The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-07-10
CITY,$t7,5OO; RAKE-OFF,
ED CUNNTNGHAMS PROFITABLE
PULL WITH DOCK BOARD.
Subway Contractor Could Not Deal with
tho Board-Had to SEQ = Middleman
Vacation Season for Dock witnesses
No Ganney-Murphy Incorporation.

SUBWAY contractor 0OuAQ mol UenL WIN
tho Board--Had to Sec = Middleman
Vacation Season for Dock witnesses
NO Ganney-Murphy Incorporation.
Assistant District Attorneys Clarke and
Krotel. who are conducting the inquiry
into the old Murphy Dock Board turned
their attention yesterday 70 it's methods
Of awarding 6lling-in privileges in 1899
and the two years following. The ex-
tension Of the bulkhead line along the
North and East rivers in 1899 opened up
new field. There was great deal of water
front TO be filed in, and contractors who
have to take their refuse out to sea on
scows, were very anxious TO get a chance
to do some Of this filling-in and were
willing to pay the city good prices for the
privilege.
Especially were the subway contractors
anxious to get in on the alling-in privileges.
but so far as Messrs. Clarke and Krotel
have been able to learn not one Of them
ever got a filing-in privilege from the old
Dock Board direct. all privil Ges Of that
kind going to men with influence. After
the men with influence q IT the privileges,
however. they we're not ayerse to re-letting
them to contractors. with the result. OF
course, that the city got but very small
part of what was actually paid by the user
OF the privilege. the bulk going TO the
middleman
From Edward F. Cunningham a saloon
keeper of Fourteenth street, near Tam
many Hall, and Mr. Holbrook of the subway
DAILY, Messrs. Clarke and krotel yesterday
got some very interesting information on
the subject of these illing-in privileges.
Messrs. Cunningham and Holbrook were
summoned to Mr. Clarke's Office yesterday
and questioned about the tllling-in privilege
on the East River from Nineteenth street
to Twenty-fourth. This was an especially
valuable privilege, which was secured by
Mr.. Cunningham for sl7,SOo. He got
the privilege in March, 1909 After he had
paid $4,000 in rental for the privilege he
turned 1t over to Holbrook, Cabot d DAILY,
who paid the city the rest Of the amount
agreed upon, Sl3, 500. and paid Cunning
Sl7.5OO Cunningham cleaned up $4,000 on
the deal for himself. Both Mr.. Cunning
ham and Mr.. Holbrook admitted to Mr.
Clarke that these facts were substantially
correct. Mr. Holbrook informed Mr.
Clarke that he would have preferred to
deal with the city direct, but found that
that was impossible.
Mr.. Clarke said yesterday that he was
having great deal Of trouble in serving
subp9nas on persons whom he is anxious
TO examine as witnesses, Among these
are Tammany men who still hold Office
under the city government and are away
on their vacations. Mr.. Clarkes men have
been unable to find Philip Donohue. the
president of the ,Anawanda Club: Mr.
Donohue, as already told in THE SrN, is
the holder Of the valuable bath, restaurant
and pier privilege at the foot Of West
l55th street, which Ia said by experts to be
worth $40 600 a year, but which he got from
the old Dock Board for $3.50 year.
Another perHon Mr. Clarke wants to sum-
mon is Richard Couch. In the articles Of
incorporation OF the New York Contracting
and Trucking Company the Murphy -Ganrey
company Couch is down as secretary
1t appears, however, that he Ia no longer
connected with the company. There Ia q
Richard Couch who Is a bartender In the
saloon which tiourishes under the Ana
wanda Club. but at present he is away on
his vacation, and u Is impossible TO say
whether he Is the Richard Couchwanted.
Mr.. Clarke announced yesterday that no
was beginning to believe thatth New York