New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-04-07
NAY lMPEACII HOOKER.
INQUIRY NE4RING END.
P0yroHs apparently Juggled With
-South1cicE Tcstifes.
[BT TELEGRAPH 70 THE TRIBUSE.I

- -EL5tHtt4AFlt 10 THE iHAHANhsi
Albany. April 6.-Coincident with the passage
in the Assembly OF a motion to adjourn
April =, the Hooker investigating committee
rested its case, far as the taking Of evidence
py the committees attorney. Henry B. Conan,
WAS concerned, and adjourned until next
wednesday Then, if the defence adheTes to
its announced policy of summoning no wit
nesses. Mr.. Conan will begin to sum up. In
any event it is expected that the end of the
investigation will be reached by Friday and
that the committee will have until the 10th to
consider the evidence On that day they must.
in obedience to the resolution under which they
are acting. report to the Assembly This ind-
Gates the approach of the end of the two out
standing committees
The consensus Of opinion here is that if the
finding OF the committee is unfavorable to JUS
tice Hooker, the result will not be the passage
Of a resolution to remove him from Office. but
rather the appointing of an Assembly commit
tee to report the findings to the Senate, which
will then. with the Court of Appeals. sit
impeach ment tribunal. This action will be
taken. it is asserted, because much doubt is
expressed as to the constitutonality of the law
authorizing remova. while the other course is
perfectly clear There is extra compensation
provided for the Senate sitting in impeachment
proceedings. and it is possible that the Senate
viii be called together again Immediately after
duIouIA4iicltA iuI lIlIS uONSl puIpuSt
The attitude of Congressman with relation to
appointments in postofices was the subject Of
the testimony of Representative George N.
Southwick, of Albany. when the investigation
was esumed this morning. He said that prior
to 1901 it was the custom Of Congressman to
keep watch of postofflces that were about to g
into the free delivery system. bringing with it
Civil Service examinations, to secure appoint
ments before the change was made, and then
to transfer the new appointees to the classified
service. This was a common method of evad-
ing the spirit of the civil law. The national
commission had protested against this loophole,
but it existed until the President took hold Of
it in 1901" said Mr.. Southwick.
Who INDUCED in this practice that you know
of" asked Mr.. Conan.
Il don't care to mention any names" replied
Mr.. SouthWick.
Louis B. Carr, counsel for Justice Hooker.
followed up the testimony of Congressman
Southwick by reading report of the National
Civil Service Commission. which stated that lbs
appointments similar to the Catherine h clark
appointment were made prior 10 lJOI, at WhiCh
time the President stopped the practice SIM
liar to the case of Miss Clark. who was ap-
pointed to the Fort Plain postoff1ce and trans
ferred into the FTedonia office, without Civil
Service examination these 13S cases were ap-
pointed to one pOStoffice and transferred 10 an
other. thus evadng the CIvl Sel Cti, e,,ca
large number of letters from the civil service
Commission to the postal officials protesting
against this practice were read by Mr. Carr
An entirely new phase of the Fredonia post
office case was brought to light. when Edwin
w. Easton, a clerk in the postothce, appointed
in March, 1899. took the stand. Mr. Conan
presented six payrOlls beginning in March. 1917
and ending in June. 1903. containing the names
of Frank P. Ball and Maurice Hooker. Mr.
Easton declared that when he signed the pay
rolls the names of Frank P. Ball and Maurice
Hooker were not on them.
motion to strike out the evidence, made by
John B. Stanchield, of counsel for Judge HOOK
or nv the committee.
Was the name of Frank P. Ball ever on the
payrolls when you signed them?" asked Mr..
Conan.
Yes one time. when Mr.. Moore was post
master He overpaid us. and the roll came back
from Washington all made out with Balls name
on it,
AT any other time?"
mo, sir
The credibiity of Melvin H. Taylor. former
postmaster of FredOnia, who testified yesterday
that he had known Maurice Hooker for a num-
Der of years and had asked for his appointment
to the Fredonia postoffice because he thought he
was a worthy young man. was attacked by MI.
Conan. who read the testimony of Maurice
Hooker, given two weeks ago. Young Hooker
stated that his uncle Justice Warren B. Hooker,
secured the appointment for him. and that prior
10 his appointment he had never known Mr.
TAYLOR.