The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-10-09
GRESSER TRIAL STARTS OFF
PRESJDENT az OIEENS IP az
THO SITS az "a IRGTN.
Leahy. Nhs u nter IRtietmen'. Tells
Nbsut BOuIeN ard GSnsirurtion lob
aud nelson TestInrs NJ 10 Assess
nents for dresser Campaign Fund.

meats for dresser Campaign Fund.
B Samuel n Ordway. appointed hv Gov
] Hughr- a special commissioner Ia IN
vs~tigate the Charge 90 IncomPetency
md neglect ~ duty filed by committees
ot taxpayers against Borough President
Lawrence dresser of Queens held hts
first hearing in the Queens County Court
HOUSE. Long island city. yesterday
The room used 10y Part H. Of the supreme
Court was set aside for the hearing
Commissioner Ordway had two sets
II charges before him Lawyer charles
q caldwell appeared TO prosecute the
charges filed 10y himself and William ,
Matthews and Arthur D. Heating on
hehalf oi q taxpayers association last
July. These charges contain nineteen
specifications. among which are included
Irregularities in contract work On the
highways and the collection OF campaign
contributions from employees in the
different borough departments. Charles
A. Brodek repres ented the Progressive
Society of Far Rock1way, whose charges
contained eighteen specifications and In
many instances were almost a repetition
Of the Caldwell charges
Accompanied by his son. Lawrence
7. dresser. and his secretary, John y
Booth. President dresser appeared in
the trial room aud took a seat alongside
his counsel. chase Mellsn OF the law firm
nj Strong n Melien oi Manhattan
MIR. Mellsn on behalf OF Mr.. dresser
asked commissioner Ordway tO nave Mr.
Caldwell and MT BrOdek elect on which
set 1t charges Mr. dresser was first To
he tried ANA after a long discussion the
Commissioner ruled that where the specih-
cations IN the two sets II charges were
simllfr the witnesses could testify on
both at one time, tut where the speCifCa-
tons were distinctly different the charges
To which the particular testimony referred
should bs stipulated
Commissioner Ordway then directed
that the hearing proceed Lawyer Cald-
well called Parties ,. Leahy. former
superintendent Of Highways Lawyer
Eugene y l.. Young on behalf 81 Mr.
Laahy protested against his being .N-
ahmed IN the present proceeding He
said Leahy was under indictment and
that the evidence that he would give
might be used against him on hl- TRIAL
Commissioner Ordway ruled that Mr.
lsAahy at any stage 81 tn. hearing could
decline to answer. and he ordered the
taxing q, testimony to begin
l.eany testified about the rebuilding
81 the Holman Boulevard which was
mentioned In both charges n being done
by IN" HiCks-JohnSon onst rICtion Com
Nany, alleged favored contractors Il
was alleged that the contractors neg
lected 20 up.oot the old bod out re-
hullt over IN. solid macadam.
In order To prove my charges concern
ing the condition of the road I.aahy
testified. / took President dresser on "A
trip ~ inspection and a. w. wont over
the, newly bIit boulevard | remarked
20 him that II was the damncde-t road
had ever seen h'iilt, and he agre, q with
me
Joseph n Nelson former chief clerk
In the Bureau ~ ~"werS took M the
afternoon s"s-Inn. t"~tifvInc that at the
DIR HCtlpn 81 President Ores - prev Ious
to ne election last fail when dresser was
a candidate ON an Indepcudcnt ticket
FOR Pr"-id"u' e the Borough. no shook
down m" employees II the Sewer p~-
part"l"pi Tor between $50 and SgD
which included check for Inspection
fees - private sewer. To which he swor"
the inspector had never been appointed
bu' thai the con tractors had been al
lowed "a 90 ahead and build the sewer
on N" plans they had filed with the de-
partmeni
Nelson sad he was appointed 10 the
Sewer Department on November -.
1893. and held tho job Of bookaeap..-
AT a salary of u 81 wear until October
Of last wear. when ne WIS promoted 20 hs
chief clerk 81 the department. WhC-c his
duties were practically the same but
his salary was Increased to g. ~ a wear
Tie was ~ the ShInueCoCk club house IN
Flushing. no testified Igst previous
to N" rrIml-.es 81 las fall when tn.
question ~ 10 whom James Z Hcks Of tho
Hicks-JohnSon Company. who rebuilt
the Hoffman Boulevard would support
AZ the polls Nelson saws he gave l. as
hIs opinion that Hicks would oppose
Gresssr. 20 winch, b" testified. Gre,ser
re IIIed
We'll Y no does I'll make him reSu,,d
that Hoffman boulevard Ioh
Nelson testified that Gresser instructed
hum about coll"cting Campaign funds
VfIrh were 20 be levied on the borough
employees on basis OF per cent Of their
yearly SALARY He SAID he made no
hst Of me1 employed IA he barell
Of sewers and James " johnson. chief
engineer N the SeVer Department. took
a list Of the men employed ~ the engineer
ing COrTs Taking one 81 the borough
automobiles Nelson said. he rlad.. a tour
81 the borough i.avIng with N. different
for"m"n "a hsi - m" men under them
and the amounts they wee taxed He
received moneys from other sources ~
III" S"S"- Department. be sand and m all
turned over to President Grs~s~r NJ differ
ent tune, between $50 and SsJ TO be
used Ia his campaign In connection
with So paid Nv tarb.rrV \ DornbaCh
TO- IN" inspection 81 private sewer
they were building Nelson testified that
G!"sse- told him not 10 mind APPOINTING
INTO his campaign fund Nelson laid
he made two payments Of s2S1 each To
Gra<seT ~ the Borough Hall and one
ravm"n' 81 S15D or st0D A. the Shlnnecock
club IN Flushing when Cresser informed
him thRt be- had i'ist raIsed son
And - was a poor man = campaign
suggested Lawyer Caldwell
Yes replied the witness And he
never told me ~ stop taking he money
Nelson testified thP' Il two men who
fFil"d fo paw their assessment one was
dismissed from the service "a charges
following IA" elsC' on and the other was
rIsI"ndsd but was reinstatsd because -
wP~ \ yeterPn fireman
On cross "Na'niustion hy Mr. M-Ilen
'h" witness Gdmi'ted that he had heeu
dismissed from his loh on charges fled
Nv Prr-ideut dresser He added 4 was
mover oven given q hearing on the charges.
bu' waS SIMPLY dismissed and I now
ask n YOU gent emen .ra honest to give
me trial before Mr. Ordwsy or some other
disinteres,sd person
Nelson PlsO admitted tina, no one was
present when he ald Gres-sr talked about
the campaign Contributions or when he
nede over tho Iryments