New-York tribune., 1905-04-01
STILL HUNT FOR BEAVERS.
WANTED IN HOOKER CASE.
Former Friend Charges Justice sOitb
Breaking Promise.
TBY TrIEcRApH 10 THE rRrBuNr. 1

Albany. March 31.-The Assembly Judiciary
Committee, which is investigating the charges
against Justice Hooker is making a still and
thus far fruitless hunt for George w Beavers
for the purpose Of summonlng him as an i'm
portant witness. Before his dismissal from Of
flee Beavers was chief Of the Department Of
Salaries and Allowances. and his testimony Is
desired to throw light the alleged methods
Of Justice Hooker in getting his relatives ap-
pointed to places in the postoffices at DunEirk
and Fredonia
Nobody seems to know where Beavers is
The general belief here is that he is hiding
somewhere in Brooklyn where he has been de-
tending himself from the attempts of the WASH
ington authorities to bring him to that city
to answer charges OF defraudng the govern
ment. For the last two days Robert Douglas,
assistant sergeant-at-arms of the Assembly
judiciary Committee. who has been employed to
serve subpoenas witnesses has been out Of
the city, and it is believed that he is in
New-York trying to serve papers on Beavers.
That his part in the agitation against Justice
Hooker. and in the publication Of charges con-
Meeting the Justice with alleged Irregularities
concerning appointments and rental matters in
the postofices at Fredonia and Dunkirk was
due entirely to Justice Hooker's failure TO
cure his appointment postmaster at Fredonia
was candidly admitted by George c. Tiffany,
Fredonia undertaken this afternoon to the AS
semhly Judiciary Committee. He declared that
he and Justice Hooker had been close friends
for many years. and that the Justice. then
Representative in Congress. had promised to
secure the postmastership for him, but had
proved untrue" to him. Both Tiffany and
William c. Hudson, the latter representative
Of THE Brooklyn Eagle" positively denied the
assertions OF Frank P. Ball, who testified last
WNdnaEdaTy hot bad ria IN EJV6c
presence to influence him to make statements
which would result in Justice Hooker's removal
from the bench
In endeavoring to connect Supreme Court JUS
tice John Woodward with the agitation against
Justice Hooker, the counsel for the latter asked
Mr.. Hudson If he had told Ball at FredOnIa
that he had attended a funeral in Brooklyn
with Justice Woodward, who told him that ex-
cessiVely high rentals were being charged for
the Dunktrk postof1ce, situated in the Hooker
Stearns building. Mr.. Hudson denied this, and
on the examination stated that the only
time Justice Woodward had been mentioned to
him was by st. Clair NcKelway, Editor Of THE
Eagle" who had told him of a conversation
with Justice Woodward at a funeral in Brook
lyn, during which the question Of pOstoffice
rentals might have come up.
Hudson told the committee that he asked Ball
concerning a report that the latter had given
Hooker mortgage on his vineyard to secure
a note of 81 500 in order to repay to the govern
ment all the salary he had drawn while on the
postoffice payroll, and that Ball refused to
answer this and other similar questions At
that point Hudson said Tiffany took up the
conversation. but at time made the state
ment alleged by Ball on the stand that he would
furnish Ball with ''the best lawyer in Chautau-
qua County" and that Ball would not have to
pay the note of 50 800
The Ball statement Of Wednesday was read
to Mr.. Tiffany, the last witness Of the day. and
he said that he never made any such state
ment.
II said: The people of Fredonia think that
you are nice man, Frank, and that you have
been made a tool Of, and that Judge Hooker is
crooked" testified Mr.. Tiffany. IF you have
given mortgage to Hooker you're fool and
If you will sue him I'll pay for the lawyer"