The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-05-07
ROCHE lRE' CIV MORSE
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y, V.sisss,e wst,H fH'Wes $e'
. ,.aswnlymau Patrick " Huc's vac
.,,..i rss,efdsv morning. ~ FIN svenue
..I.I..g aventh stree, IN The complaint
t,.,.ss " Norsc former president "
ps ,urr,,o tcr tomrary The "ofn.
,,r. .,. thnt lt,chc hid written . letter
A. v...r Witch conveyed y 'hfrs, tu IN
rnIIt H1rm
p..,, oman Charles faeaett ~ the Fast
rr. rr., drce' station vas On poe, On
tr, ,.opuc vhrn W. Morsca butler came
,.,.fuf Nota-'s h"r-e A. ~ and hailed
Im
,.,o.l that man with the big gray mus.
,cpo who Ia standing over on the conner
tho nr,'o- aid 10 tho cop
What, for3" asked tho policeman.
.trs la threatened 10 do up Mr.. MORSE
tho .oryon' aid
narso,t wouldn't take tho buffers word
t- H. ITO asked to see the complainant.
pe ena aloSn / 10 the house and saw NJ.
Morse who % aked him 90 arrest Roche on n
charge n making threats. and who said he
s,ulo 10 to court and make n complaint.
Tho policeman vent over 10 the corner
and arrested the former Assemblyman.
Roche protested and declared that he had
committed no act In violation OF law. He
and the policeman walked to the station
and IN en- to Yorkville court.
Roche lives al ~ Market street. He was
,ho ,ssemhlvman from the Seventh district
for several terms. He explained his pres
ence In Fifth avenue Sunday morning by
saving that he had gone to early service at
81, Patrick Cathedral. and after the service
had strolled up the avenue TO enjoy the
morning air. When he arrived opposite
Mr.. Morse's residence he stopped for a few
moments in the hope that Mr.. Morse might
come out, as he was anxious to have an inter-
view with him,
When he reached court there was a long
line Of prisoners to be disposed Of and he
had to wait. While waiting Roche said that
he had had trouble over the lease OF the old
Rossnop Hotel, at BRO adway and Forty
second street, Of which he was thenpropri-
etor for four years.
1T was John F. Carroll that induced me
to take the Rossmore.' Mr.. Roche said.
sHe advised me to go and sea Mr.. Morse.
the owner, and l did so. I got a four years
lease from january /, 1901. The rental
was to he $s7 500 a year. The lease provided
that | was to pay the taxes. According to
my understanding OF the lease, l was to
pay the taxes up to $4,000 a year. Should
the taxes come to less than that I was to
get a rebate. II the taxes wers more than
ss,WOin any one year ] was not 70 be required
to pay the excess. This was the cause OF
the whole trouble. Two years after ! had
taken the management OF the hotel the
property was sold to the New Amsterdam
Bank. I thought everything would DO all
right, as Johnny Carroll, ex-Mayor Van
Wyck and the others who control the bank
arc friends of mine. At least, / thought
they were friends OF mine.
y was therefore very much surprised
when the taxes came to more than $4,000
and l was required to pay the whole amount.
This was contrary to my understanding OF
the lease. Iprolested against being obliged
to pay this excess. but I was informed by
Mr.. Miller, counsel for the bank, that l
would have to pay or be dispossessed.
Well, this wa hard on me. for just be-
fore this had purchased the furniture
and other things in the hotel and had rc-
furnished the place at considerable cost.
They probably thought l was in a position
where / could not withdraw and 30 would
have to pay. That was right; / did ray.
but under protest. The mex year there
was an excess OF several thousand dollars
0yar tho GO mn Inv anraap,ant What
could l do but grin and pay when I was
threatened with ejeotment after investing
20 much money in the hotelf
Since | got out Of the Rossmore ] rave
been trying TO recover from Mr.. Morse
the excess OF taxes that I paid. The sum
Is %, LOO. My efforts to have an amicable
arrangement haven't met With much sue
cess 10 far | called on Mr.. Morse and
had a talk with him, but got no satisfaction.
Then I found that he was trying to avoid
taking to me. I found him with q body
guard, but he doesn't need a guard 30 far
as ! am concerned.
He charges me with threatening him.
Well, ! had to write to him TO lay my case
before him, as he refused to see me. There
Is nothing in that letter that can be oon-
tidered as q threat. I have a copy Of II
here
Mr.. Morse had a talk with Magistrate
Walsh and after q time the Magistrate
ordered the case to be brought up. No
afidavit was made by the policeman who
made the arrest or by the complainant,
but the photographer took down the ex-
animation. Policeman Daggett said he
arrested the ex-Assemblyman on the com
plant Of Mr.. Morse, who said he feared
personal harm from the defendant.
This man is crazy. / want him exam
med, y said Mr.. Morse to the Magistrate.
h threatened to do me harm. He has
molested me on the streets and threatened
10 do 80 in the bank. He paraded up and
down in front OF my home this morning
o Honor interrupted Roche, Il
leased the Rossmore Hotel from Mr.. Morse
Tor $s7,5oo rental and 5000 taxes, After
The property was sold to the New Amster-
dam Bank they forced me to pay between
]|'"O and $1,000 a year extra. | didn't
expect such treatment from Van WICK,
carroll and the others, who l thought
were my friends and who now own the
motel property, l took the case before a
certain Judge and he told me | was right.
ms was after ! had bought the furniture,
and didn't think thny would do me In this
way | was told if | didn't pay l would be
eJected. When ] vent to the New Amster-