New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-05-16
ROGUERY, SAYS CIRCUIT.
RID COAL FOR ARMORIES.
Strained Relations Betsreen President
WeUs and the Controller.

oe5ce Assistant District Attorney Clarke and
.r-ned over 10 him documents and vouchers
,rbich according TO the Controller and to use his
own words SAVIOR OF 'damnable roguery.' The
men who according to Mr.. Grout's chief audi
Tor. William Mckinney. and some Of his in
snectors. are involved IN Irregularities are John
p Custaveson. secretary OF the Arrnory Board:
Henry Gustaveson, q carpenter, brother OF the
arst named. and Samuel Lewis. purchasing
agent OF supplies for hotels. Mr.. Grout's in
,-as,igatfon tends to show that John P. Gus
,aveson allowed Lewis to overcharge the city for
several hundred IONS OF coal IN December. The
charge against Henry Gustaveson is that he
falsely represented himself as Henry Day &
CO Of No. 764 East One-hundred-and-thirty-
rinth-st contracting firm which Gid several
hundred dollars worth OF work the New
Hampshire
Az the same time that the charges We're made
public there were stories about the City Hall
Of strained relations" between Controller Grout
and James L. Wells. president Of the Tax Board
and vice-chairTnan Of the ArTnory Board Mr..
Csrout and Mr.. Wells have not been on cordial
terms since last January, when the Controller,
9f.er consultation with the Corporation Counsel,
sent 10 Albany bill to provide for the conec-
ton Of taxes in January instead Of in October.
Frank Bell. head OF the real estate division in
the Tax Department and President Wells. OF
the Tax Board, ar a public hearing on this bill,
submitted arguments that quickly put the meas
IRE into the invalid class. Mr.. Grout was some
what wrathful about it
Shortly after this Mr.. Wells, who sometimes
is abrupt In speech, visited the Finance Depart
ment and asked why certain bills had been held
up. Chief Auditor Mckinney replied in a way
that did not suit the Tax Commissioner, who
said:
"Mr- Mckinney. you can't dictate to me.
You're playing politics You're McLaughln's
candidate for Controller"
oh am, am I?' Mckinney is said to have
answered. 'well, hereafter you'll walk the
crack pretty straight I'll get after you-''
TURNED IT OVER TO DISTRICT ATTORNEY
Controller Grout startled the newspaper men
by allowing II to be circulated yesterday after
noon that he had uncovered a big scandal, and
that he had turned the matter over TO the DIS
trict Attorney. Later in the day the following
allegations were obtained from the official pa
pers in Mr.. Grout's office:
John P Gustaveson. secretary Of the
Armory Board, in December bought from Samuel
Lewis q speculator about 2S3 tons Of coal.
which now is alleged to have been largely culm
and slate at about 50 ton. Lewis tried TO
collect on the bill. and informed by the
Controller that the city had been overcharged,
and that he would have 20 sue for the account.
The other charge is that Henry Gustaveson
in7uefsonated Henry Day & Co.. who recently
finished some repair work on the New-Hamp-
shire Custaveson was induced TO visit the
Controllers Office yesterday, where he made
affidavit that he was Henry Day Co.
Is that your name?' he was asked by the
Controller.
That is the name do business under" was
the reply
Isn't Your name really Gustaveson?" he was
asked.
Yes that is my real name but do business
under the name Of Henry Day & Co." said he
C1ustaveson then was allowed to 60 and the
matter was turned over to Assistant District
Attorney Clarke
Henry Day & Co not registered in the
County Clerks Office until yesterday. John p
Gustaveson said his brother had not known
before Of the law requiring such registering
In a letter to President Wells. who asked for
an explanation of the coal buying transaction,
John P Gustaveson says that in December he
found that some of the armories were out Of
ooai. and he tried TO renew the supply He says
he wrote TO the Communipaw company, Burns
Pros and other concerns. and told that coal
was too scarce to warrant supplying armories.
He says that Mr.. Wells will remember that
Mayor Low insisted that coal be obtained for
the arnorfes and suggested that Commissioner
De Forest Of the Tenement House Department
4
able TO make useful suggestion as 10 how TO
get it. NJ De Forest said that IL was impos-
sible to get ccal for arrnories. Then. Gustave-
Eon's letter says. he saw Samuel Lewis VINO
told him that he could get two hundred TONS at
50 ton from Curtis & Blaisdeil by represent
ing himself as purchasing agent Of charitable
organization. When this proposition was sub
,njt1ed 10 Mayor Low he refused TO try TO get
the coal by any such subterfuge. Later, when
C;1,etaveson told Mr.. Wells and the Mayor that
he could get 2S3 tons OF coal without saying
what il was wanted for, the Mayor assented 10
the purchase Mr. Gustaveson submits a letter
from c ". Floyd, engineer of the 9TH Regiment
ar1lory who says that the coal, while OF poor
quality kept the furnaces going. ana that ne
was GLAD 10 get II at the time. Similar letters
from other armorers are submitted
crTsTAvEsoN's STATEMENT.
When Mr.. Gustaveson was seen last night he
said:
I haven't done anything crooked. and I'm not TOT
afraid Of anything that Mr 1fpar bo abo s M car
pener As secretary of the ArTnory a B3ard obs hee e
kept him busy part OF the I nne csrnenter r g knew
who was not or strike. He failed IN puslIless al
less and since then ne mas oone % i his brotheri-
iSN@s rame re did this that judgments agaIhst
IN Il S2ga nebire M. Controller Grout this morn
frg summoned MIN 10 his office azd told nm taat S
-, - iST Eg nm nav e. Co as the other had been
lest Nv brother signed the hrra IlarIe- ,a ~ n
VS. fbe name he did business under. think TINS
acton cH 3lr. GrOuts part Is on u-yIS sayN "
friendliness between him and MY "e4iS'
When President Wells Of the Tax BOARD was
seen he said:
: have known ciustaveson many years. think he