New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-10-09
CONTROLLER ASKS PROOF
Seeks Light from Whitman on
Charges Made by 0. L. Mills.
FREIDEL'S JOB IN BALANCE
Controller Intimates That Cor
ruption Talk Was Canned
for Political Purposes.

rha testimony given on Monday before
the Senate investigating committee Wy
Ogden L. Mills, treasurer Of the Ne"
York Republican County Committee u
the effect that at the recent Presidentia'
primaries the sth Assembly District MAN
haitian, OF which Louis Freidei WIS.,
leader was sold TO the Roosevelt forces
and that as reward for the frauos
Fr1edel was appointed Deputy oupein
tendent OF Markets in the Finance Depai
rent prompted Controller Prendersas' ~
write 10 District Attorney whitman se'
to-day requesting that an investigator oe
r,ada n, the charges that Freidel was I'M
,I,ca,ed in the fraud. 1t was intimateo
h,, tho Controller that the charges hao
been carefully canned" to be USED az :"
time when their disclosure would nave
the most effect politically. He also tooN
oncasIon 10 rap the chairman OF the
county committee, referring 10 MN
zone Samuel s. Koenig, an Last ''ue
politician ,..av
rho letter 10 the District Attorney
mailed Yesterday morning. follows:
Dear Sir: Mr.. ogden Mills, OF tas s'' y
hava testified before the Senate lnVesu-
1ating committee in Washington yeslei
day TO this effect: .,,.,,..aa 4,
rho Sin Assembly District at the primary
eIection ON March % last The lmpnca,,
ZION In Mr.. Nills's testimony waS .ia
these frauds had been commltteu 9S
With the knowledge and eonseh, 81 his
I.onis Freidel, who, on August l OK sn a.
Year was appointed by me TO place II y,
this department Mr.. Mills was asked %
he Committee whether the facts concern,
ing these alleged frauds had oeen p'd@eu
before YOU. He said: n
7 deeire 10 ask you whether sucn chhTBes
bav, ever been preferred 10 your oLitSe'
and. II so, II you have investigated .ng 1l,
II YOU have done so. Woulo IL pe cohs, ~,
Win the details as far as the results oil
vour investigation may relate 10 MI,
Ereidal? 7 ask this because II the cnarse;
he true they would disqualify MT. trelde'
from further service In THIS aepsrInhe an;
and II they be not true, It Is incumnen,
,,non Mr. Mills and the man from whom
he saws he got his information, one sam
uel s. Keonig. an East S S,de goN''''A"'
publicly 20 exonerate Mr.. freidel. ,Lu,
n is also important that the pubic
which these charges are based nave osen
PRESENTED 10 your Office at all. or whether
thew have been carefully canned lot use
during this Presidential campaign very
'r0'' WILLIAM A. PRENDERGAsT,
Controller.
William Halpin, leader Of the 7th As
sembly District. who was mentioned IN
Mr.. Mills's testimony as having handled
a large fund for the practical purposes OF
the campaign," said yesterday that the
amount expended by the Roosevelt forces
I'm the 9th Assembly District was only
5000.
eve figured that we would need an
extra large force Of men In the 9Th dis
trict to watch the polls Mr.. Haipin
said. "but the amount expended was not
unusually large"
on primary day, he said, he refused a
request for 500 made by ore AronoWtz
which was applied for on the grounds
that 1t was necessary TO hire ten strong
arm men at $50 a piece to prevent any at
tempted crooked work.
'T did rot give the money" Mr.. Halpin
said, because suspected II would not
be used. AronowitZ, who conducted the
campaign for Roosevelt in the 9Th ASSEM-
bly, District, proved absolutely faithless.
Mr.. Halpin declined TO discuss expendi-
lures In other districts, although the al
lowances were liberal. he said.
Ogden l.. Mills. who returned to New
York on Monday night after giving his
testimony, said yesterday when he read
the letter Controller Prendergast wrote
to District Attorney whitman:
"Al / have to say Is that the records
speak for themselves. The poll books
snow concluslvely that fraud was COM
mitted. Mr.. Freldel was leader Of the
district. lie was later appointed to a
place under Mr. Prendergast II would
be his duty to look into information OF
this character. Inasmuch as Mr.. Freidel
is In his Office"
District Attorney whitman spent tho
entire day and most OF the evening at
the trial Of Lieutenant Becker yesterday.
He said that he had had no time to read
letters. II Mr.. Prendergast had written
to him asking for Information Mr.. Whit
man said he would do his best to furnish
it. It was possible, he said, that the al
legged election frauds In the Sth Assembly
District had been reported to his office
last March. II they were. Mr.. Whitman
had no recollection Of II. Many COM
plants did come In at that time, how
ever. and the District Attorney said he
WOULD hava tho halter lool<ed IN