The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-01-29
GRAFT C0TERE DENOUNCED.
Jiosd Contracts Treated as Patron
age, Says Osborne.

ALBANY. Jan. 2s.--James W. osborne,
State sraft hunter sent 70 the District
Attorney OF Montgomery county to-day
for presentation to the Grand Jury testi-
mony indicating that 4 political coterie
exists in Montgomery county including
ex-Sta;e senator William r. Gardner OF
Amsterdam. who Is now a member Of the
state Board OF Claims: Peter V. Baird
o. Amsterdam. a good roads contractor ;
Joseph j. Murphy OF Troy and Chairman
ocratic committee
Nh Osborne declared that the testi-
mony showed tina. this political coterie
controlled the repair work on highways
IN Montgomery county and that II was
treated as patronage and divided up be-
;ween the Mohonk Construction Company.
Of which Baird is president and wemple
and stewart. road contractors.
The road contract around which this
testimony centred was one Of the 3ls re-
pair contracts handed out by Deputy
Highway Commissioner Foley in 1912.
This particular contract was given to
Peter V. Baird and was not approved
by the former State Highway Commission
until after the work was completed
The Baird contract called for the re-
surfacing Of four miles Of road running
south from Canajoharie in MONTGOMERY
county toward Sharon Springs. II cost
$4,000 originally TO build this road and
In 1912 Baird got the contract to re-
surface 1t at a cost OF $4,000 He WAS
10 put on a two inch bituminous
inacadam surface composed OF broken
stone which would pass through q two
snd one-half inch ring.
Samples Of stones shown.
Joseph c. Curran. one Of John A. Hem
Hessys Investigators, testified that he and
Hennessy went over this road last August
snd made thirty-two borings and he pro-
duoed before Commissioner Osborne half
a dozen big stones which were supposed
10 be part OF the two inch macadain sur
lace composed Of stones which would pass
through a two and one-half Inch ring. One
Ut these stones was seven and one-half
inches long. four and half inches wide
ana two Inches thick, and the others
were six BY four and one-half and of sim
;lar dimensions, the tops OF which had a
coating OF asphalt oil. Curran stated that
the road had suffered upheavals In places
because Of the frost and that II was gen.
orally in bad shape.
Albert c. Bullock. secretary of the
that when he went over the road right
after It had been accepted 1T looked as
though a severe wind storm had come up
and blown the surface Of tho road away"
My investigation OF this road leaves
no doubt that this was a criminal Job, -
said John A. Hennessy in letter to
Bullock.
A. 5. Merrick, division engineer in
the State Highway Department, testified
that In his opinion the Mohonk Construc-
ton Company, to which this resurfacing
contract was awarded at $4,000, got
u price which was twice as much as II
would cost to do the work allowing the
highest price for all OF the materials
used ANA also allowing 20 per cent. profit
for the contractor, Merrck also said
that the State agreed to pay Baird
Sll,1li more than fair price for the
road.
Secretary Bullock submitted a LONG
correspondence he had with State Com.
missioner Of Highways John ~ Carlisle
extending from May until July of las,
year, when Carlisle finally turned the
complaint over to Hennessy for investi-
cation. II developed that Contractor
Baird had contributed $4,000 to Joseph
j. Murphys Rensselaer, county Demo.
cratic committee and 1000 to the Demo.
cratic State committee the year he re.
ceived this resurfacing contract
"Larceuy From state Treasury"
II consider the method Of construction
of this road no better than larceny from
the State treasury" declared Commits,
sioner Osborne at the conclusion Of thu
testimony OF Curran and Merrick. "Al
ever $4,000 paid to the contractor 10,
sssurfacing this road was Just 30 much
money stolen from the state and al
matter Of fact the State did not ever
get anything In the shape Of q road
when the contractor had finished. They
practically stole the whole $4,000, ant
81 could not be done without con
spiracy between the man who bull
Tho road and those In the Stat,
Highway Department who approved ant
accepted Il.
These specimens of the road produced
hers by Mr.. cuyrsn, who n now employee