The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-06-27

COney U SOiie or His Witnesses say COHey
Was 10 Have the o. X. or Veto Power
-Coler Says lie Merely Promised 10
Treat supporting organizations Fairly.
Acknowledgement Mayer gave a hearing
at his Office in this city yesterday on the
charges that were made to Gov. Higgins
against Bird s. Coler, President of the
Borough Of Brooklyn. Coler was charged
with making a corrupt election bargain
last fall with Senator Coffey, acting for
the German-American Citizens League
and the Brooklyn Democracy, by which he
was to give these organizations a part OF
the patronage Of his Office for their votes
for him for Borough President. Senator
{ Fey testified that Mr.. Coler had attended
a =. ing Of the joint committee Of the
cations and had made the promise
patronage substantially as stated in
the afldavits Of James F. Healy and Frank
s. Taylor, who made the complaint. Mr..
Coler went on the stand and declared EN- =
phatically that he had said nothing about
patronage and had made promises to
no one.
Coffey testified that he met Coler first at
the request of ex-Sherif Creamer, and that
he said he didn't want the office but was in
the fight only for the purpose of helping to
defeat McCarren. Later at the committee
meeting Coler declared that he would make
no appointments that were not satisfa Glory
to the Witness and that the Senator and
he would understand each other.
"Do you mean to say that he said he
would make no appointments that were
not satisfa Glory to your" asked W. NJ. X.
Olcott for Coler.
u do" said Coffey.
what did he mean? Did he contemplate
making you a sort Of a supervisor Of APP
pointmentsY"
Il have told you what he said. You will
have to draw your own conclusions. Mr..
Coler made nc promise to me because
wouldn't take "a promise from him. He
made the promise to the joint committee.
Did you understand that he was propos-
ing a corrupt bargain?"
Il give no opinion on the matter. You
he said"
Did you dissent from the propositions
81 did not open my mouth while / was
there, But we indorsed him because of his
promises"
Did you ever demand that Mr.. Coler
keep his promisesf"
Il did not"
Mr., Coler denied emphatically that there
had been any mention of patronage at the
meeting. Mr.. Hamm said something
about patronage" he continued, and
SAID that Coffey and / understood zach
other. also said that | would treat all
the organizations that supported me fairly"
= What did you mean when you said that
you and the Senator understood each
other" asked Mr.. Healy, one of the COM
p%lainants.
Il meant that we both knew that no
prediction promises could I've made bv a
candidate for office"
Il had no idea OF being elected con-
tinued the witness to Mr.. Olcutt's questions,
.bIt | did hope to hurt McCarren." The
witness declared that j. Frank Belford,
who had testified for the compliments,
had asked to be appointed Commissioner
of Highways, but that he was obliged to
turn him down. Belford had testified that
he had never asked Coler for a job.
He told me" said Mr.. Coler, that they
were after me-, meaning that charges were
TO be preferred against me. | replied that
l DIDN'T give a damn whether they were or
not"
Healy went on the witness stand and
swore that his affidavit az to what took
place at the meeting was correct in all
details. but Taylor, who made an Identical
affidavit, finally r~epudiatei it under the
cross-qnestioning Of the Acknowledgement.
He declared that he had seen hut one page
of the affidavit before he signed il. He
declared after he read the document that
he would not nave sworn to il il he had
known what it had contained. He said
that Healy had come to him and told him
that Senator Coffey wanted him to sign
it was all right. All he had heard Coler
say was that he would lie fair with the
organizations.
There were a number of other witnesses
who swore that they heard Coler say that
he would make no appointments that were
moi AltiaTaTtnTp IN Sanntlr i'nnAv Tho