The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-01-16
CLYNN GOES OVER
OSBORNE'S HEAD
Reported That Governor May
Remove InvestigatOr-Lat-
ter's Friends Deny Friction.
INQUIRY INTO HOSPITALS
Engineer Tells How BrOOme
Road Changes Lost Thou
sands for State.

ALBANY, Jan. 15.--Gov. Giynn set COM
missioner John Delaney to work to-
day on second investigation OF
alleged graft and Acknowledgement In
State departments. lie turned over
TO Delaney charges against DIR. James
" May Of the State Hospital Com
mission and DR.. Watson Arthur. medi-
cal superintendent OF Gowanda State
Hospital in Erie county. Delaney will
20 to Buffalo next week to look into the
hospital charges. At the same time Com
missioner Delaney undertook an invest-
cation Of the construction Of Broome
county highway.
1t was reported here tonight that Gov.
Glynn. dissatisfied with tho work OF In
vcstigator Osborne. may remove him.
Friends OF Mr.. Osborne deny that such
action is contemplated by the Governor.
John =. Kelly. an assistant engineer in
the Binghamton office of the State High
way Department, WAS the principal wit
ness examined
Kelly testified that contractors were
permitted to use gravel scraped from tho
bed of nearby stream in place Of i'm
ported limestone being paid SALE cubic
yard. This price. Kelly explained. was a
submitted figures showing that s1.S2 was
q fair price for the gravel. allowing the
contractor 20 per cent. profit
GIFT Made 20 Contractors.
~ maintain that the Highway Com
mission made n gift of S3,922 to the con-
tractor. the Hollington Company OF Troy.
in allowing IL to use gravel instead OF
stone. The contractor was allowed to use
local stone for top course instead of the
tod insr tn, t1Nar
gift of s119i. this being tho difference in
the price paid and the price which should
have been paid"
Kelly testified that after lie had made
numerous protests against the way the
highway was being constructed he became
discouraged and finally gave his approval
20 changes when he decided that his
superiors were determined to override him.
At one stage of the construction Kelly
estimated that one-third of the work hal
been completed. while the contractors. he
said. demanded that two-th.rds esti-
mp with acting Division Engineer John
Edgerton.
"You might just as we'll let them have
II here. for they will get II in Albany
Kelly said Edgerton told him. The con
tractors got their money for the two
thirds.
John H. Wright. ex-assistant to Firs,
Deputy Commissioner Kicker and now
City Engineer OF Amsterdam. testified
that he made an examination Of the road
last fall and read from his report tina,
he considered II the worst piece of
construction he had ever seen" lie
testified that the stone used was too larg.
and too soft to stand traffic. The rolling
of the road had been improperly done
he said. and the drainage was faulty.
Mr.. Wright said that he had often beer
told of instances where contractors had
sufficient, influence To have removed OF
transferred highway inspectors who did
not favor them.
Commissioner Delaney questioned Kelly
who told of his suspension after the facts
IN regard to the Broome county road had
come out He never got a fair chance
to explain his position. he said. and
considered that he had been suspended
to protect others In the department.
"They made goat Of me- SAID
Kelly. land l knew they would when th'
contractors told me that IL I was MOI
good to- them they would take the matte,
UP with Joe Murphy of Troy and Perry
Filkin, then division engineer ] knew
that meant my subsequent removal.
Inspector Taken on Road.
81 was taken off road in Chemuns
county when I refused to let IA con
tractor use one-third sand and two
thirds limestone screenings on top OF ;
I took the matter UP with Perry Filkin
and he admitted he had told the contrac
tor he could use the sand.
II wrote n letter to the Highways De
partment and asked FillSin to sign II will
me. He refused. and the letter was neve
sent Filkin told me he wanted a maj
who was not so damned particular, ant
was transferred"
Commissioner Delaney will continu'
his investigation tomorrow. instructor,
r. X. Fuller to have George G. Diehl o
Buffalo and Harold Parker Of Boston, tw
Of Commissioner Carlisles advisory board
on hand TO testify. The advisory board
II Is alleged. approved the changes |,
the Broome county road against Kelly
recommendations. Filkin. now statione'
at White Plains. will also be called.
Arthur T. Warner. James W. Osborne''
assistant. said tonight that there is M
antagonism between the Delaney ant
Osborne Investigations.
Fair minded men will not be mislet
by the effort to manufacture sentiment
against the investigation conducted b,
Mr.. Osborne continued Mr.. Warner
1.-THE inspiration Of most Of 1t Ii politica
and part of It is personal.
THE charges as submitted by Mr.
Hennessy have not been fully worked out
Even where the charges are definite !
has taken time to obtain the evidence
Notwithstanding all difficulties investi
CATION has gone on. Evidence concern
ing a part has been submitted at publi
hearings. More will be submitted later
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