New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-12-10
Reiterates Graft Charges.


The Mayor includes in his answer the
correspondence he had with Controller
Prcndergast and the Board Of Aldermen
which set forth the complaints and
charges OF keepers Of ncwsstands. lie
says that $3.50, $50 and go were the
common ,.-ices paid ior licenses. and that
there were seven thousand such stands.
In many instances. the Mayor says, 10
was necessary for the applicants 10 Join
certain political club. and In this con-
nection he mentions the Tammany club
Of the 1lth Assembly District. whore Sen
ator Thomas ]. Mc3lanus Is the leader.
As 10 his source OF information Nj.
Gaynor SAYS: Such afiidavits were iu
due course brought 20 the attention Of
the defendant by persons employed in and
ABOUT the office Of the Mayor Of the CITY
of New York and In the offices Of the
Bureau Of Licenses and IN the office oil
the Commissioner OF Accounts, and that
information was thus acquired by the
defendant of the methods Of the plain
tiff. an alderman Of the city OF New
York. and by other aldermen of the city
of New Yorh. ia the matter OF the llcens-
thus acquired by him was reliable and
trustworthy, and he believed the state
ments made by such persons 10 him 10
be truthful statements, and, relying
thereon. he. the defendant, wrote the
letter which In the complaint is alleged
10 be lbellous."
The Mayor added that the information
referred TO was furnished by persons in
high standing I'm their departments and
by good citizens. including heads OF or
ganizations interested in the matter OF
licenses. He Incorporates In his answer
the letters received from several OF these
officials whom ne mentions in his answer,
including communications from +. j.
Creel, chief examiner OF the Finace De-
partment. and Francis V. s. oliver jr.,
formerly head OF the Bureau OF Licenses
Mayor Gaynor calls attention to seyera,
alleged specific instances where Alderman
Curran sent applicants for licenses 20
fret see other persons. lie alleges on
information and belief" that one Max
Feinstein desired TO open n stand at No.
III West 3lst street and applied TO the
plaintiff for consent and permission, and
plaintiff instead OF acting on his applica-
ton, referred him TO one Early.
Cites Specific Instances.
That on information and belief one
Kopal Schwartz applied to plaintiff for
consent 10 a renewal Of a license on a
fruit stand in front Of his place of bust
ness, No. 2o7 West 9th street, but tina:
| plaintiff, instead OF acting on such ap-
| plication I'm person, directed Schwartz 20
sec one Halprln.
ION information and belief one Samuel
| Gordon. or one Abraham Weiner, made
application TO the plaintiff for his con.
sent for n license for stand at No. a
West Ath street; that plaintiff refused 10
| consent, stating that one Harry Mosko-
WITT was the only one who could get such
consent; that thereupon said Gordon OF
said Weiner paid said Harry Moskowitz a
| further sum of money and thereafter re-
| celved the consent upon his application;
| that thereafter the said Gordon, or said
Weiner. paid Moskowitz a further sum
| OF money, after which the plaintiff in
| dorsed the consent upon the application
| for stand at No. 81 West 22d street"
|
defences. lie denies every allegation IN
the complaint Of Alderman Curran except
| that he wrote the alleged libellous lette:
and that 1t was published In the regular
course OF his duties as Mayor; he justi-
iles the contents OF the letter because hc
says he regarded them as true, and sets
up partial defence in mitigation Of
damages III there are any" and pleads
| all the facts set up in the second answer
as a suitable defence.
| The Mayor also charges Alderman Cur
ran with giving out for publication state
ments that were VERY far from beinG
truthful in regard TO their Interview In
the Mayors office before the selection OF
the Aldermanic Committee to investigate
police conditions The statements which
| Mayor Gaynor attributes TO the alderman
are that he told the Mayor that the inves-