New-York tribune., 1903-04-28
SEARCH FOR j. EAGAN."
HOLDS VALU4BLE LEASE.
CORPORATION Counsel Wants to KRo7c
Who T.. I. Gafney Is.


discover the whereabouts of Joseph Eagan. the
lessee Of the bulkhead dumping privilege on the
North River between Twenty-eighth and Twen-
ty-ninth SITS.
This privilege was leased to Joseph Eagan,
whose name does not appear in the city direc-
tory Immediately sfter it became known by the
old T.rnrany Dock Board that the Erie Rail
road wanted that particular bulkhead in con-
rectioa NTH it, rev freight yard at Thirtieth-
8 TIE lease awarded to Eagan without COM
,,etitisn hy tho old Dock Board is estimated
u us worth about $4,000 a year. There is a
erea, deal of mystery in connection with the
;san,ity Of Joseph Eagan. When Corporation
counsel Rises was asked yesterday about a
runor that an action is impending against
EacaH. he said:
I would Ike TO oblige. but I do not believe
that Justice VIII he subserved by saying any
thing about any such action 1 will not admit
that this department contemplates bringing any
action against Eagan'
Have yoal discovered any evidences Of cor
r-rtien in connection with the pier and dump
ing leases granted by the old Dock BoardE
Nj Rives was asked
Some Of the leases granted by the old board
were decidedly queer" said Mr- Rives. Some
-,r77ee when appearances indicate corruption it
Is not certain that the suspected officials took
77cnev some men violate their oaths of otflce
and allow a steal to he put through without
personally prodting by It John T Hoffman per
sonally MAS an honest man. He conplacently
allowed the Tweed ring to do as II liked, De-
cause 10 have interfered with the gang would
have interfered with his ambition to he Presl-
deDt. That some exceedingly strange things
were don2 by the old DOCK Board is beyond
question. Whether any commissioner personally
rrofted on account of what was done remains
70 be seen
WHO Is E I. GAFFNEY?
The identity Of Joseph Eagan is not the only
thing that Just now mystifes the Commissioners
of accounts and the Sinking Fund Comnlis-
sioners in connection with the old Dock Board
scandal The Accounts Department is trying 10
discover the identity of T. 1. Gaffney, treasurer
Of the New-York Contracting and Trucking
Company which has thirty-year lease OF Ine
pier and dump at Ninety-sixth-st ana NORM
River. at about $500 year. This lease Is
estimated TO be worth about Sl,voooeo 10 'ile
Murphy and Gaffney families The NeW-hoFA
Contracting Company has business once al
the dump but no one seems TO kno" apou'
= 7 cafney. the treasurer Of the concern The
-.,,,- mas tncorporated on May >. 1900. with
canital of $1,000 divided into 1000 shares
The names and postofice addresses OF the ol-
rAc+ors for the first year were as follows:
lanes r. c;anney. No. 337 Second-ave, five
shares .--r .,-,s
John ]. Murphy No. 25S East Twenty-thiro-
St FIVE shares. g..
picbars couch. No. $50 East Twenty-flrst-
St five shares ,,.,1
at that time lived at No. d. East 1"0n'S
: The certificate Of incorporation is signed oy
.ho .Lrsa directors names and witnessed by
Tob- 7 suuocer. The attorney for the company
C ex-senator Thomas c. O'Sullivan- The scope
of + 3 conpany is set forth as follows;
The r,,-noses for which it Is formed are the keep
ing and owning Of horses. Ese@iS dgeing exca-
waiting sewering dredging and tunnelilhg DuIuis LILLE
and constructing EhaIxes, pgfS Of river front and
srbor work: building and constructing sIreet I'll
S4k in Connection with railway construction m ,7s ana
Improvement: constructing ana ti[5eTtia7 I1rnoses
neculiar thing about the company is the
.,55e, afsanpearance of James E Gaffney. then
c3tv councilman. from the. directorate Cor
norations are supposed to be required py ID"
~ file with the County Clerk certihcate OF
changes in the composition OF their companies
There is no record in the County Clerk once Oh
any change in the directorate OF the NeW-horh
Contracting and Trucking Company since II was
INCORPORATED in May. 1900 If Councilman CAN
nev had been in the company when' In Decenl-
her 1901 the old Dock Board gave the com
ranV its extremely NdlUdDtS 4CoSCs LIZ -N" ~O-
bidding councilmen from having an interest IN
civ contracts would have applied TO hlrn But
there is q Gafney in the company He or she Is
p I C3arney Thomas G. O'Sulllvan, couhsel
TO the company. refused to say yesterday VINO
z l. Gaffney was
why do YOU want TO know he asked,
when the reporter stated his errand-
4 want to know E l. Gafney's relation TO
Alderman Gaffney, Charles +. Murphys per
sonal friend in the XV1IIth District, said the
= never discuss the affairs Of my clients IN
the newspapers said Mr.. O'Sullivan, some
what icily.
Has the New-York Contracting Company met
year by year and made reports and If so, why
IS not such a report file with the County
Clerz?" Mr. O'SuIlivan was asked
4 never discuss the business affairs or my
clients" said Mr.. O'Sullivan.
The name Of Z. l. Gaffney does not appear
IN the city directory.
When Charles r. Murphy, leader of Tamnany
Hall and former treasurer Of the Dock Board,
was asked about the proposed investigation OF
the old Dock Boards doings. he said:
Please present my compliments to Mayor Low
and tell him that I enjoyed the Amen Corner din
beside him recently and that expect to attend
the next dinner also instead Of taking a frugal
meal in iail. This dock story is a rehash OF the
old story invented by William Hepburn Russell a
wear ago which fell with duh. sickening thud.
7 Was got up for political purposes, and every
body knew it
DNVvC DEPFT OTIS TR jWI