The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-04-23

Ilhl IS so Nilu VT NEet.aDu
Il never questioned Mr.. Whitney about
any Of these t~unsactions. said Mr.. Vree.
land. sHe was the representative head Of
the syndicate and the special legal adviser
al the company. and Insyer asked for whsI
II was required
Large sums were paid in the spring Of
1900 10 the Street Railway Association.
Mr.. Whitney told Mr.. Vreeland that all
this money was for political purposes >
This was Mr.. vreeland's testimony on
political contributions:
o. Well, in those corporate ventures that
you have been connected with Of a large
character have YOU found that the favors 10
politicians, contributions 10 political parties,
election expenses. have been OF value or were
commonly esteemed TO be OF value 10 the
corporation? \. I have found that they were
esteemed TO be Of value.
Q is Il necessary for the Metropolitan
Street Railway to open the streets Of New
York great deal; A.. Yes sir.
Q. Whenever they want to open Q street
they have got to get the permit cOuntrr,igncd
by the Borough President and the CUrnmis-
soner Of Gas. Electricity and Water supply
A. Yes ir.
Q. Each Of them has gor 10 sign a permit
before II Is opened? \. Nys sir. and when
ever the property is adjacent 10 a PARK prop
crty Is has to b" signed b. The park oifcial
q. And an antagoIisiir water, gas or
electricity Official could impede Somewhat
the work OF operation. constructive work Of
the railroad company in the city here? A
ven materially.
.. Did You ever have any experience wilh
being imDcded IN that way, T. Yes, sir. |
had a number Of instances.
Y. Aud aftcrward we're those impediments
Withdrawn? 4. they were.
Q. Withdraw without legal process! A
Yes. sir.
Q. Was tho method Of occurring those vi,h-
drawals such 49, ini YOU to believe thst it
had been b. cul'iygtiug IN soms way the
favor Of tLoea officials, \. There was no
action OF an kind thar would give Ine any
impression on It because a permit would be
1. the oflce and under the bast endcavor We
could not get ia, and all Of a sudden Il WAS
signed AMI sent 40 to the OaiCc
y. You have NO doubt Ia voIr mine as to
Why The Permit vas given somobody was
seen AID therefore the permit was Gtrcn;
\. / would have a very strong idea that some
Thing had been done,
W yre land said that Of alH the leg.Aa-
Ton s hicI tho railroad company had con-
sidercd ~antasonis,ic TO it, interests very
few bills had got through
Asked about the cherS for $4,000 paid
to Charles 4. Conant for Thomas Quinn II
the Daily NerS. Mr. Nrealand said ~ Mr.
Conant:
ne was a director, a member OF the ev,ou-
tive committee Of the Metropolitan Securities
Company. lie was a man with a u|a,ioul,
and international reputation q, a monetary
expert. was appointed byPresidant Mckinley
~ n representative o, the United States
Government in fixing the money system in
Cuba. lie had aces. over his " signature
10 any Of the newspapers OF the company.
Mr.. Conant was acting or had been FOR some
time acting for the COMPANY in connection
with newspapers, special articles In cOnnec-
ton with subways. and in favor o. c)hsruc-
ton and addition TO tho system.
A. the conference Of the executive com.
mittee I was directed 10 furnish Mr.. Conant
with this amount Of money 10 be used by him
in securing support. what he considered the
best support, In this peculiar territory where
these proposed improvements or the move
ment for the proposed improvements was
under way. and il was done. lie was iur-
nished with this money.
THAT was a part Of the general move
ment that became famous In the press a
few months ago as the movement Of the
Quigg Accelerators,' remarked Mr.. Jerome.
Something Of that character, > said MIR.
Vreeland.
The money for political purposes was
always paid in cash. Mr.. Vreeland said.
He told about the $4,000 paid to BENJAMIN
r. 0dell and the SO, 900 that went TO Tam
many Hall in 1908. He didn't remember
IL Charles F. Murphy got the Tammany
money.
'Mr. Whitney did not stipulate the amount
20 be given; he said whaNhe wanted, - said
Mr. Vreeland,
Mr.. Jerome wanted 10 know If a lot Of
the unexplained disbursements did not go
for stock speculation and to politicians
who might help the company, Mr.. Nree-
land said:
There were transactions Of this character
a number OF times. lean cite one In particn.
lar. the acquisition Of the Central Crosstown
Railroad. The Third Avenue interests wore
attempting 10 buy the Central CrOsstOwn
Railroad. / said to Mr.. Whitney that We
could not AFFORD TO allow the Third Avenue
10 get control Ot the Central Cross,own In
the centre Of the city, and that Ii NaS very
aNNIAHAA AVA NV A'AlA'AAANh oAk VI Jul - NN"lA
that we get control OF thst property. lie
did not answer me. he vent away. Shortly
afterward Mr.. Whitney sent for me and
wanted quite a large sun OF money. gave
IL 70 him: didn't ask him what II was Tor. A
few days after he walked into my Oflce. pulled
an envelope cut OF his pocket, ahl said
There Ia the control Of the Central Cross
town Railroad Company" And the amount
that he had got didn't cover the purchase
price OF the company. what the stock cost. !
and It was elualized nfterward. We cant
20 out 70 buy street railroads or ans other
property around New York, real estate or
anything else, with a brass hand,
George A. HUM, the Philadelphia broker
who handled the $4,000 put up by MessrS. |
Whitney, Ryan, Dolan, Widener and Elkins, |
was the last Grand Jury witness. His
testimony makes 1t appear that Si5j 90
was paid 10 the Metropolitan 10 reimburse
II temporarily for the queer payments 10
MIR. Whitney. Nj. HUM said that the
additional S2S5 900 represented the proceeds
Of the sale OF 3 800 shares Of electric storage
battery stock. There was no explanation
where the stock anne from or for whose
account IL was sold.
The minutes show that Mr.. Jerome told
W. T. King that TO verify or disprOve "A
suspicion that certain Metropolitan divi-
bends had been paid out Of capital would
have lost the county $1,000 and taken six
months, and that he had no evidence on
which he could ask the Board II Estimate
for the money.