Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-07-23
Senator Frias Charges Con-
spiracy of Americans, and
Asks $780, 900.
CIENFUEGOS CONTRACT
CAUSE OF THE TROUBLE
Island Legislator Claims to Have
Been Denied Share Of
Money.

HARTFORD, Conn, July 2.-Echoes
Of the assault In Havana last August on
Hugh Gibson. secretary and charge OF
the American legation there and Of other
international relations. are being heard
here. Charges OF conspiracy in a suit for
$75O.OOO damages have been filed in the
superior court Of Hartford by Jose An
tonic Frias, represented by Representa-
tive LOnergan Of Connecticut, as counsel,
against Bishop Bonaventure Broderick OF
Saugerties, N. Y: former Representative
James A. Sullivan of Boston, Hugh ].
Reilly and Hugh J. Reilly. jr., Of New
York and David Broderick and wife Of
Hartford.
Bishop BrOderick was auxiliary bishop
Of Havana at one time. Hugh J. Reilly
held a ree-milnon-eight-hund
sand-dollar contract for sewer and
water system built in Cienfuegos, Cuba,
for which the Cuban government paid,
after representations made by Hugh Glib
son, when he was charge at Havana a
year ago.
Attacked in Havana.
Out Of those representations. made at
the instance of Secretary of State Knox,
which consisted Of demands for cash in
stead Of checks in payment for carrying
out the contract. grew the assault on Mr..
Gibson by a Havana newspaper man, in
g restaurant the night Of August q. The
newspaper man considered that Mr.. Glib
son had thrust an insult upon the gov
eminent Of Cuba in refusing to take
checks in payment.
Mr.. Frias. who brings the suit, is a
member Of the Cuban senate. and Is
known In political CT. cles in New York.
Washington, Cuba and Guatemala At
the commencement Of the negotiations
for the Cienfuegos contract, Reilly is al
legged to have associated himself with
Frias under certain conditions, and Frias
alleges that 1t was through him that
Reilly first secured the contract. Reilly
claims that q signature to q contract
Frias is said to have had with him Is a
forgery, and that he attempted to start
criminal proceedings in New York. but
that the district attorney would not take
up the case.
Was Mammoth Contract.
The construction Of the Cienfuegos sew
er and water system was a mammoth
contract. Hugh ]. Reilly Of New York
was the general contractor, and during
the progress on the contract there were
several subcontractors, including Bethel
& Thompson, the Cuban Contract and
Supply Company, Donovan & Phillips Of
Boston, Mass, and Bishop Brode. fck and
former Representative Sullivan, who
bought up the Donovan & Philips inter-
ests.
Alleged Stipulation.
1t is now the claim of Frias that he
and Hugh J. Reilly were partners in the
Cienfuegos contract, and that the result
Of their relations was that Reilly as
signed to Frias 20 per cent of all moneys
payable by the republic of Cuba to
Hugh ]. Reilly under the contract. There
has been an intermediate assignment Of
Frias to one Antonio Altemira, who in
turn assigned the claim to the Latin
American Contracting and Improvement
Company, recognized as Frias' company.
Allegations are that there is q stipula-
ton in the Reilly assignment that in case
20 per cent is not paid to Frias or his
assignees out Of the monthly payments
as the work progressed, as much of 1t
as possible would be paid by the 15
per cent retent Of the Cuban govern
ment. The contract called for q retent
Of this amount by the government until
the work was accepted by the Office of
public works. The proportions of the
contract were 40 per cent to Reilly and
60 per cent to the subcontractors.
AAC COApAdAAI LA Tic suit dllc6cS tudl
the assignment from Reilly to FIias was
duly recorded and acknowledged by the
Cuban government, and that it's transla-
ton from Spanish into English was ac-
cepted and signed by Reilly. Reilly
claims that this signature is a forgery.
BY reason of the recorded assignment
from Reilly to Frias the government Of
Cuba held up payments of the retent.
Frias alleges. and then. he further says,
Bishop Broderick. former Representative
Sullivan, David Broderick, Hugh ]. Reilly
and his son Hugh conspired together to
get the money from the Cuban govern
ment, and for that purpose made false
representations to the American State De-
partment and to the United States rep
resentatives In Cuba to the effect that
the entire amount Of the retent, $751;
661. 7S was due to the subcontractors for
materials and labor. and for that reason
the subcontractors had a prior claim to
the money.
The complaint also alleges:
by reason of said false and frau6lu-
lent representations the United States ,of
America, or it's Department Of State and
it's representatives in Cuba, or some of
them. was induced by said defendants to,
and did, improperly compel said republic
Of Cuba, by coercion and under threat of
armed force and Intervention, to pay
over said sum Of 1851. .661.7S to the said
defendants. or some Of them"
BEATTY CALLED HERE.