The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-07
OUTBREAK AT COWAN MEETING
FOLLOWERS RESENT ATTACK on
THE HARLEM LEADER.
stranger on Hand With AnidaVIIs That
COwan Protected an Evil Resort
Maggie Holly Denounced -COwan Says
lie Gave Up salary 70 Former Leader.

the Thirtieth Assembly district. who Ia
opposed for the leadership by ex-Street
cleaning Commissioner Percival Maggie,
who was the former leader Of the district,
addressed a big audience at the old Polo
Athletic CIub building, 10th street and
Park avenue, last night. The hall was
hacked and jammed and there were lots on
the outside who we're unable to squeeze
their way in.
Cowan had promised TO tell some things
about Nagle and he did. A man who said
he WIS a Mr.. O'Brien and that he lived at
"a last ilsth street created a great stir
and almost started a riot just as COwan
rose to address the meeting.
This man got up in the rear OF the hall
AMI shoHtpd out:
Il woll Ike 10 know what became Of the
m,nay tlnt was Paid to Cowan and other
m,m,e.. Of the Mohawk Democratic Club
I, urotact a di-orderly house. II il can be
pr,vaa - mo TIA the charges made in
aaiiavits have are untrue. then | will
rromisa to deliver to John +. Cowan on
Urinary day 81 votes
This unexpected speech caused lots of
excitement. Some cheered and others
h;sseI. Matters were finally quieted a bit.
when Mr.. Cowan invited O'Brien to the
sneakers platform to tell all he knew.
O'Brien accepted the invitation, but look cd
as Il he would rather dart out OF the door
than do so. When he finally reached the
pla, form he said. ~hesitatingly:
-. a. L. z-l~.l. - III Hlr
have to say il that a woman has made
affdavits in which she claims that money
was paid 10 the members Of the Mohawk
Club by her. She mentions Mr.. Cowan's
name"
SHOW the afidavits!' howled the mob.
Il haven't got them with me now, but
I can show them in tho morning. said
O'Brien.
This brought a groan from the crowd
and several made for O'Brien. Leader
Cowan, Beef-an Johnny Meshan and George
F. O'Shaughnessy jumped to their feet and
held the crowd in check. Cowan called on
the men not to lose their senses and after
some time some semblance Of order was
restored. A committee wss appointed, at
the suggestion Of Cowan. to investigate the
charges and Mr.. O'Brien made his exit in
q hurry.
Then Mr.. Cowan took the platform and
explained just what O'Brien was driving
at. Cowan didn't mince matters. He told
the name Of the woman and told Of how
the same afldavits that O'Brien had re-
ferred TO had been taken to the ONCE OF
the District Attorney recently and that
after Investigation the matter had been
thrown out OF the oflos.
The woman. Cowan aaid. was insane, and
that not so very long ago she was acquitted
in court after she had been tried for throw
ing vitriol in the face Of a policeman. The
woman was acquitted, Cowan said, because
a commission found that she was insane.
Cowan minated that certain persons had
taken advantage Of the woman and got
her to swear to the afidavits so that they
might injure him.
Cowan then read a letter from Thomas
J. Bannon. who was Cowan's secretary
when he was Third Deputy Police Com
missioner. Mr.. Bannon had been quoted
in a newspaper as having said that be knew
Of certain things that went on when Cowan
was a Police Commissioner and that when
he got ready to tell these things there would
be a terrible scattering in the Cowan forces.
In the letter that Cowan read Mr. Bannon
said:
while you and l have not agreed on
many things and our relations at present
are not the most cordial, / must state that
have always found you honest, sincere
and straightforward. II necessary / will
go upon the public platform and state this
TO the people myself"
Mr.. Cowan then told now Maggie had sent
for cannon and offered him a consideration
fine would take the stump against COwan.
Ramon told Magic said Cowan. that
he couldn't tell anything that would hurt
Cowan, and wouldn't do 90 IL he could.
Magic tried to get him to do 40, just the
same, and Mr.. Bannon turned on his heel
and walked away from Maggie without even
saying good-by.
The other day I said something about
giving Maggie my first salary when he had
me made N Assistant District Attorney
continued Cowan. Now I'm going 70 tell
you more about this. Six or more years
ago, when Old Siebold was leader, wepicked
Percy Maggie as the best man fitted to be-
come the leader Of our district.
W didn't know Maggie then "a we do
now. | worked very hard for him, and
when the Van Wyck election came Magic
told me that as a reward for the work l
mad done he was going to have me APP
pointed an Assistant District Attorney.
he did, and l was very proud Of the honor.
AT the end OF my first months work l
was walking through City Hall Park and
met Maggie. l showed him my first salary
SAP. Maggie looked at il and then said
that he could use that money to good ad-
vantage. It's yours, Percy l said, and
| handed him the money. Then l thought
a great deal Of Maggie n would have taken
on my coat and given il to him.
AT the end OF the next month when I had
again drawn S4I2 I met Maggie. This time
IL was Tammany Hall in Fourteenth street.
Nagle was in one Of the rear rooms pacing
the floor. l asked him What the trouble
was and he replied: I'm tired and sick OF
this political business. I'm going to re-
sign the leadership
The two Of us took a car for Harlem and
all the way up he kept mumbling 70 himself
and acted like a man that was in deep
trouble. I finally asked him to tell me just
what was the matter and he said that he
had TO have 1900 in q few hours or he was a