The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-04-15
QUEENS CRAFT HUNT STARTS
GRAND JURY AND DISTRICT
ATTORNEY on THE JOB.
COa,ml~sieaer f0.dirk IN JuFy Raem. Pre-
suWsabiS Win Facts Ne saaa Gathered
Records ef water DepaFtment
Delivered over 90 the InaulsiIsru.

auwtaDty WIN furts tsF taA Gntnegeu
Records 0f water DepaFtWent
Delivered over 10 the InaulsitSrs.
With Commissioner oF Accounts Ray
mond b. Foadick and DR.. W. q. Matthews.
q builder. oG Hollywood. a. the principal
witnesses before the Grand Jury. and with
half a dozen builders whose names have
been withheld before District Attorney
Frederick O. Do Witt for his personal
examination. the Official machinery Of
Queens county was st in motion yester-
day for another graft hunt through the
municipal departme og tho Borough
OF Queens.
Charges have been freely made that
President Of the Borough Lawrence
Gresser has not made good his promises
ca clean ont the grafters and give the
borough an honest government. hut
othing came 81 these complaints until
about the beginning Of the year when
Commissioner Foadick and q corps Of
experts began work over there. They
had not been long AZ work before Presi-
dent dresser began an invest igAtion on
his own account in the course Of which,
IL IL alleged. more than 81 .OOO was paid
into a conscience fund by frightened
grafters This investigation Ia said to
have revealed such an alarming con-
dition 81 affairs that Gresasr thought
/ hest not to issue a report and he turned
over the evidence to District Attorney
! De Witt.
A committee 81 residents Of the Ridge
wood section Of Queens who feared
that the grafters might get away went
I 49,. a. u..-a
Hughes charges 81 various kinds against
both the administration Of the borough
and the Office II the District Attorney
/ Of the county
I The Grand Jury. Of which Robert G.
Livingston 81 Hollis IL foreman, yester-
day began the actual hunt. While the
! witnesses were being examined by the
Grand Jury. District Attorney DE Witt
was putting a party OF builders fr ON
various parts Of Queens through an
examination OF his own IN order to out =
/ line his work before the Grand Jury
While this investigation was under way
at the court house. the Borough Hall sew
srJal blocks away. was not LACKING excite
ment and anxiety. The dismissal Of
| Iy.onArd &. J.. smith. assistant engineer IN
charge of the Water Department Of Queens
at the instance 81 Deputy Commissioner
! Bemis. was announced. An automobile
! from the District Attorney office drew up
| in front Of the Borough Hall and all the
records Of the Water Department were
! loaded into the machine and taken to the
Grand Jury room.
According To the Office Of the Commits
s,oner Of Water supply. Gas and Flee
1 triCity IN Manhattan Smith was dismissed
for negiecting tn enforce the provisions Of
contracts entered into with Peace Bros.
Of Flushing IN connection with repairs to
the Bay Side water pumping station and
with Henry n WorthlngtOn in the matter
Of installing n pumping engine. and
also for issuing open orders to Sweeney 4
GRAY for the furnishing Of supplies
smith a a civil engineer and had been IN
the employ 81 the city since consolidation.
just where the present graft hunt will
lead and who will bs implicated are qsies-
tons that interest the entire Queens
borough One Of the matters which the
committee Of builders arr expected tn
testify on il the paying of alleged graft
into the Building Department for the
privilege 81 continuing their business un-
molested
In order 10 give District Attorney
De Witt and Commissioner Fosdick more
time IN which to arrange the evidence IN
the graft quest the Grand Jury to-day
will digress and take up some Of the ordi-
nary criminal matters OF the county