New-York tribune., 1906-06-13
NEW ROCHELLE GRAFT.
4LDERMEN ACCUSED.
Telephone Manager Says They
asked Bribe of SIG 900.

Following the report of Columbus ODonnell
Iselin at New Rochelle last night, attacking the
financial management of the city under Mayor
Cklrke it was learned that charges Of official
misconduct would be made before the Westches-
ter Grand Jury the result of the recent action
of the aldermen in refusing TO grant the apphca-
ton for "a franchise by the State Line Telephone
Company. The independent company Whlch
said it was affiliated with the Atlantic TeIe-
phone Company, of this city, made its last STAND
in Westchester County in New Rochelle where
after weeks of bitter fighting with the New YORK
Telephone Company ii finally defeated
The vote on the application of the Independent
COMPANY was a tie but Mayor Clarke cast the
deciding vote against it. The charges against
the aldermen now in the hands of District
Attorney J. Addison Young. The charges are in
the form of affidavits signed by D. A. Reynolds,
vice-president of the State Line Company the
affidavits We're given to some prominent citizens
of New Rochelle. who placed them in the hands
of District Attorney Young.
Five of the Aldermen are charged with trying
to sell their votes to the telephone company
The men accused of bribery are Hermann Kali
lenberg. Charles w. Hilldring, Alfred Rade, G.
H Morgan and A. j. Rivers. 1t is alleged they
asked Mr. Reynolds TO give them the aggregate
sum of $4,000 and in return. it is charged,
they agreed to vote for the granting of a fran
chise
All of Mr.. Reynoldss allegations are backed
up by the affidavit of his stenographer Miss
Freda Rees,ing who sat behind his large roll
top desk in his office and made a stenographic
report Of the conversation between Mr.. Reynolds
and the Aldermen.
The papers were presented to District At
torney Young by citizens committee, COM
posed of George F. Lewis Harry c. Perey and
George Covers. This committee has been pri-
vately investigating civic interests in New Ro-
chee for some time.
Soon after January last the State Line Tel
ephone Company applied to the New Rochelle
Board of Aldermen for local franchise Mr.
Reynolds said last night that about month
later Alderman Kallenberg came to his office
and asked him if he wanted to make arrange
unents for the granting of a franchise Mr.. Kali
lenberg told him, he said that he and his five
associates we're willing "to sell their votes"
Mr Reynolds says he made arrangements to
have all five aldermen in his office on a certain
day and station I'd his stenographer behind his
desk where she could plainly hear the conversa-
ton but could not be seen. The conversation
this day forms the basis for the charges in the
afidavts. At the end of the conversation Mr.
Reynolds says he told the aldermen that he
could do no business with them.
H. c. Perley, Of Lathers Hill, said he visited
District Attorney Young and gave him the
charges He would not discuss their nature,
The aldermen say that Mr. Perley is rather
biassed. because he is a Democrat. and was de-
feated at the last election for alderman. Last
week they say that he attended a mass meeting
and took prominent part in denouncing the ad-
ministraton of Mayor Clarke They vehemently
deny any misconduct. and say the charges
anate from politicians who opposed to the
present administration. All of the who
they say. are identified with the local Demo
cratic machine.