The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1911-02-09
who GOT The EXTRA $4,000?
NANON'S STONY PARTLY BORNE
or ny FIRTHER EIIDENtE.

Hudson County court House Inuuir,
brings out That McDcrmo,t Got Onl,
Sis.OOO and That the Count, Paid
S20.NpO for the Power House site.
The sworn statement of William Maxon.
aformer Jersey City real estate dealer, con
cerning the payment of $4,000 by Hudson
county for n power house site. for which
the late Congressman Allan l., McDermott
owner Of the property, received only
$4,000. was borne out in many of its
details yesterday by witnesses at the third
days session of the inv vestig igation into the
cost of erecting the new 81, 300 900 county
court house before Supreme Court Justice
Francis j. Swayze in Jersey City. The
probers incidentally got a line on the
$1,000 check, representing the difference
between the amounts, which MaXon said
was made out to him and which he sub
sequently cashed. giving the money TO
Robert Davis, the dead Democratic
leader
Lawyer Walter l. McDermott. son Of the
late Congressman McDermott. was called
to testify as TO the transfer of the prop
erty from his father to Maxon
81 have read the statements of Mr..
Maxon made Yesterday that he never saw
a deed of the property and that he did
moi pay me for the property" said Mr.
McDermott, and wish. as emphaticaily
as can. TO contradict both Of those state
ments Mr. Maxon is mistaken. The
transaction was ~ follows Ny father
informed me that he had agreed to sell
the property for sls.oOn. that Mr. Maxou
would come and take the property. and
that ] should deliver him a deed on re-
| Ceiving $4,000. Mr.. Maxon came to my
Office on July 3. 1906. The deed was ready.
and | delivered ii to him and received
his personal check for $4,000 on that day
insisted upon having his personal check
| certified"
Mr.. McDcrmott produced his father =
bank booh showing that he made the de
post on that day.
The testimony of Mr. Maxon," con-
tinued Mr.. McDermo,t, leaves it to bc
, inferred that out of $40 900 which Hudson
county ultimately paid FOR this property
my father received $4,000 and Mir Davis
=. received 5000 Nothing Of the kind
occurred Nv father had been paid for the
property on July and that ended his con
a nection with the transaction except TO
! give the conirmatoIy deed
, County Collector stephen NJ. Fgan
= produced IA warrant OF the county building
committee for the Maxon property Tor
T $40. .oU0. dated July 81. 1910 lie also pro-
tuccd "A check tor SIS 900 drawn on July .,
= 1919, IN favor oi the Jersey tiy supply
. Company, OF which Davis was president,
, and another for S. 400. dated November / I.
: 1899, in favor of MaXon. The checks were
= indorsed IL. Davis" Mr.. Egan said he
= couldn't recall why h. had drawn them
!, as he did, but he thought II was beca,!sc
= he had been advised TO do so by MIR Mul-
? vanev, the committees counsel.
= Justice Swayze pointed out that the
!, Jersey city Supply tompany's check
, had been drawn prior TO the signing OF
the $4,000 warrant and Mr. Egan re-
= marked that he probably drew II on the
!. advice of Mr.. Mulvsney He said hs
= couldn't explain why the 5000 check was
, held back.
, William T.. Smith. president of the
), Robert Davis Association. who has beer
!. Il a member of the New Building Committee
= since its organization. denied MaXon's
- statement that he gave MaXon "A warran
:, for s,s3. got him TO cash it and ther
y . pocketcd 500. permitting the real estat.
:. man to retain the balance. He alsC
. denied that he was present at the time
:, that Davis gave MaSon the 5000 check
a. - as the latter had asserted.
II Commissioner Smith swora that h,
i never knew that the late Congressm al
McDermott had owned the propert,
:, which MaNon offered as a st" for "A powe
: house Later John J Mulvanev testit'e,
. that prior 10 the purchase the Board o
= Freeholdcrs OF which Smith was a menlbe
Y rented the McDermott house on the sit
y for "A public Office Mulvaney said h,
:, drew the deeds of tho transfer OF III
Y power site from McDcrmott To Maxoi
: and from Maxon TO the county. He sai,
- that when Mason told him that he had al
option ON the property he spoke TO hin
-, Of the improperly of a man who wa
q practically an employee of the count,
. selling the property TO the county
y Il told him." said Mulvaney. tina
" ! would advise the committee not I,
~ ~ treat with him until he was the owner
~ Two or three days before I'VE meet inl
VI he gave me deed which had prepsr red
~ ~ Did you ever tell the committee.
"a asked Justice Swayze. that MaSoI
" bought the property for ss.ooo?'
,, Did the members Of the commtte
=, know tina, McDermott owned itT querie'
W Robert n McCarter, the chief prober.
!, Yes" replied Mulvaney.
VI why did YOU direct that check ls
y made on, to The Jersey City Supply Com
:" pany?" asked Mr.. McCarer.
Il did not"
Isn't it a fact?" asked Mr. McCarter
y that before you told Egan TO draw ,h
y s., ,OoO check Robert Davis told YOU tina
II he would stand back of vou?"
" Il had many talks with Mr., Davis ol
~ private and public business. hut he neve
- spoke TO me about the matter" the wit
u, ,,' ness replied.
~ August j Nicklas, clerk in Surrogat
ie John P Egan's Office. made il very appar
- y ont by his testimony that the Surrogate
q, office in the new Court House is not adapte
re for the purposes for which it was designed
w I'VE were never consulted at all abou
10 the filing cases" he said, and didn't kno'
what was 10 be put in. Our accumulate
y, oa ofbooks for seventy years number sevent
'e and provisions have been made for 4. .oC
books The filing cases are located in tn
, basement and you have to go down nal
irow stairway OF twenty-seven steps I
get to them The room is filed with meta