New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-11-02
Assistants in Corporation Coun-
sells Office Made Angry De-
mails to Testimony.
COURT CLERK MIXED UP
Alderman Downing Makes sar-
castle Allusion to Petty
Larceny" in Police Re-
instatement Cases.

,,ont had got the help Of an assistant
.lcrk of the Appellate Division, where
,bsir cases were pending, who IN turn
nod seen in their behalf the Assistant
Corporation Counsel about 10 represent
the city against them.
lanes J. Green, the court clerk, after
rsrd sued the three policemen for SOW as
. reward for hts services and coihpro-
missed on $50. He told the Munc'pal
court Judge who tried his case that he
ought to get $500.
,sput didn't want the money" he said
% the committee yesterday "All l want
ed was thanks"
Inst as the committee had adjourned
for the day. into the aldermanic chamber
r,sbed Henry Crone, the Assistant Cor
roration Counsel involved. a pace or two
ab.ad of him plunged William McMur-
,re speer. who is representing the Cor
roration Counsel's Office In the investiga-
lion. Both, livid with anger and excite
msnt. demanded that Crone be put on the
stand AT once. They pitched into Chair
man Curran and Emery r. Buckner,
counsel for the committee. for the impu-
tation Of CrookcGncss left by the testi-
nony against the name Of member or
the Corporation Counsels staff.
The other members o. the committee
were fling out but the loud, angry voices
smsnating from the group just under the
desk brought them back. and Alderman
Frank Downing. the minority leader, sug-
rested that the committee reconvene TO
hear what Mr.. Crone had to say for HIM
self This was done.
Involves Mr.. Crone.
The whole trouble arose over bit OF
the testimony in Green's Municipal Court
suit. Mr.. Buckner quoted it to Brady, one
of the policemen mentioned, who was
witness, and To- Green, and Crone, who
was in the back of the room, heard it.
Come along. joe" Green had said to
Brady, according to the record Of the
trial; well go down TO see Harry and
he will fix things up"
The Harry" referred to was young Mr..
Crone. This was Brady's testimony in
Green's suit, but he said yesterday the
stenographer must have got il wrong.
Green swore ne never said such thing.
But the thing which stuck most in CrOne' s
crop was Buckners question, Was this
the only case in your existence in which
you went down to see Harry
The junior Assistant Corporation Coun-
sci called the tone of this unprofessiOnal.
He insisted. as a member Of the bar, that
Mr. Buckner should have referred to him
with more respect. The testimony that
Green had been down to see him six times,
taking along one or two Of the policemen
seeking reinstatement, TO talk with him
about their case, and that he, the city's
representative. had discussed the case
with them, did not disturb him half so
much as the tone of Mr.. Buckner's
question.
He did, however, deny that Green had
come to see him about the case Of his
police friends more than once or twice.
Brady wac with Green on one occasion
he said and he (Crone) told Brady that
he did not stand a show for reinstate-
ment. He admitted he did not know the
details of the case at the time, but he
based his prediction on the fact that so
few policemen won reinstatement in the
Appellate Division.
Another point made by Green he con-
tradicted also. Green had said he, as a
lawyer. considered that Commissioner
Cropsey, who had dismissed the three po-
licemen for contradictory testimony In the
case Of Captain John f. Tappan, had no
right to try their cases, being himself a
complainant against them. The court
clerk said he discussed this point with
Crone and that Crone agreed with him.
Green's "Fees" in Question.
Its not true didn't agree with him.
He didn't ask me to mention this point in
my brief or withhold It" exclaimed
Crone
viii you call Mr.. Green's testimony
to the attention Of the Bar Association? p
asked Mr.. Buckner
Mr.. Crone demurred He didn't think
Mr.. Green dishonorable, though he con-
sldered him unreliable, said he talked
faster than he thought and said things
be didn't mean. He told the committee
he wished TO correct any impression left
by previous testimony that he was an
Intimate friend OF Green's. He knew him
only In a casual way, he said. Green
never had brought another policeman to
Zee him and was not in the habit OF
talking with him about police cases.
Mr.. Buckner, however, suggested that
before he bring charges Of unprofessional
conduct against others Crone consider
carefully the ethics Of his own conduct
In the instance at hand
OF course, what everybody wanted 10
ind out from Green was just what he
CID for the three policemen that ne
thought entitled him to $500 or 1880 Mr..
Buckner had a transcript Of testimony IN
The Municipal Court suit to refresh the
witness memory, but all the court clerN
Would admit yesterday he did for his 'ch'
ents" was TO draft petition TO Waldo anu
the Mayor asking their reinstatement
COPIES Of which they signed-not he. Thes'
petitions, so far as can be discovered
never reached their destination. He also
"eheered" the policemen, Green said.
The witness. man perhaps thirty
five years old, clean shaver, short and
stocky. had a decidedly nervous manner
and talked so rapidly that Mr.. Bucknei
told him he would paralyze the stenogra-
pher. Confronted with the evidence OF
his manifold activities in behalf Of the
policemen Transcribed in his suit to make
them pay him $500, he found IT hard 70
explain that he acted In an entirely inno'
cent manner. For instance, according 70
testimony in the Municipal Court, he had
been active in behalf OF the policemen
nd