New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-07-22
ICE HEARING HITS SNAG
Witnesses Contradict One An.
other Concerning BargeS.
CAN'T FIND THE LIAR
Fresh Effort To Be Made Monday
to Get at Truth Regarding
Waldo's Report.

The accuracy OF the report that the
Knickerbocker Ice Company was using
sixty fewer barges in its Ice trade TINS
wear than last was questioned at the near
Ing on the ice situation before Magistrate
Appleton Yesterday. and this took UP IiioS'
Of the time. John r. Cairn. whom Oori'-
missioner Waldo's men had named IN lhe"
amdavits as the source OF the Information
that the facilities for bringing Ice 10 Ne"
York had been reduced 10 the extent Oh
sixty barges. denied on the stand that he
had ever made such a statement
Cairn is the superintendent OF the East
River Ice Company, an Independent con,
Germ. with a single ice bridge at prahu
street and the East River
"Did YOU state to Lieutenant CrohIh'
Detective Hennessy and another headquai
ters detective that the KnickerbocKer les
companv has sixty less barges In COM
mission this year than LAST the Assistant
District Attorney asked him.
"No: a man By the name of Philip Woods
who came I'm 10 use the telephone said
there were forty less barges,' Cairn re-
piled.
He also said that Woods said that the
Knickerbocker last year kept reserve OF
thirty thousand tons of ice at NechaWkeh'
which they failed to do this year Cairn
stuck TO the declaration that he himself
had made none of these statements to the
detectives.
Magistrate Appleton then began to ask
questions. and Cairn became confused III
his testimony The magistrate directed the
Assistant District Attorney to have WOODS
and the thee detectives in court WIN
Cairn in the afternoon to get at the truth
eft is strange that these statements
should have been made by the detectives
If there is no truth I'm them, especially d.
they created such a stir i'm the city the
magistrate said. I'VE shall confront .these
witnesses with one another and see VINO
is telling the truth
In the afternoon Cairn was directed u
ronoat his testimony of the morning while
Woods stood at the rail and listened ~
him. They were also made to Identity eacU
other os the men who had been present
when the talk about barges was had WIN
tbe detectives After Cairn had hhlshed
Woods took the stand.
"Did YOU make these statements when
Cairn has Just testified that you made!
Magistrate Appleton asked
"I did not" Woods replied, Il simply
said that the Knickerhocker used to nave
thirty harges-not forty or siXty-tled up
o, 18th street for use last year. and In my
oninion they did not have that many TINS
vear I didn't say anything about re-
serve supply at Weehawken last year
how could / know anything about that? ]
am in the coal business
Tho detectives were not I'm court TO help
ont IN the confronting ceremony, but later
Charles l.. Mcgowan, one OF the detectives
who WAS with Lieutenant Cronin when he
interviewed Carn, appeared on the stand
ne repeated that the statements MADE IN
the affidavits were true. as he had heard
Cairn give the Information to Lieutenant
Cronin.
"T am no, satisfied yet as 10 who is tell
ing the truth in this matter the magis-
trate said. IAN YOU men be I'm court Mon
dav at . o'clock, and Mr.. District Attor-
nev see 70 IT that the other two detec-
tives are here
At the morning session the magistrate
and Cairn engaged in an economic discus
sion on the laws Of supply and demand.
Cairn said that ice was not subject to
these laws. but that its price was deter
mined by the market price in New York
civ" This drew from tbe magistrate the
comment that II was A rather queer study
of the law Of economies
John Eagan. a small dealer Of many
wears experience and a regular customer
of the Knickerbocker company and of the
American before II. testified that Dewey.
the weighnaster at the 3lst street pier,
had refused him ice and given as his rea-
son that it was the intention OF his COM
pany to put all the small independent
dealers out Of business.
Homer Slingerland was called to the
stand by the District Attorney I'm the OK
recitation that he would offer similar tes-
timony, but when examined IT developed
that his memory had become a blank on
the subject of his conversations with
Dewey.
Cant you remember the substance of
Dewey's remarks to you?" the magistrate
asked him. after the Assistant District At
torney gave up in despair.
There was no substance to his re-
marks" Slingerland answered II don't
know anything about the darn thing any
way. | am sick and tired of the business
and don't care what happens to it,"
The hearing was adjourned until Mon
day morning at o'clock.