The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-05-15

chlse OF the Westminster In the particu-
lars you have spoken OF? A, Well, he Is
| dead.
@. who was he? A. Thomas Byrnes of
! New York.
@. was he theh inspector of police
in New York? A. think not am
| very sure not.
/ Mr.. Mellen went on to say that these
due bills were his own personal oblga-
ton. lie had settled with the New
Haven railroad for the shares and he was
! responsible to- the holders of tho due
bills. He said some Of tho due bills are
stu outstanding and he carried a memo
\ with him IN case somebody should ask
| him to redeem one OF the due bills some
day when lie was In New York. lie
said that one of the duo bills outstanding
was dated January II. 1909. and repre-
sents ninety-threc shares of New Haven
stock: another WAS dated January 10.
1909. and represents 100 shares OF the
| New Haven stock
| y. Where are those due bills now? A.
God only knows They have been out
standing for over five years. and ! am
really thinking that possibly Will not
have to pay them. they have been out
standing SO long.
q. You paid ono this year. however?
A. did. on March {. 1914.
| q. Under what circumstances did you
pay that one? A. A man presented II to
mo and told mo he wanted cash, and
paid him Si0.450 In bills
q. State what took place In that inter-
view. Did YOU know the man? a. No.
Q. What did he look iike7 A. Well, ]
! thought he was somebody from the East
Side by the look OF his nose,
.. What did he say? A. lie said he
had my due bill said. Let me see IT,"
/ .. Where did this take place? A. 1t
took place at the Vanderbilt Hotel.
.. Did he come TO your room? A. No.
l went down into the rotunda-
q. What was the name he gave. do you
know? A. lie did not give any name
and was not anxious to know It.
! Mr.. McChord Questions witness.
Commissioner McChord-why. Mr.. Mel.
len. were you going to pay this stranger
10000? a. He had a due bill. Mr. Com
missioner. in my own personal handwrit-
ing. which was easily recognizable.
| Commissioner McChord-Yes. but did
| YOU know he was the person legally en-
titled to collect IL? a. Yes. knew IL be-
cause 1t was due 10 bearer and had no
occasion to ask him any questions and !
should have no occasion to ask any one
else any question. II any man In this
room has one Of these due bills he will
get the cash for Il before leave town
tonight
I'm other words" said Mr.. Folk that
81 100000 was for the purpose OF cor
recting the franchise In the particulars
men,ioned?'
4 II object 10 that" interrupted Mr.. Mel
| lens lawyer. THAT liz a conclusion. Let
us get at the facts and then see what II
was. There is no element OF corruption
In H."
was II for the purpose OF correcting
these franchises? asked Folk again.
Absolutely not: IL was for the pur-
pose OF redeeming a valid obligation of
Mr.. c. s. Meilen; that Is all" said the
witness.
@ What were you to get for these OBJ
legations? A. In the original transaction
for which this due bill was issued | got
three times as many New York. Vest
| chester and Boston shares as agreed to
deliver OF New York. New Haven and
Hartford shares.
-. You were ., to get this franchise
amended In thirteen different particulars
\. We did.
Q. And this New Haven stock was
placed in your hands in escrow? A. Not
for that purpose. but TO redeem West
| chester and Boston stock.
Mr. MelIen ExpIni "s.
q. And these due bills were issued so
they would be payable to bearer in order
that you might not know who actually got
the money: IL that correct? A. No. the
due bills were issued In this way: ! was
very frequently in New York. perhaps 80
per cent. OF my time. Those Westchester
shares were presented and l was asked
for the redemption value OF those shares
which had agreed upon with Mr.. Byrnes
! did not always have conveniently with
| ahAn lsa ms ha or nrt
of the New Haven railroad In many
Instances they were willing 10 wait until
could get 1t the next time was In New
| York. In many instances they asked me
IL would not give them memorandum.
| gave them various memorandums The
only ones that are now outstanding are
the ones that l have read 10 you this
morning.
Commissioner McChord-rell us who II
was tina: asked YOU 10 do tnat and 10
whom you gave the memorandums? A.
The party that asked me to do this was
Mr. Byrnes, who WAS the neeotiator
Commissioner McChord-For whom
A. ! do not know.
Commissioner McChord--Dd he tel
you: a. No. he was very particular not
To tell me.
@ DO you know why he was anxious
not TO tell YOU? a. Why. suppose Gov
ernor ! may have had in the back of my
/
but 7 was president of the New Haver
railroad and | was not detective.
@ All right: just tell US that suspicion
a. The suspicion was that these shares Of
Westminster stock were scattered in thu
hands OF people of what you call influence
@ Politicians? A. I do not know tina
they were politicians
@. Officials? A. Why. ] do not know
that.
Q. And the shares OF stock amountin:
TO 81 200 900 were to be scattered IN hi,
, way through Mr.. Byrnes In order to secur.
the amendment OF your franchise In tn,
particulars mentioned? A. That was no
the cause.
5 Mr.. Mcllen's "IIuncb."
Again Mr.. Mellen's lawyer objected. bu
. upon further questioning Mr.. Mellei
added.
when Mr.. Byrnes made this agree
D ment with me | had an impression
hunch. that he was n man OF some con
= siderable influence or that he could reac
people who were of influence and | kney
of what ! considered 10 be defects in tn
! charter. things that ] would like 10 hav
remedied. ! made a list. or rather Nj
Moulton did, for me-Mr. Moulton wa
y. at that time president OF the New Yorl
I Westche ster and Boston, made "a lis
T I nf all thp things that I thOuPht uar