New-York tribune., 1908-05-07
FERRIES DEAL CLEARED
TREEL4ND EXPLAINS III.
Memory Better Before NoUem6ef
Jury, according to Minutes.

Judge Rosalsky following the opposition oi MI
Jerome to the form of the original order Inc teS
timony of H. II. Nreeland. for the hrs' tiihe
brought TO light showed that in November MS
recollection of the particulars OF the SAFE OF inc
Wall & Cortlandt Street Ferries Railway was
much more definite than It was when he tesoeu
before the January grand Jury
Although it differs IN no material way from what
Mr. Ryan told the January grand jury, MI Free-
lands testimony IN November clears away. TO a
large extent, anything Of mystery that sun re-
mains IN regard to the disposition of the i've soVo
checks OF Messrs. Whitney, Doian, Nidener, E4his
and Ryan all of which were originally turned over
to William c. Whitney al mis- request MI ny All
had testified that he thought this soooo had been
used for political purposes and probably 10 oeieat
Brvan in the last McKinley-Bryan campaign But
Mr. vreelands testimony shows that 1t was USED
to take up electric storage battery stock accounts
for certain politicians although he evidently did
not see fit enlighten either Mr.. Ryan or the
January grand jury on this point
Mr. Treeland, at the close of his testimony, said:
Il have no feeling of any crime having been
committed by me. but under the statute for I'M
n1unty for furnishing information I would like
to say that furnished over my personal signature
all the information about the Metropolitan Sc
c,Irities Company that the Public Service Com
mission got, and l claim immunity under that
statute
You furnished them lot of information that
they did not bring out did you not?" MI Jerome
inquired,
And Yet, after the investigation by the Pubic
Service Commission. Chairman Wilcox and VIII
lam n Ivins special counsel, explained that one
reason Why the commission did not pursue It's IN
restigation further because it did not desire
10 give AR Nreeland possible immunity uncer the
Public Service commissions act. This was IN eN-
pcctation Of a criminal investigation Of the trac-
ton situation.
DATA REGARDING "POLTICAL' CHECKS.
When interrosated in November regarding the
checks for political purposes that went TO MI
Whitney Mr. Vreeland said: They we're checks
70 the order Of 10 the best OF my recollection at
| the present time. Holister Babcock and Moore
& SchIe,." He remembered that the payments
we're made in the latter part Of 1927 lie had
"6ome general data" regarding the circumstances
Of those payments. he said. in reply TO AIr. Jc-
rcnes questions. He had not the data for
about two months. ne testified. and had shown
them 20 nobody hut his counsel. Mr.. stanchfeld.
The data consisted % tyrnwritten memoranda on
one sheet Of paper He denied that he had De-
stroyed written memoranda.
when Mr.. vressnd made his second appearance
before tho November Jury he carried memo
randun of the series or payments IN 1899 In that
memorandum there check for $1,000 cor
the purchase 81 stock OF the Fifth Avenue Coach
Company. payable 10 Strong. Sturgis CO, dated
Nav ! 1893 Other payments shown included ono
Of December "a 1899 for ;cs4 747 - 70 Moore &
schley for the purchase ot Electric Storage Bat
terry stock. on the same day there vas payment
20 Strong Sturgts & Co of $1,000 for taking ND
stock: one cf s2fnooo william .. Whitney and
one Of s3oonrD 10 c. W Morse. entitled taking NJ
stock" These taking up stock" checks were
more fully explained before the later grsnd jury
as being payments IN taking up Electric storage
Battery stock,
Mr.. Jerome pointed out TO the witness that Sucn
navrnents did not correspond with the ordinary
! conception of campaign contributions
II said for political purposes Mr. NTeeland re-
| piled -
WAS there any politics in that Storage battery
Company Of.
And ,-our understanding was that these accounts
| were not true accounts
.~7r,sv were accounts as indicated by tho name
| end Ietter-that they were special accounts o'iis
carried"
CONCERNING STOCK TRANSACTIONS
.,,-e1,. Mr. Jerome pressed. did Mr.. Whitney
| tell YOU that those Storage Battery ifshSac''''S
we're not real transactions?
| he told me-" Mr.. VreeIand replied that tney
rora ,rapsactions that he was carrying for Poli'-
| zeal purposes
| well did lie get the stock?
| The company got the stock
| And remained part OF the as9e'''
| II did not"
| What did they do with it,
| 1T was turned over 10 Nj. Whitney.
| Did Mr. whitney pay for it?
| t,<o sir 1t was sold and used 20 stra1s"ieh up
| 49, ooa,,,t ,,lus moneys that were paid in.
| ~. Jerome asked Mr. Vreeand somewhat more
in detail what the exact purpose of these payments
| might be. ,,..a,.,,
said to carry stocks in the interest OF other peo-
| 10 sor all the wears that was associated with
| him -,
THAT is you mean" the District ATTORNEY Sald, 'i
| that during the years you were aSsocia'eu WIN
| hin, Mir Whitney in the habit OF carrying
stocks for persons prominent IN political nie' anu
if there were profits the people prominent IN poiit-
ical life got them, and IL there we're losses MI.
! Whitney stood Them?
| Yes SIR Mr.. Nreeland replied.
| Now" Mr.. Jerome said, what gave you the
idea that he was carrying 1t for some individual.
| or individuals prominent In political hfe1
He said he carrying it for people interested
IN politics and for the interest of the company.
| Nr yreeland said he made no inquiry as TO the
| neorre for whom Mr.. Whitney was carrying It, and
| that he did not know that he carried any stock
| FOR Richard Croker or for Charles r Murphy MT
! vreeland admitted no had no authority from the
| directorate for making the payments TO Mr. Whit
nov and that he Simply exercised his power as
| president of the Metropolitan.
RYAN DIDN'T DUMP" HOLDINGS.
Mr.. Ryan was half owner with Anthony n.
| Brady OF the Wall Cortlandt Streets Ferries
! lime which was sold to the Metropolitan for over
| $3.50, 900 When asked by Mr. Jerome why he did
| not get half of that amount. he explained. AFTER
| much questioning. that he supposed IT was because
| ssome others had to be reimbursed. that the
| common interest had induced him to waive his
$35ODoO profits. Before the January grand jury Mr.
Ryan's recollection n1uch clearer on this point
and he explained that over s5ss.0o of the purchase
price went to reimburse himself and the four other
/ men who gave Mr.. Whitney checks for 100000
| each that in fact, the amount he and Mr.. Brady
| actually received for the road was under ssO,0Oo.
| the remainder being used to settle Mr. Whitney's
| "yellow dog" expenditures
| During the course of Mr.. JerOme's November ex-
| animation OF MIR. Ryan he changed the subject by
| sa .,na. arfnen let ask a few personal