The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-03-30


ALBANY. March 20 George W. B,avers
former chief Of the division Of salaries
80 allowances ~ the United States Pcst
Office Department. il 10 be subpunaed 10
sprear before the Assembly Judiciary
committee Mr. Beavers ia TO be called
up1n 10 state on whoss recommendation
he made the appointments Of the various
PERSONS ~ the Fredonia and Dunkirk post
Offices. Thssn arc persons who dIpw
salaries End never performed service,
Two " them have gone on the stand and
told that Judge Hooker was Iespon 'ible
for their appointments
The committee - also considering tho
adyi..li'i;y NJ calling Arthur G. Wade Of
.lrmc-to%n. CaartauQua county. 10 testify.
some mcmIcr, lcicyo that Mr. Wade
should be placed on the stand to tell all
ho knows about the order restraining the
oty II Dunkirk from using its own prop
erty. and which Justice White Of Buffalo
says Judge Hooker got him TO hear upon
2 statement that there was no serious OPP
position, but year later he vacated the order
10 preserve his own reputation. II is said
that Mr.. Wade may plead that he acted
A. counsel for Justice Hooker in the matter
and that as such he cannot be called upon
10 testify. Some members Of the COM
mittee feel that II he wants TO plead such an
excuse he should have the privilege b do 50.
The judiciary Committee, aided by
former Deputy Attcney-General Henry
Il Conan is doing its utmost to probe the
conduct Of Judge Hooker to the fullest
extent Damaging testimony connecting
this Justice Of the Supreme Court with
frauds against the United States Govern
ment have been adduoed at every session.
The most Of this has been from unwilling
Witnesses. who, II is plain to be seen, are
doing their ,est 10 screen Judge Hooker.
But some Of them had given evidence
before the grievance committee Of the
State Bar Association and had sworn toll G
most damag ing kind Of testimony. In
order TO reconcile their testimony before
the Judiciary Committee with that before
the grievance committee these Witnesses
have TO make all manner Of embarrassing
excuses which do not at all iibe, and leave
the impression that the witnesses are sorry
they had been 80 willing TO tell what they
knew before.
This was the case with Frank P Ball,
the Fredonia man, who was appointed
laborer and later clerk in the Fredonia
post Office for the express purpose il IS
alleged, of paving a note for 5000 which
had been ndorsed by Judge Hookers
wife Ball will he rebutted in "A statement
he made to-day by three witnesses who have
been subppned He said or cross -eNamina-
uon to-day that he had been approached by
William c. Hudson Of the Brooklyn Eagle;
F. Tiffany. an undertaken, and Albert y.
Colburn. a miller. both Of Fredonia and
who told him that they would zee that be
would not have to refund the 50 500 he had
received from the Government without
performing any service il he would tell
them something 50 that Hooker could be
fred Mr., Hudson at once communicated
with the committee and will he on hand
10 swear that Rail swore falsely, and the
Others are expected to do the same
To-day a letter was offered in evidence
from Beavers to + G. Nagle postmaster
at Dunkirk. in which Beavers says:
At the request of Hooker 1 ask YOU to
appoint John Link as laborer at a salary
Of $500 in the Dunkirk post Office.
The postmaster made the appointment
and Link worked two months Then ne had
William La, d -chof do his work. The lat
ter wus substitute clerk in the Office and
drew two salaries Link ran a barber shop
opposite the Dunkirk post Office and phi,
n, trade while he was supposed 20 be work
ing in the post office.
Frank p Ball Of Fredona was the first
witness TO-DAY. Ball is the man who was
appointed first a laborer and afterward a
clerk in the Fredonia post office without
rendering any service.
Before the grievance committee Of the
State Bar Association Ball testified that he
had at first borrowed 81 700 from Mrs
Hooker and aftcrward $500. Now the
attorneys for Justice Hooker are endeavor-
ing 10 show that Mrs. Hooker merely iu-
dorsed the note and did not lend him the
money. Ball was one Of a number Of per-
sons from CLSutauqua and Cattaraug1s
counties VINO went into a West Virginia oil
deal which resulted di6astrously for Justice
Hooker
To-day Ball was asked if he had testified
70 having said he borrowed this money from
Mrs Hooker.
yes but / did not speak correctly. ]
meant that ] had her indorse my notes. .
he replied.
Who did you ask to secure you position
in the Fredonia post ofice?' former Deputy
AuorneyIieneral Henry Conan, counsel
for the committee, asked.
Il met Judge Hooker and asked him
II he couldn't secure a place for me in the
Fredonia post Office. He Said he didn't
know about that uhe postmaster being
DemoCraO, but he could get me a position
in Washington. ! told him l didn't want
that Short afterward Postmaster Moore
met me on the street and told me ] had been
appointed a laborer.'
After your appointment did you say
anything 10 Judge Hooker?'
I wrote to him thanking him for my
appointment.
Ball admitted that he had never per-
formed any service and also that he had
never been accustomed TO doing manual
lahOr-that his work was purely clerical.
What did YOU do with the checks that
you received 10 the amount Of 81 jS2 S7?'
y applied It on the note. did not get
Tnyse more than t25 or $50 Of the whole
amount received from the post office
Witness said that when he wanted 20 get
the money 10 20 into the oil deal II was sug-
gested that he get MIR, Hooker 70 indorse
his note The first note was for 81 100 be-
ing negotiated in 1895, but in 1899 II was in
creased 10 50 coo.
Did you ever see Judge Hooker when
you went 70 see Mrs. Hooker about the
note3'
No.
Did you try 10 conceal from him that Mrs.
Hooker had Endorsed your noteP
No, / supposed he know all about Il
Did you ever ask Judge Hooker II you
couldn't he transferred from the Fredonia
post Officer
YES. asked him II could be trans,