New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-05-14
HITS WALKER.
STIR At 4HE4RN HEARING
Disclosures Seriously Mrolve Build
ings Superintendent.

superintendent of Public Buildings and OfnCes
in the office of Borough President Ahearn, were
under fire yesterday at the investigation con-
Quoted by the Commissioners of Accounts.
James McCleery. a painter. who has done thou
sands OF dollars worth OF work for the city. also
figured in the investigation. Sensational dis
closures were made. and It looks If Superin-
tendent Walker will have TO explain sooner or
later how he happened to receive thousands Of
dollars in sums exactly corresponding with sums
received by McCleery from the city for work
done Mr.. Walkers orders.
Twenty-one drafts received by McCleery for
city work corresponded exactly with twenty one
different deposits made the days credited
10 the account of William II. Walker in the
Greenwich Bank
William H. Walker. when yesterday by
Tribune reporter. asserted that McCleery
never paid him dollar, and that IL drafts re-
ceived for city work by McCleery correspondent
with deposits to the credit Of William H
Walker It merely strange coincidence and
nothing more.
How do YOU account for the rather remark
able fact that McCleery's drafts for city work
correspond exactly in so many cases with de-
posts to your credit in the Greenwich Bank in
1905 and 1862" was asked
THAT is to me-" said Mr. Walker Il
have had nothing TO do with McCleery beyond
lending him small sums occasionally for years"
Pressed for explanation concerning the
transactions figured in by McCleery. Mr.. Walker
said:
Il would like 10 have II understood that I
have had business dealings with McCIeery
Perhaps the firm OF Walker Brothers have had
such dealings I have three In the lum-
Der business at No. 2lS West DIST street, and
they sell lumber To any one who wants IT, These
boys Of mine never have had a bank account
yl,1g-
William II. Walker. That IS myself They de-
post large amount of money TO my credit
and when they want money they come 10 me
and get IL. That is the way II has been for years.
l do not know how much they deposit in my
name. All the disbursements are made in my
name. l sometimes sign the checks in blank. and
the boys fill them out in any desired sums This
has been the way the business has been run
ever since the boys went into business a year
and half ago"
The records before the commissioners showed
that the drafts which McCleery. the painter,
had been in the habic of making every month
10 the extent of about 500 stopped in Deem
Der 1906 the month that the Citizens Union
made public its presentment against the Bor-
ough Presidents office.
Superintendent Walker said that the firm Of
Walker Brothers had been doing business from
about January l. 1906 He could not explain
the coincidence that all through 1905 Boyce &
Lynch, carpenters, also received city warrants
and that nearly every month in 1905 there were
deposited in the Greenwich Bank to his walk.
ers) credit sums sometimes exactly correspond
ing TO the amount OF these warrants and at
other times just about splitting the warrants in
halves. The unknown deposits to his credit in
the Greenwich Bank Mr.. Walker seemed dis.
posed to place to the business operations of
Walker Brothers. which firm, as already ex
planned. according to Mr.. Walker, banked all
it's funds in his name
A few items will serve as Illustrations Of tho
method employed by James McCleery who an
paTently was the banking agent of Thomas A
Tydings or Boyce & Lynch, carpenters. and
certain William H. Walker, who apparently had
a direct relation to the transactions
May % 1905-Deposit by James McCIeerv
S576 %; two drafts 1881 90 and 1925: deposited
TO w. II. Walkers account same day S251 Ia
May 13-McCleery deposit SAT- OF. drafts
800 and $22I Oh; deposit TO Walkers account
August 3-McCleery deposit $3.50 80: draft
$500 81; deposit to Walkers account, 1851 80.
August c24DMcCIeery deposit. 1881 30; two
drafts, S4Sl 30 and 500: deposit to Walkers
account, $4S1 30.
This is the way the drafts paid by the city for
work supposed TO have been done either bv
Royce & Lynch Thomas A. TydIngs or Nc
Celery were handled for more than two wears
Undoubtedly the Walker family will be COM
PEELED to tell, sooner later. about the services
rendered in return for the city warrants vouchei
for by William H. Walker Superintendent of
Public Buildings and Offices which found their
way into the Greenwich Bank. where substan-
tial portion Of almost every warrant finally
went to the deposit account of William H.
Walker"
William A. Howse, the auditor Of the Green
witch Bank. the first witness put on the
stand He identified deposit slips of William II.
Walker which were placed in evidence
John Egan, a lumber dealer who has sold
supplies to the city was recalled On the advice
OF his counsel, John Brown, he declined 10
answer any questions 10 surrender his books
the ground that he not an officer of the
city and that the commissioners had no author
ity TO inquire into his private business
Commissioner Mitchell said the grounds of re-
fusal were insufficient, but Egan still refused
TO answer.
Then you are in contempt. and an application
10 the court to hold you in such will be made"
the commissioner said.
oh very we'll" coolly said Mr.. Egan as he
left the room.
Thomas A. Tydings. recalled refused TO give
further testimony on the ground that the COM
mission had no right to inquire into his private
business
The only grounds upon which you can le-
saAiy refuse ~ snswsr., said Commissioned