New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-02-19
SAY BENSEL'S AID
WILL PLEAD GUILTY
Hassett. Worried Because
Chief Wouldn't Help Him,
May Do SO To-day.
CAN HELP WHITMAN
IN BIG GRAFT PROBE
Prosecutor Says He'll Stick TO
Engineers Trail - Murphy IS
Silent on Kennedys Suicide.

rurror was current last night mat
Thomas IIassett. former 'cohnueH'''' ."
viser" 10 State Engineer John y. benS'''
would plead guilty to-day TO an indic'ine"'
charging him with attempted grahd i''
cenv I'm making false representations 10
Anthony q. Douglass, eX-Mayor OF NJ
agara Falls. that members oi the po''
Of Water Supply wanted SotV TOT U''
award of the Hudson siphon contract OF
the Catslil aqucduct
Uassett's motion FOR a dismissal OF inc
indictment was denied by Justice DAVIS
in the Criminal Branch OF the Supreme
Court. yesterday.
Runor had IL that Bensel's refusal %
go before the grand jury on Tuesday ana
testify to matters which might nave
helped Hassetts case, had worried Has
sett 10 such an extent that he was Will
ing 20 plead guilty and tell his own story
about Tammany oniceholders and poll
ticians
Mr.. Whitman believes that Hassett can
tell many things Of great value to his
graft investigation Hassett was for
merlv secretary of the Water Board,
while Bensel was president. When Ben
sci became state Engineer, Hassett De-
came his confidential agent.
Iassett. IL is believed, owes no present
obligation to Charles +. Murphy, OF Tan
many Hall. or James T.. Gaffney, Muir
phys friend. His connection with the
Water Board was ended directly by the
Interference Of Gaffney through Murphy.
Gaffney wrote TO Murphy that a man Of
Hassetts kind ought not to hold the Of
flee Of secretary 10 the board. Trouble,
it was said. arose through Hassetts po-
litical activity upstate. which clashed
with Gaffney's political contracts.
Investigation of Bensels official acts
since he became head of the Board OF
Water Supply will go on In spite of Ben
sells flat refusal 10 90 before the special
Supreme Court grand jury and testify
without waving immunity from prosecu-
ton.
II will keep after this until ! get II,
was the grim promise OF District Attor-
ney Whitman yesterday. In his opinion.
the action of Bensel has materially
strengthened the case which the grand
jury is working up in its investigation OF
alleged sales OF aqueduct contracts on
the per cent basis and the distribution
of the graft between Tammany Office
holders end Tammany politicians.
Bensers action has altered Whtman's
plan OF probing the sale of the
contract for Aqueduct No. % TO
Patterson & Co., Of Pittsburgh, and
the alleged delivery Of 81, go. known as
the "boatload OF stone" to James T.. CAT
fney on March IS, 1909. when Bensel was
president Of the Water Board. New lines
must be laid down. Accordingly the
grand jury when it meets again this af-
ternoon. will be supplied with number
of new Witnesses. including:
John II. Macarthur. Of Macarthur Broth
ers; William Bradley. formerly Of Brad
ley Gaffney x Steers, and now of the
Bradley Contracting Company; Henry
Steers. Of Henry Steers, Inc; John j.
Hart, contractor, OF Peekskill, and
Harry Wheeler. OF the Steers firm. Nc
Arthur Brothers We're associated with j.
f.. Winston in the Ashokan dam contract
John *. Clark, Whtman's assistant in
the graft probe. resigned yesterday and
went to Albany to undertake the legal
direction Of the Assembly graft investi-
eating commission. which began its work
last night.
Charles f. Murphy was asked yesterday
whether he thought any one deserved
censure for the suicide of State Treasurer
Kennedy.
II wouldn't care to say" he replied
Have you or the Democratic state or
ganization tried 10 influence the desgna-
tion of banks that were TO receive de-
posts OF state bonds?"
Absolutely rot"
a report was current yesterday that
Murphy drove his nephew. Charles f.
Murphy, jr.. out of the bonding business
in which he was associated with Philip
Donohue, of Tammany Hall, some time
ago. because young Murphy, 1t was said,
used his uncle's name in connection with
bonding work given out by Duncan w.
Peck, now Superintendent of Public
Works. II was also said that Donohue
complained to Murphy that he wasn't get
ting his share OF the business from Muir
ply. jr