Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-08-21
STREET TORN Up /
IN DEFIANCE OF |
CITY OFFICIALS
Effort Made to Reach
Sewers Near Four
Corners.
49, n
COP, DECEIVED, THOUGHT
WORKMEN HAD PERMIT
State Law May Be invoked 70
Bring Guilty to Punish
ment.

Boldly oefylng city authority and
practising deception upon the poles
a gang of men started shortly aftes
midnight to rip up the new pavement
in Market street almost directiy
under the big white lights of tbs
-Four Corners.
It was an attempt to steal a march
on the city to reach the pipes
in front of the old Gray building ~
1870 Market street. TO relay them. al
though the Board of Works on Juls
IL refused permission to open thu
street.
So serious are incidents c~onnecte1
with h job that Chief Engineer
Morris r. Sherrerd and Commissions
er Arthur r. Denman, chairman az
the sewer committee of the board
will ask the grand jury to indic1
those responsible for the attempt "a
open the street and probe the storv
OF an alleged frame-up to lay TIA
pipe without permission. Rumor in-
wolves several men in the scheme.
Invoke State Law.
Mr.. Sherrerd said today that tia
action was so fragrant that the CITY
ordinance which imposes a nominal
hne for an offense of this kind would
be ignored and proceedings throurh
the prosecutors Office under a State
law will be started. He said that
Charles F. Mcclure, a plumber. r.
ported to his Office a few DAYS ara
that he had been approached and
asked to become party TO a scheme 70
tear up the pavement without a per-
nit. Mcclure said he declined. BE-
cause he did not wish his city license
revoked.
An Evening Star reporter. who wa
responsible for the stopping of tn
work at 2 O'Clock this morning. after
the police had insisted that the exca-
waiting was being done under a permik
from the Board of Works. found that
the only authority for doing the worry
was a permit from the Board *
Health issued to MCGUIRE.
Mr. Mcclure was not around. and
the men said they were WORKING
under the direction of w Darwin
Hunter. 237 Fifth avenue, New York
The foreman Of the work pointed Qua
a mar dressed in a gray suit as his 4
employer. When the Evening Star
man approached the man he denied
that he was other than an onlooker.
Afterwards he was forced TO admit
that he was Mr.. Hunter, and tina
architect Of the building. A. J.-Ra<-
ferty, who said he was timekeeper
for Mr.. Hunter. had the Mcclure per-
nit in his possession.
investigation of the Board Of
Works records shows thai Hunter and
nLf11-n.- uT11l- -.-4s--a-
for a permit to open Market street
in front of 1870 on July 8; that it wa5
put on the inspection list and that
on July II Hunter appeared again
in person before the board gnd asked
what had been done with the appli-
cation; that COMMISSIONS Harry B.
O'Connell questioned the architect az
to the depth Of the sewer
ton then in the building: that Hum
ter explained that it was six feet sir
inches below the sidewalk and that
the new lessee of the building wanted
IL lowered TO take care of a proposed
basement damage; that O'conneu
then contradicted the architect by
stating that he connection was over
fifteen feet below the sidewalk and
the motion was made and passed 10
reftse the permit.
Policeman Deceived.
Asked at the time If the workmen
had a right to tear up Market street.
Policeman Dunn. on the post, said
they had a permit from the Board OF
Works. When it was questioned that
such a permit had been granted the
policeman found he had been de-
ceived. and only the Mcguire paper
could be produced by Rafferty, and
Hunter. He asked II Mcclure was
around. and Hunter and Rafferty, re-
piled in the negative. adding that
they were not working for Mcclure
The policemen from the -Four Corners
gathered around. n finally Decided
to stop the work pending i~nfornation
from the board officials.
Policeman David B. Banta tried to
reach superintendent Shipman on the
telephone, but returned to say thai he
had left his receiver off the hook.
The Evening Star uan salled up
!, Mr.. Sherrerd at 3 o'clock and asked
/. him il a permit had been given for
the 100 Market street Job. He said
positively no. and hen got his deputy.
James NJ. Hallock, out of bed to make
) an investigation Later in the morn
ing a representative of the Board Of
Works was placed over the ripped-up
street to prevent further operations.
! I'VE intend to deal anything bat
lenientiy with those responsible for
. this job said Mr., Sherrerd this
morning. This is the third tine The
: new street has been torn up without
permission, and we propose now to
take the whole matter before tnd
grand jury and ask for indictments