Nere
ofe,rred hy Secretary Burke OF the DOCK
board for not using greater rlgof IN p pre-
ing the Degnon- Mclean Contracting 60 SompaRs any
from dumping cellar art on me ne p,ie jer from,
Depnon-McIlean Company Leased the p5ei I'LL; lIo.e.
r%fyate persons but did not have dumping
hoard hermit The Dock Board "ouId iiol ~. ~.
~, % ahead with their dumping preSu4 3 ~
hecause Brown &, Fleming. lessees Oh 'e N
Canast pier wanted the dumping 10 CONE iil tbe y,
Iooi- ISoard when Harrison was yanked up
Perer Meyer resented it. and he and Gonlillls ms
sioner cram and Secretary Burke nedI.E ,oard
- blows in an executive session OF the ooait
NJ Never denounced one of these PeIsoIls. S s
an unnlitigated liar and finally rushed out oi
The room pale with wrath a.r last
aIderman James Z. Gaffney was 'eeH . l's.
- ~ the AnaU-anda Club and asked Apoul