New-York tribune., 1908-05-02
O'BRIEN BEAT CASSIDY
ROUSES MURPHY'S WRATH
Big Chief Bidmes Him for Election
of BermeI Nan IN Queens.

! Charles F. Murphy and Joseph Cassidy are wrath
| full against Water Commissioner John II. OBrien
over the result of the election of Lawrence Gresser
| as Borough President of Queens as the successor
! of Joseph Bermel. who fed from the city on Thurs
| day in disobedience OF grand jury subpoena.
Cassidy bames Commissioner O'Bren for his fail
ure TO succeed Bermel. and Murphy has marked
the incident, down in his little another score
against Commissioner O'Brien and the Mayor to be
| settled in the sweet by and by.
Commissioner O.Brien, with the aid OF Paddy
| Mara Democratic politician of Whitestone who
has fought Cassidy for years, succeeded in getting
| Flanagan and Emener, Democrats, and Carter Re
| publican. to support Gresser. and Cassidy had
only two votes-those of Quinn and Hogan-Gresser
was elected.
Cassidy had been working three weeks with FIan-
| agan and thought he had him, but Commissioner
O'Bren completely Outgenerailed him. 1t not only
is hard blow to Cassidy. who will have to subsist
without much patronage for the next two years.
but Mr.. Murphy feels it we'll as he was depend
ing on Cassidy to get control of the borough as
soon Berme quit
What makes Commissioner O'Bren's victory all
the sweeter to him is the fact that on Mr. Murphys
order he was prevented from becoming member
of the Democratic State Committee from the 18TH
Senate District at the state convention Mr. O Brien
had things all fixed, When Mr. Murphy saw the
list and discovered the name of the Commissioner
on II he ran pencil through it,
AS soon as 1t became certain that Berme1 vouId
retire Commissioner O'Brien got TO work with the
Bermel people.
Mayor Mcclellan did nothing to hinder Commits
sioner O'Brien when he learned that he wanted to
beat CASSIDY As soon Bermel resigned on
Wednesday the Mayor out a call for q meet
ing OF the Queens aldermen Thursday to elect
MS successor In order to do it he had TO see
that the five aldermen personally notiteI of
the proposed meeting. Police Lieutenant William,
Kennel OF the Mayors office, took the five notices
ana with an automobile began the chase for the al
ueFmeh. lie rushed the machine all over Queens
Borough to ind his men, and he did not land
the last one TIL o'clock Thursday morning
The early calling of the meeting ia elect Rer
ineFs successor left the Cassidy men with insult
hcent time TO make winning campaign. Mr.
. Brlen and Mr.. Mara, knowing just what to say
TO the aldermen, quickly took them into camp
and kept them together until noon on THURSDAY
when they voted for Gresser
Mayor Mcclellan and Charles F. Murphy lunched
together at the Hardware Club on Wednesday,
That was the day that Bermel resigned Whether
they talked about BermeIs successor at that time
could not be learned yesterday. Mr. Murphy's
1rlends say that the meeting satisfactory"
The same cannot be said of Mr.. Murphy's verdict
concerning the election of Gresser instead of Cas-
sidy. Mr.. Murphy wanted Cassidy elected and the
loss OF the Queens Borough patronage is bitter
pill to him.
Meanwhile the canary birds singing and life
is glad, sweet song in the office of Water Com
missioner John II OBrien
II was reported yesterday in Jamaica that a dis
tinct promise had been made that Gresser if
elected would retain former Sheriff Joseph De
Bragga as Deputy Commissioner of Sewers and
Lucien Knapp as Deputy Commissioner OF Street
Cleaning. The report was taken to the Civic Ass,.
citation. which is pursuing the Queens grafters ana
some of its members said that it not only was true
but that evidence existed to the authenticity Of
the agreement. 1t also said that If De Bragga
and Knapp remained in office charges would be
preferred against the Borough President before
Governor Hughes
Al least one hundred and fifty heads are expected
to be chopped off by Gresser within a day or So
Nathan Vidaver, who is under indictment charged
with e%torton appeared yesterday before the grand
jury to identify several documents. John Wez OF
the brewing firm OF Welz & Zerweck against whom
two indictments were returned by the Vidayer
grand jury also O witness