The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-01-24
WHITMAN GETS
O'GORMAN'S AID
Continued from First Page.


! which he has submitted to the District
! Attorney have been carefully investigated
| since Mr.. Sulzer took the witncsD stand
| on Wednesday there has come to the Dis
| trict Attorney from other sources valu-
able Information bearing on tho attempt
TO hold UP Mr.. Stewart. 1t is believed
/. that Mr.. Whitman told Senator OGor-
man yesterday about some OF this in
the methods by which II had boon OBJ
. talned.
, When the Senator is called to tho stand
he will he asked about some Of these
matters. Those who know his connec-
lions with tho workings OF the Demo-
cratic organization In this city believe
that he will be able to throw much light
upon them.
The projection of the Senator into this
Investigation has again turned the
thoughts OF political observers to the pos
,sibility Of u reorganization of the Demo-
cratic party In this city. Such reor-
ganization Is already under way in other
parts OF tho State.
Tammany Hall men do not deny that
tho graft disclosures are shaking the or
SANITATION to It's foundations. They real
lie. The Importance of the testimony
which the Senator will give and make no
attempt TO deny that II by any chance
no IL compelled to verify the story OF Mr..
Sulzes "A reorganization OF the party hero
must follow. They fear that the District
Attorney has already been assured that
Mr.. suffers story will be corroborated
lin its essential points.
So many things bearing upon the in
quiry came to Mr.. Whitman yesterday
that the John Doc hearing before Chief
Ma glstrate McAdoo Was postponed to give
the District Attorney chance to In
vestigate certain information before call
ing witnesses to the stand. lie spent most
OF the day going over letters and papers
that had been handed to him.
Having a direct bearing on the investi-
CATION Of the state system OF graft were tho
ALLEGATIONS made before the Grand Jury
of the sale Of an aQueduct contract for
sii.250. The men who gave this testi-
mony were James W. Patterson, Jr.. active
head of the contracting firm OF Patterson
& Co. OF Pittsburg James c. Shaw Of
the Clinton Point stone Company of II
Battery place, and John NJ. Murphy, a
contractor, who had already testified that
he paid to James l.. Gaffney one-third of
his commissions on the sale OF road
dressing to the state. alleging that he
did 1t because Carney was a man OF in
fiuence.
Murphy swore that he arranged with
GafYney for the collection Of S&i.c50 from
the Patterson cornN1Ssy In the even. that
this companys bid Of $S24.942.50 for
aqueduct contract No. 90 should be ac-
, cepted by the Board OF Water Supply. Mr..
. | Patterson swore that he agreed to pay the
money to n person designated by Murphy.
That person WAS Mr. Shaw.
, Shaw admitted that he received the
money, all in bills, and that he put II int
his safe deposit box. He testified also
, that he paid II all out. but he could not
. | recollect to whom. Every enort was
made TO refresh his memory. He was
, asked repeatedly what his name was
> what his address was and other simple
questions Of that nature in an efort IL
enable him ~ recall the name OF the
man to whom he said he handed the
. money. His recollection was not refreshed
! even after John NJ. Murphy swore that tn,
money Was paid to Gaffney and thai
, Gatrney returned s4,1?5 to Murphy. who
i had n one-tenth interest in the contract.
The records Of the Board Of Water Sup
. ply show that Patterson & Co. got thu
I contract on March -. 1903. although
there were two lower bids The Draw
q Contracting Company Of Pittsburg ha,
bid $73S,4?4. Snare & Triest OF New forl
had bid Ssc3Al75c. The Patterson biz
was ssa&.s4250. The members OF th'
n Hoard OF Water Supply at that time wcr
John A. Bensel. now State Engineer
. Charles y. Chadwick and Charles a
shaw. Thomas Hassett was secretary o
: the board.
Mr.. Chadwick Is the only member o
the board now who was Il member at tina
, time. When he was asked yesterday VIVA
= his explanation was OF the fact that tn
contract was let to company that bi
4 more than $4,000 higher than the loves
bidder he said:
THE bid OF the bravo Contracting
). Company was so low that. In the opino
q of the board II precluded the posstbilit
Z Of their carrying out the contract properly
:. This circumstance was called 10 the al
tention OF the company and they agree
:. with us. subsequently their bid was with
II drawn. We were acting in this matte
8 | under the statute which lays upon tn
u board the obligation OF awarding no cor
q | tract unless We are convinced that IN
q contractor Is able to perform the work a
10 1t should be performed.
As for snare & Triest, the second Low
y est bidders, they were at that time ei
&c gagged on "A contract to make preliminar
bor.nGs for the location OF n line for III
l. city tunnels and they were 30 far benin
on the work IA TO call for the censure {
the board. We did not feel that "
's J, ought to award much larger contraS
u to them under those rcumstances.
le This left Patterson & Co. We invest
&c gated and found this company TO be thol
oughly capable Of carrying out the cor
tract and II was let to them"
Mr.. Chadwick said that Of course !
knew nothing OF the alleged bartertng fc
the contract. He will probably be a wi
Il ness before the Grand Jury on this ma
ter. Mr.. Whitman intends to call Other
who may be able to throw light IN Il
~ transaction.
re An attempt was made TO locate Jam,
" Z. GafYney. but II was said at his offiC
| hnt ba "a m, town.