New-York tribune., 1913-12-25
Prosecutor Expects to Land
Ex-State Official in New
Years Graft Box.
TRAILS CONSPIRACY
TO LOOT THE STATE
Sends Out Subpenas After a Con.
ference with an Ex.Highways
Inspector and Hennessy.

District Attorney Whitman had an
: important conference yesterday WIN
John 4. Hennessy, Ex-Governor Sui
zcr's former graft investigator. and an
ex-inspector of highways whose lden-
tity could not be learned. Mr.. Hen
messy had hardly left the Criminai
Courts Building before subpoena serN-
ers were on their way TO take trains 10
various cities upstate.
The harvest will be at least twenty
important witnesses for the John Zoe
hearing that opens again on MONDAY
before Magistrate McAdoo. Moreover
there will be seven or eight new VIII
nesses to appear on Tuesday at the
grand jury inquiry into the hlgh"ay
and barge canal graft.
Under these auspices Mr.. Whitman
expects to blaze the graft trial direct
TO Albany without the aid OF Governor
Glynn's appointment as special Deputy
Attorney General According TO ru-
mors last evening in the corridors OF
the Criminal Courts Building the Dis
trict Attorney is satisfied that he VIII
bring TO a close his first term as prose
cutting attorney of New York County
bv obtaining the indictment OF for
mer state official in the ONCE OF John
A. Bensel and a prominent Albany
contractor known as the "1Xer, be-
cause. it is alleged, he accepted brides
on a 10 per cent basis for settling up
final payments on highway contracts.
The name of another Albany "fiXer'
was injected into the investigation late
Yesterday afternoon, but John k
Clark. Assistant District Attorney, IN
charge of the inquiry, hadn't had time
to look him up.
Samuel Beskin. who was partner
with James X. Hamilton and Thomas
Hassett in the Hamilton Engineering
Company. which obtained S6''Hn
contract on highway work after
Thomas Hassett got out as secretary
for state Engineer Bensel, has waived
immunity and will be a grand jury
witness next week.
Through Beskn District Attorney
Whitman expects 10 reveal the pull
which the Hamilton Engineering Com
pany had with the state Highway De-
partment through Hassett. These wit
nesses. il is said will lay the founda-
ton for MIR. Whitman's plan TO show
that there was a statewide conspiracy
during the last two administrations TO
loot the state"
II NAV be that a blanket indictment
will be voted if the vexatious question
Of jurisdiction doesn't prevent. The
ox-inspector Of highways who saw the
District Attorney is said to have told
Assistant District Attorneys Clark and
Embree that he was called on to pass
work that was simply rotten" He
said when he refused to do il the work
was approved by men higher up"
The first evidence OF any witnesses
who will testify for James W. Osborne.
Governor Glynn's investigator came
Yesterday when John A. Hennessy an
nounced that he had been subprnaed
TO appear before Osborne tomorrow IN
Albany. Hennessy said he got word
that he was wanted last Friday.
According TO Hennessy. he had talk
with osborne right after his appoint
Iment and was told that he would prob
ably be Osborne's star witness. The
next time he met Osborne. Hennessy
says, he got the cold shoulder. The
militant graft investigator gave as his
opinion that Osborne had been called
, off"
4 At any rate, he said Osborne first
welcomed him, saying that he would he
I. only too glad to get any help that he
could, and little later he practically
told him that his help wouldn't be
needed. Hennessy called attention to
, the fact that Governor Glynn gave out
an interview soon after the Court VI
: Appeals had passed on the legality Of
his accession to the Governorship, IN
which he said he didn't believe in gov
ernment by investigation.
A rumor came down from Albany
: yesterday afternoon that Mr. Osborne
had written his resignation and that
the letter was already in the Governor S
hands.
Il can't say anything about it," said
Mr. osborne.
, Does that mean that you deny lt?"
was asked.
See here" he cried. in high pitch, II
said 1 could not say anything whatever
. about it,"
, When the commissioner had cooled
down a little he asked where the news
came from. He was told that an AS
sociated Press report had 1t that he
had written the Governor that he
would conclude his Investigations al
ready under way, but would go no fur
ther.
you'll have to get your information
from Governor Glynn,' he replied.