Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-02-09
PROBE INTO COURT,
HOUSE EXPENSES
OFF UNTIL APRIL 3
Supreme Court Justice Swayze
AdiOurns Investi=
CATION.
BUILDING EXPERTS TO BE
CALLED FOR CONSULTATION
William E. Smith Proves a For.
getfuI Witness-MemOry Is
Faulty as to Expenditures.
Especial to tho Newark star.l

topScldl 10 TIC Newark StaIsJ
JERSEY CITY, Feb. 9.-Because Su-
preme Court Justice Swayze has not
time to devote to the further hearing
of evidence in the Hudson county Court
House probe until April 3 the ~inyesti-
cation was adjourned accordingly. Be-
fore yesterdays adjournment it was
decided that building experts would be
necessary in order Tor the court to de-
termine the extent of the extravaganza
in the construction of the 5000, coo
building.
Memory Is Faulty.
William T.. Smith, vice-president of
the commission, was Intercepted at
length by former Attorney-General
Robert H.. McCarter. His memory was
extremely faulty. He couldn't recollect
the order that he made for the pur-
chase of eighteen umbrella stands at
$7 each; neither could he remember
why it was that the commission bought
C expensive furniture, such as metal
typewriter desks that cost more han
5000 each.
Questioned About site.
j. Merritt Lane, counsel for the COM
mission, then questioned Mr.. Smith as
to his knowledge of the purchase by
William MaXon of the site for the
power-house. The witness denied that
he had instructed Maxon to give the
committee $4,000 as the price wanted
for the prof. erty. He also declared as
false the statements of AIaxon that
the latter was awarded by him $4S3 as
commission for an option that was not
obtained. When asked IL he had told
Maxon to keep SS3 and turn over the
S40O to him Smith declared he had not.
Counsel for the commission, John j.
Mulvaney, took the stand and It was
brought out that he had drawn up the
contracts for the commission.
WAS the unit price provision in the
Art Metal Company's contract"
NO. said Mulyaney, and added: 81
prepared the contract and delivered it
TO a representative of the Art Metal
Company"
Agents Name Forgotten.
AT this point Mr.. McCarter wanted
to know the name of the company's
representative. Mr.. M~ulvaney declared
he did not recall 1t. Prompted by Mr..
MeCarter. the witness said he would
not recognize the name if 1t were men
TONED to him.
THE contract which I gave to the
representative" continued Mulyaney.
was blank"
Then your idea is that there never
was q contract" inquired Mr.. McCar-
ter.
Yes" said the witness. "GilTs con-
tract for furniture was blank also, I
remember. l did not see the contracts
after giving a duplicate copy of the
Art Metal Company's contract to tho
commission"
A duplicate copy of the Gin contract
for $4,000 worth of furniture was pro-
auced by the counsel for the investl,
gators.
Are the signatures of the county Of
ficials appended to this genuine?"
queried Mr.. McCarter. Mr.. Mulvaney
declared that they were. lie then
stated that a bill for $25,0 900 } I'd been
presented by the Gin company. but
none by the Art Metal people.
Justice Swayze then asked the wit
ness: why were there no unit prices
in the contracts if the specifications
stated there should be?'
"I did not know what the speeihca-
lions contained at that tlme,' explained
Mr.. Mulvaney.
Then. with the county minus the
contract, who besides the Art Metal
Company can tell whether the metal
furniture arriving now is under the OLD
contract or not?'' asked Mr.. McCarter.
The witness declared he did not know.
The prcbers' counsel then ELECTED
the information from Mr.. Mulvaney
that the latter wrote the minutes of
the committee meetings.
"Why, then inquired Mr.. McCarter,
"did you, in recording the minutes OF
the meeting OF July 20, 1906, state
Maxon represented himself as the
owner of the property known as the
McDermott site" Mr., Mulvaney de-
clared that he thought that it was all
rlght?f
when you received $4,000 as coun-
sci for the committee" queried Mr..
McCarter, why did you put in a bill
Tor 5000 on November so, 1902
Not Acting ms Counsel.
MIR. Mulvaney explained hat he was
not acting as ounse when he drew up
afadavits and other papers in behalf
of the committee for the present probe.
This was outside work. he said.
When questioned about his alleged