New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-01-18
TO QUIZ O'CORMAN
ON 'CAFFNEY' VISIT
Whitman Subpenas Sulzer,
Who May Identify
Stewards Caller.
THINKS BOTH KNOW
OF HOLD-UP ATTEMPT
Senator. as Contractors Counsel,
Asked Ex-Governor to Act
Started Split with Chief.

Ex- x-Governor William Sulzer was sub
pnnaed last night at the Broadway
Central Hotel to appear and TESTIFY III
District Attorney Whitman's John Doe
inquiry into state graft.
Senator OGorman also is to be ex-
amined, and it is expected that their
knowledge OF transactions in the Barge
Canal Board in December, 19l.. WI
clear up the identity Of the man calling
himself James +. Gaffney, who de-
manded S15O.OOO from James c. Stew
art vice-president of the James Stew
art Contracting Company, Of No. 30
Church street after Suffers election,
and while the cOmpany's bids for So
600. 900 worth of canal work were pend
ing before the board.
Stewart testified on Friday that he
refused to come across" and also that
he might be able to identify the man
who called at his office and solicited
the contribution. District Attorney
Whitman prefers to investigate the al
legged hold-up by calling Ex-Governor
Sulzer. who nterfered in Stewards be-
half. with the result that after three
biddings Stewart got the contracts.
Senator O'Gorman, as member Of the
firm of O'Gorman. Battle & Marshall,
g. vapf int on
with the pressure that was being
brought on Stewart and it is said he
went to Sulzer. then Governor-elect, to
see if something couldn't be done about
it. His friendship with Sulzer it is
said caused Sulzer TO acquaint himself
with the transactions Of the Canal
Board when it went into executive ses-
sion to consider Stewards bids.
Was First Cause Of Break.
1t is said that the attitude taken by
Sulzer In behalf of Stewart precipitated
, the first actual break between Sulzer
and the Chief" During the i'm
peachment of Sulzer Murphy was re-
ported TO have offered financial aid to
Sulzer after his election. II was al
legged that Murphy told Sulzer that his
most inexpensive gubernatorial candi-
date I'm the history of party elections.
| According to the story told last No
vember by George Gordon Battle, coun-
sci for Stewart, emissaries from Tam
many Hall close to Murphy went 70
Stewart before the election to get
money. Stewart offered $4,000, but
was told that $4,000 was expected from
him. 1t is said that Stewart hesitated
for a week and at last refused to give
up. This, it was said, displeased DEM
ocratic headquarters. and Stewart was
informed he need not look for favors in
| the future.
Although Stewart was unable before
Magistrate McAdoo last week to de-
scribe the man who asked him for the
post election contribution. he was pee
fectly willing TO say that the demand
angered him SO much that he practi-
cally fired the solicitor from his Office
The difficulty with Stewards story Is
that it is no crime for any representa-
tive Of Tammany Hall to solicit cam
paign contribution from contractor,
nor would it have been a crime for
James f. Gaffney. a representative Of
Tammany Hall, 10 tell Mr.. Stewart
that If he were anxious TO get the canal
contracts he could aid in getting them
by paying $4,000. While the Stewart
case instanced the most outrageous ex-
ample Of Tammany 'sandbagging," the
existence Of crime is merely ASSUMED.
The evidence is entirely circumstantial.
SuIzer's Skirts Are Clean.
For that reason District Attorney
Whitman. after carefully setting the
Continued ON second page, fourth column.