The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1911-03-27
LEWIS TO TELL GRAND JURY
or INSIDE OPERATIONS or THE
CIMuINS CARNEGIE CROWD.
Iioa,ts b, Cuninins Of His Pull on city
deposits said to Fisurc-InGtilry Now
directed at the city Chamberlain
and the state Banking Department.

directed at the city Chamberlain
and the state BANKING Department.
Liston Leone Lewis. who was the le gal
adviser Of william J. Cummins and who
Company when Cummins was getting
money right and left from bankers by
telling them that he was friend Of City
Chamberlain Hyde and could swing city
deposits, will be witness to-day before
the Grand Jury Mr.. Lewis has con-
sented to give the Grand Jury the benefit
of his inside knowledge of the operations
of the Cummins crowd and to tell what
he knows about Cumminss boasts that
Mr. HYDE would do what Cummins re-
ouested
MIR Lewis has been from the District
Attorneys point OF view one OF the most
interesting figures in the Carne gle g wide
range OF activities. Judge Whitman
appears to think that Lewis can corrobo-
rate lot Of things that have been testified
to before the Grand Jury concerning
Cummins's marked SUCCESS in getting
loans and concerning note transactions
,ha, have been looked upon with sus-
picion by the State Banking Department
and the Grand Jury. 1t is surmised also
that Mr. Lewis may be able to supply
information about cash that disappeared
from the Csrnegie's Trust Company's
around,
The lawyer who will talk about
Cummins. Hyde and others to-day has
been a director Of the Carnegie Trust
Company for several years. First in
this town X member OF the law firm OF
Hatch, Kecner 4 Clute. he later formed
partnership with Judge William A.
keener, who was also director of the
Carnegie. They had Offices at iI5 Broad
way in the same building with the trust
company. Then Keener and Lewis had
a Misunderstanding over Carne gle Trust
Company matters and Lewis withdrew
II is understood that Lewis has made
a pretty full s.atemcnt 10 the District
Attorney and that he is ready to repea.
the statement before the Grand Jury
He will be asked. ii is conjcctured. wha5
Cummins ever said to him personally
about Cummins's rela. ions with the City
Chamberlain and IL Cummins ever told
him thai certain loans had been obi aimed
on condition tha. Cum Minis would ge;
city deposits for the banks that obliged.
The Grand Jury may want to know why
l,ewis's law clerk. William Ferguson.
was permitted to make a renewal note
for $3.50. .9oO 90 cover up loans ,hs. Robin
Of the Nor,hcrn Bank had obtained from.
the Carnegie. -1herss -was s,me quick
ar ion here. the Grand Jury has already
neen told. A tip got to the Carnegie
shorty before it closed rha; the bank
examiners would walk in a, such and such
time on such and 8 ich a dav. Window
dressing became necessary, Robin tes,i-
fed So Robin noes wecc ga. hered
up. wiped of the books and garhered
mo single renewal note drawn by Fc:-
sIson the clerk. Ferguson has explained
tha he was advised tina. there would
he no viola ion of law or any wrong
ac ion commi led in covering up Robin.
He was told he SAYS. ,ha. il wasn'C con-
side:ed n good thing 20 10 the examine. r
SO Robins name on he hooks.
Also in connection with this transac-
ton there will be, is expec: ed some
r,eres NANTES cd by the Grand Jury
rs To why he cola eral thai Robin put
" he seeks and bonds Of the South
>5c.e Trac ion Company. ,he Northern
Rfnk and the Fidelity Development
Company ,ha wee sold a. aucf ion a
i'w DAYS ago for sos .OO0-wecc handed
bac, 20 Robin. Robin has ,cs flied ,ha
he know nothing about ,he subs i,ution
of NOES.
Another subject OF interest for the Grand
Jury probably will he Mr.. Lewis's en-
penation as to why he signed himself
as one of the nine guarantors to the four
notes for 5000, 900 each that Cummns made
when the project to get control Of the
Van Norden string of banks was put in
movement One Of these notes was
drawn by the Independent Fertilizer
Company which had been put out OF bust
ness by court decision and didn't have
dollars worth Of assets anyway. More
over Mr., Lewis will be asked 20 explain
how the stock Of the Platt Iron Works
was switched from George l.. Dyer "a
Andrew Ha-negie without Dyer's knowl.
edge when Mr. Carnegie responded
70 the appeals Of Clark Williams and Others
to hefrend Mr.. Cummns,
The Grand Jury enters this week or
what the District Attorney considers the
most important phases of the whole in
curry The internal affairs Of the Car
negl" Trust Company matters such al
the alleged larceny OF 1895, ,oO0 by William
j tummlns for which Cummins was thre'
times indicted have been subordinatet
now 10 two lines; Was there an actua
arrangement by which four natione
banks and fifteen State banks and trus
companies were TO get city deposits TO
giving Cummns money on no security
And vas there grating by bank examiner
which was known to bankers and covere,
w through fear OF getting in bad" will
Influential persons'
aid4e Whitman expects that severa
L"0"ers who have been subpEnaed an
wa" have had u week to study the ques
IONS 9nd directions attached to the sub
lrn"' will appear this afternoon. Tn
"''Hoi Attorney has already been in
'or''"d that the attitude OF the ninetee
''06 o'iicals under subpoena is fricndl
ana that they are rather inclined to we
.'m" an INQUIRY. All of them submitte
'N" '.ei Of question: and dircCtiOn to the