New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-11-01

John Doe proceedings, instituted by
District Attorney Whitman before
Chief Magistrate McAdoo yesterday
afternoon. John A. Hennessy, who was
Governor Suffers chief investigator
and is the speaking firebrand of the
fusion campaign, gave evidence in re-
gard to the grip of Tammany Hall on
both county and state that probably
will keep Mr.. Whitman busy for sew
eral months.
Hennessy's story, which is not much
more than started and will he con-
tinued on Wednesday, divided itself
naturally into two parts. The first
scarcely can be Of any service IN
criminal proceeding, as it referred to
the circumstances surrounding the
nomination Of Edward f. Mccall for
the Supreme Court bench.
II revealed Eugene +. Wood, long
and widely known as Gene" Wood,
who before the Hughes insurance in
quiry days was the chief of all the AL
bany lobbyists, as the source of Hen
nessys information as to McCalPs
judicial nomination in 1902.
Mccall. Mclaughlin Dispute.
This story was reiteration, with ad-
ditional details. of the accusations en-
bodying the name of former Police In
spector William W. Mclaughlin, which
Hennessy previously had made from
the public platform. It did not, how
ever, supply any specific evidence as TO
the amount of McCall's campaign as
sessment Of that year. except that
Hennessy said the final dispute be-
tweer Mclaughlin and Mccall was
over the repayment Of "the last 5000
OF the amount"
The second part Of Hennessy's story,
however. dealt with unrecorded cam
paign contributions TO Tammany Hall
within the last three years. and it is
this part Of the inquiry which promises
sensational and long drawn out de
velopments.
George Mcclure. Of Syracuse, q
brother of James *. MCGUIRE. who was
a former Mayor of that city and known
as the boy Mayor of Syracuse" was
named by Hennessy as the chief source
OF his Information with regard to these
unrecorded campaign contributions.
Hennessy testified that he met George
Mcclure i'm Utica on the night Of Fri
day. September l., 1913. and that Nc
CURE It that meeting, which was er-
ranged for that purpose laid bare 20
him the whole structure of the Tam
many domination Of the upstate politi-
cal contracting assessment business.
Offer from Thomas =. Smith.
Hennessy testified that Mcclure told
him also that James Stewart, one OF
the big contractors on canal work. told
him that he received an offer from
Thomas +. Smith. secretary Of Tam
many Hall, and "a Mr.. Doyle" by
which Stewart was to get canal con-
tract No. ia by a payment of $3.50
600 TO Smith and Doyle.
The witness swore that MCGUIRE told
him that Smith. Doyle and Phil" Don
ohue were the real powers in the Nc
Govern Company of Philadelphia.
which had an award on ia, which
they tried to turn over to Stewart.
Hennessys speeches in the last ten
days have specified campaign contribu-
tions to Tammany from contractors
who were working OH state contracts,
either canal or road. and by inference
Hennessy's speeches have pointed out.
or at least indicated, the connecting
trail between contractors and 1ith
street But Hennessy's sworn testi-
mony went many steps further than his
speeches. and outlined the whole trend
OF the moves by which, as he put 1t.
percentage assessments, based on the
size Of their ntracts. were levied on
contractors by Tammany.%
In his testimony, as In mis- speeches.
he named the line of "bagmen"-Nor-
man T.. Mack. J. Sergeant Cram. Will
lam ]. c'Fingy') Conners, William
Kelly. of Syracuse; Arthur A. Mclean.
Of Newburgh. the treasurer Of the
Democratic state Committee. Everett
Fowler, of Kingston-and he traced out
the line of connection between the up
state contractor who paid his assess
ment" on a percentage basis as cam
paign contribution and to the upstate
politician and the downstate and ulti-
mate receivers of the money in the up
per circles of Tammany Hall.
MccaIps judicial Assessment.
Asto the Mccall Judicial campaign as
sessment. on which he quoted Gene"
Wood as his informant, Hennessy told
in detail the story of the meetings in
Woods room in the Hoffman House,
where Wood himself and Anthony n.
Brady, aided and abetted by what in
euence the late big Tim Sullivan
could swing, urged upon Charles +.
Murphy and George w. Plunkitt the