The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1913-12-31
HASSETT INDICTED ON
$4,000 GRAFT TALE
Bensel's Ex-Adviser Accused Of
Trying to Sandbag
Contractor.
HASN'T BEEN ARRESTED
Accuser Says He Pretended to
Speak for Board Of
Water Supply.

Thomas Hassett. former secretary OF
the Board OF Water Supply and more
recently confidential agent Of State En-
gineer John A. Bensel. was indicted yes
terday by the Grand Jury.
II il charged that he attempted to get
$4,000 from Anthony c. Douglas OF
Niagara Falls. a contractor. by making
false representations.
The Indictment was handed up to Jus
tice Vernon NJ Davis in the Supreme
Court late in the afternoon. Hassetts 8
whereabouts are known to the District
Attorney lie recently returned from Santo
Domingo with James Is Mcclure. for
mer Mayor of Syracuse. who has also been
indicted as result of the John
Doe proceedings. but it is understood that
he did not come to New York. although
a statement that he was in town was
made by his business associates
Anthony G. Douglas is the man directly
responsible for the indictment He told
the alleged circumstances under which
Hrssett approached him tor money. The
members OF the Board of Water supply.
testifying before the Grand jury, as
serted that Hassett had no authority to
represent them In the alleged attempt to
extort $4,000.
Charges Made by Douglas.
When Douglas went before the Grand
Jury on December Il he said that on
May 20. 1911, number of bids We're
opened by the Board of Water supply for
the construction of a siphon under the
Hudson River from Dutchess to Orange
county. and that his bid of s1.iS2,322. 30
was the lowest. lie gave the figures for
other bids as: Winston & so. and Breu-
chaud s1,is3.?36: T. A. Gillespie Com
pany, sI.6t9.02O. and Macarthur Bros
Company. s1.,55.l6S.5o.
He said that after these bids had been
opened Hassett saw him at the Hof-
man House and told him that although
his bid was the lowest he would not get
the siphon contract unless he paid s5o.-
900. As Douglas related the in
cident, ne and Hassett went downtown
and, while Douglas remained outside
Ha ssett entered the building at 165 Broad
way. where the Board OF Water Supply
had offices.
him with the assertion that those fel
lows upstairs want the money"
Hasse., came 20 New York in 1895 and
in 1901 WAS an active worker in the inter
est of George Il. Mcclellan. then aNandi
date for Mayor. After election he became
chief clerk in the executive offices ant
later was assistant secretary to the Mayor
After the second election OF Mcclellan h,
was secretary of the Board of Wate
Supply, remaining in that position unit
January. 1910. when he resigned. it wa
understood. because OF the enmity o
Charles F.. Murphy. the leader of Tam
many Hall. John A. Bensel was AT tina
time president OF the Board OF Wate
supply.
Then Become BenseIs Adviser.
| When Mr. Bensel went to Albany il
| January 1911. as State Engineer he tool
| Hassett along as n confidential adviser
| Eassett resigned in January Of this yea
and is now with the Hamilton Engineering
Company and the New York State High
| ways Construction Company, which hav
aaueduct contracts His name cropped u
during the investigation of the Curral
| Aidermanlc committee. Police Captain
Reith filed an affidavit with Commissions
| Waldo in which he asserted that he ha
been offered promotion II he would pa
$4,000 and that the offer was mad
by a man who took him TO Hassetts WA
street office.
Samuel Beskin. a contractor OF Bea
con. was before the Grand Jury yester
! day. He signed an immunity waiver
He said lie told the jurymen that durin
1912 he had repair contracts amouhtin
to about 100000 and that he contrit
utcd $1,000 to the Democratic campaig
| fund He will he called again.