The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-12-17
Meyer Investigating Com.
mittee Met by Denials
Of Witnesses.
FOLzNER C~ONTRADICTED
Witness Who, He Said, Made
Statement About Thirteenth
Ward Councilman, Makes
Specific Denial of Seventh
Ward Mans Testimony.

Brought before a committee of his
fellow aldermen appointed by the Com
mon Council, Alderman julius A..
Meyer. of the Thirteenth Ward, was
last night freed by The committee from
any connection with rumors of graft
received for the awarding of a on
tract for the wiring of Camp Newark
at Avon.
A motion that a report be drawn
by the chairman of the committee n
the city counsel for presentation to the
Common Council to the effect that the
Investigation had brought forth Moth
ing to implicate the alderman from the
Thirteenth Ward with any such trans
action las made by Alderman Will
lam p. Martin, after three hours OF
testimony, and was passed unanl4
mously.
Adam LIGHT and William II. Hope,
of the General Electric Equippers, the
company reported to have paid the
money, of rs Green street; Aldermen
Adolph Holzner and Patrick IL. Ryan
and MI. Meyer himself were exam
ined. Meyer in his testimony declared
that he had never received a cent for
IN purpose from any person connected
With the General Electric Eqiippers.
He averred that he had not received
n political campaign funds from any
of them while running for the AS
scmblv this fall.
Eope. LIGHT and Meyer denied the
truth of any statement to the effect
that money hal ever been passed.
Licht. in making his denial that he
had ever said that he paid Meyer $50 or
any other sum in consideration Of Sc
curing the contract to install electric
lights in the buildings at the city camp
in Avon. stated that in his converse
ton with Alderman Adolph Holzner.
of the Seventh Ward, On November 80
last, as to being held up for fifty
bucks on a job. he had referred to an
attempt by a former Freebooter to Sc
cure a bribe.
He refused to mention any lame but
stated that he had done the work in
question ct the County Hospital for
the Insane in South Orange avenue
while in business for himself. He pro-
1870 aTroiA book and indicated an
entry of March, 1903. showing that he
han received $S97.O7 rom the county
for the work.
Just before taking the action that
fernally indicated Meyer the commit
tee. ON motion of Alderman William P.
Martin. 81 the Eleventh Ward, voted to
send a ste. graphic copy of the testi-
luory of LIGHT to the Grand Jury for
such use as that body might deem
proper. "
city Counsel Nugent and Herbert
Boggs. special counsei in the municipal
law department.. appeared, the latter
conducting the ease. Meyer was pres
ent, with ]. Randolph Woodruff as his
legal adviser.
The members OF the committee
selected by the Council besides Chair
man Mullen were Aldermen Martin,
John S. Mann, of the Fifteenth Ward;
George w. Frey, of the Eleventh Ward.
and Eugene C. Meyer, of the Ninth
Ward. with President John F. Sinnott
of the Council sitting ~ex-off1eio.
Alderman Holzner was the first per-
son called to testify after Meyer.
through his counsel, had asked that the
case be stated before anything was put
in by him. Under oath, in response to
questions by Mr.. Boggs, the witness
said:
II first met LIGHT in Harburger's
Hall one Tuesday. He was then a per-
feet stranger to me. Someone intro
duced us. He said that he had the con-
tract for the electric light fixtures for
the new fire house at Lafayette and
Mulberry streets and for another fire
house, and wanted to NOW what about
them. / told him to see the architect,
Kreitler, who would select proper fix
lures"
Mr.. Boggs asked il Mr.. Holzner had
not within a few days thereafter met
LIGHT and talked about the ~1rehouses
or about the city camp matter. Holz-
ner said that he had seen LIGHT in q
committee room at the City Hall and
had been told that the fixtures were
bling installed. They had met next in
a saloon in Green street, where Holz-
ner was eating luncheon.
THAT was two weeks ago last Fri
day. he went 0 n "Licht came over
to the table where ] sat and asked me
to have a drink. After we had the
drink the conversation started. He
said that Alderman Meyer had been to
see him the day before l asked what
it was about.
TIE said Il can't give him anything
On This firehouse job. ] have figured
very close and can't spare II. / gavo
kim $50 ON the camp job I told him
he had no business to give Meyer any
money. and that he would get into
trouble He then said he had given
the money for political purposes. I
told him that made no difference; 1t
vas wrong. After asking me If he
couldn't put in some special work at
the frehousas we went to the bar and
had a cigar and / left.
IT came to the City Hall at once and
met Alderman Ryan. I Immediately
told him what ] had heard. He advised
me to say nothing for the time being,
but suggested that we look the matter
I'D as far as possible. ] then went TO
the ONCE of the comptroller to sign
bonds
Alderman Patrick II. Ryan, OF the flitn
ward. leader of the Democratic ma
jority. made a statement of the COLI
v~ersation with Holzner on the day neil
toned that agreed lii every particular
with the latter's testimony. He stated
thai he met HoIzner at the Green street
entrance. and that he appeared excited.
LIGHT denied having made any such
abatement as tina attributed to him by
nf-AIl~r L. rafI IN Fa-