New-York tribune., 1907-10-18
NO LIGHT ON MILLIONS.
COUNSEL FEES OF S1,154,OOO.
Schtcy and Crimmins To Be Called
IN Transit InquirY.

Delving into the fragmentary records of the
Metropolitan Street Railway system for the pc
NOD recorded in the destroyed ledgers and cash
books by William NJ. WINS yesterday revealed
TO the Public Service Commission a mass of
transactions amounting to millions of dollars
the disposition of which he expects to ascertain
to-day. Payments OF approximately 81 100000
to the brokerage firm of Moore & Schley in
the years 1900 and 1901 were among them pay
ments of several million dollars to John D.
Crimmins also
The Moore & Schley payments had been
charged, according to notations on the check
stubs which formed the only record obtain
able by Mr. WINS and Marvyn Scudder, the
pert accountant, TO suspense and investment
accounts. They represented, Mr.. Wins declared,
money spent in acquiring the securities of the
Third avenue road. But whether the purchases
were for the Metropolitan Street Railway Com
pany itself for a syndicate OF insiders which
afterward sold the Third avenue to the Metro
potan is a thing which Mr.. WINS hopes to
clear up when he puts Grant B. Schley on the
stand to-day.
John d Crimmins's payments were for con-
struction and passed through the construction
account. This fact was entered on the records
of the commission after a argument be-
tween Mr.. lvins and Paul d. Cravath. Both
lawyers lost their tempers and they exchanged
some very personal personaIties-to adopt Mr.
Ivins's method of expression.
Marvyn Scudder, the witness testifying at the
time. had read from a list of payments to Mr..
Crimmins items amounting to S3616 PAP 50
from April ~, 1897. to August s. 1895 Mr.
Cravath interrupted with the remark that Mr..
Crimmins was well known contractor.
Il intend to call Mr.. Crimmins as a Witness
retorted Mr. WINS.
WINS AND CRATATH IN TIT
Still Mr.. Cravath persisted that the reading
of these amounts without an explanation would
create a misapprehension.
The fact is that these gentlemen deliberately
destroyed their own books. They have left no
explanaton''- burst out Mr.. WINS.
Whom do you mean?" asked Mr. Cravath.
81 mean the Metropolitan Street Railway
Company
That statement is not justified by the evi-
dence" oountered the railroad lawyer.
Mr.. Moorehead swore so"
You should say Mr.. Moorehead"
Mr.. Moorehead swore that he destroyed the
books" repeated Mr.. WINS a little louder
"You say these gentlemen. That is differ
ent from his statement"
You do not include Mr.. Moorehead among
these gentlemen?'
He is a gentleman, but not these gentle
men," explained Mr.. Cravath.
Mr.. Moorehead never destroyed those books
in the world without the knowledge and au-
thority of some superior to him, because
he has been subordinate. and very subor1i-
nate subordinate in this system from the very
beginning" shouted Mr. WINS.
That is YOUR assertion"
That is the result of my study Of the min
utes OF all these companies"
That is not in the evidence. however" chal-
lenged Mr.. Cravath
I will put it in the evidence that way and
swear TO il, If YOU wish It."
Il do not put lawyers the stand"
We'll, I do. particularly when lawyers fees
subtract from the assets of a company ST.
100000 in the course of few years"
That is an unfair statement. You convey
the impression that those were my fees" Mr..
Cravath protested.
"Oh. no; I don't think you got what you
were worth, but you were not worth that" and
Mr.. WINS snapped his fingers almost in Mr..
Cravath's face.