Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-02-08
Investigation Of HudsOn's
Courthouse Building
Thorough.
ALLEGED EXTRAVAGANCES
ARE BROUGHT TO LIGHT
Citizens Are ArOused-POIiti.
clans Tremble as Disclosures
Threaten at Every Step. j
rFrom a statr Correspondent. ]

JERSEY CITY, Feb. 8.-The Hudson
county courthouse probe today brought
to light more startling exposures. The
methods used by the courthouse COM
mission In the expenditure of more
than s3.000.0o0 for building and furnish
ings were inquired further into, and the
indications are that the investigation
may yet land in the grand jury room.
The probers are determined that all
the questionable transactions should be
brought to light, and II criminality is
involved those responsible should be
brought to account
Granted Wide Latitude.
Supreme Court Justice Swayze, VINO
is hearing the testimony is giving the
inquisitors all the latitude that the law
allows in such cases. and the citizens OF
Jersey City, Hoboken and other places
in Hudson county are aroused over
the disclosures that are being made.
Former Attorney General Robert Nc
Carter is pushing the probe with his
characteristic energy, and the investi-
cation Is attracting more attention than
In a long time The most prominent
lawyers Of the county are interested In
the exposures that are being made or
threatened, and the politicians ara In a
state OF nervous apprehension.
Rumors Are Prevalent.
The atmosphere today is suroharged
with all kinds OF ugly rurnors. and a
thunderbolt Is liable to drop at any
time.
! William E. Smith, one of the Court
! House commissioners. was called to
testify at the afternoon session. He
was asked by Mr.. McCarter:
viii you tell us why II became
necessary to spend 1890 to make al
terations to a desk for the presiding
officer of the freeholders?"
Mr.. Smith said he couldn't
"Will you tell us why It became
necessary to spend s38b for watching
some electrical work?"
Mr.. Smith again replied that he
couldn't
"Will you tell US why the commits
sioners took the county collector and
the clerk of the commission on q trip
to Maine that cost about $s0o?'
Mr.. Smith wanted to know II MR
McCarter was serious or sarcastic
Perhaps both." replied Mr.. McCartex,
"but for the information of the witness
I will say that this Is bona fide In
vestigation, and I am going to get an
the facts"
Who wrote the minutes Of the COM
missions meetings?"
"Mr. Mulvaney. the COUNSEL witness
replied.
What did the clerk DOR
II don't know"
And still you voted to pay hixn
ss3 month. and then increased IL to
s125. and later to $3.50. Why did you
do that?"
Because the cost Of living had In
creased witness answered.
Hugh Roberts ON Stand.
Hugh Roberts, the architect, was the
first witness on the stand today when
the inquiry was resumed. j. Merritt
Lane. counsel for the building commit
tee. wanted the witness to make further
explanation of the Gill and the Wells
contracts for the furnishing of the
building.
How was It. Mr.. Roberts, that 1t be-
came necessary for the commission to
spend $125.o0O more for furnishings than
was originally intendedH" asked Ms.
Lane.
Decide New Building Necessary.
Because of clamor Of . number
OF lawyers and other prominent men
the commission decided that a separate
building was necessary for the regis
fror aG1 80 1oS kA
be furnished" replied the witness.
The architect then went on to ex-
plain that many changes had to be
made in the original plans because OF
these recommendations, and he under
stood that everything that was done
was to be of the very best, regardless
of the cost
Sanitary Expert Employed.
I'VE employed a sanitary expert 10
look after the plumbing. heating ana
ventilating," explained the architect
You mean plumber don't your
sarcastically injected Mr.. McCarter.
Witness said that he was repeatedly
warned by the building committee not
to allow anything to become a ''fizzle."
as had been done in the construction
of the Essex Court House. He added
that these warnings had made him
feel that everything he was doing Was
all right Witness was asked why the
changes in the registers once
were not made In February, 1907, in-
stead of waiting till the buildings were
nearly all completed.
Because" replied the architect, Il
did not want to destroy the exterior
walls 1t might have resulted in dam
age to the building itself at that time
Of the year
Mr.. McCarter got much amusement
out of the witness's testimony relative
to the purchase of sE worth OF hal