New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-05-05
Made Bitter Complaints to
platt That Rivals Got
Contracts.
GRADY TOLD STORY
OF MURPHY DEAL
franklin D. Roosevelt Declares
Tammany Senator Admitted
Bargain with Barnes.

fy-on a SIz- C0--esponisnt - The Trteunel
Syracuse, May 4.-Letters that passed
between Senator Platt and William
Barnes Aftcen and twenty years ago,
hooks Of the James r. Lyon Company
and Of the Journal Company and rec
or5s Of the State Printing Board from
these Theodore Roosevelts counsel
,oueht today 70 draw q spike that
would 7in the printing scandals at Al
bsry 10 William Barnes, plaintiff in
n. $4,000 libel suit against the
Colonel. With hammer and toncs snd
,vsezers the lawyers attacked the al
rost irpervious mass. They worked
s~id the fying dust Of long crumbled
roliGcal feuds and the reek Of scandal
tss, followed the Investigations Of the
Bayre committee.
When IL was over for the day coun-
eel had found that Barnes. in 1894 and
Z, 1899. had written bitter letters,
rlaintive letters. to the Easy Boss
demanding recognition for the Journal
Coupa7y in the distribution Of state
r-int,nc. They found that he had
written again in regard TO specihc con-
tracts in 1901. 1902 and 1908.
They found that state printing con
tracts we're not always let TO the low
sst bidder. and that between 1899 and
1914 the James B. Lyon Company had,
BY assignment or award, obtained by
far the greater part Of the state print
inr. for which 1882, ,O93 was paid. 1t
had already been brought out that for
tie greater part Of that time William
Barnes had $50 shares Of the Lyon
Company stock.
They found that Mr.. Barnes was
president oi the Journal Company,
which formerly assigned its city print
ing contracts 70 the Argus Company on
commission basis.
They have yet to gather up tt'ir
fragments and hints Of scandal. they
iare vet 20 match them in signihcant
utterr. and they have yet TO find the
,Dile that viii fasten them 20 the
broad shoulders OF Mr.. Barnes, OF Al
tary.
Six Letters Admitted.
Seven letters from Mr. Barnes 10
Senator Plaft and one from the Sena-
Tor TO Nr. Barnes were found TO refer
in some degree 20 Albany printing
co,trscts. Six Of them Justice An
drews admitted in evidence. W. II. Van
Benschoter made an unsuccessful at
tempt 20 get into the record the prooa-
bility that other and later letters on
the same subject we're among o,oUO that
had been destroyed.
who brought the additional letters,
William n. Ivins, counsel for Mr..
Barnes. seized the opportunity 10 lay
foundation for introducing more
Rooseyelt-PIatt correspondence. He OBJ
'ained from the witness the lniorma-
tIor that ali Of the Rooscvelt-Platt cor
respJndcrce had been subp9naed by
the plaintiff, and that owing 10 over
looking cross reference in the caro-
index only a part Of the letters had
been obtained
In his letters Of 1894 Mr.. Barnes
complains shat Nr Baxter, the man
whom the organization had made clerk
OF the Assembly, had forgotten the
Journal Company when IL came 10
printing the official stationery. II was
an Intentional oversight, he thought
and was due 10 Mr.. Barncs's support OF
Levi p Morton for Governor.
u was a Enthusiastically lnsoIent
and iusuferable dispatch" from Lemuel
Fly QuiCg 20 Mr.. Barnes that, caused
the latter 20 take his pen IN hand IN
1899. The last six Republican years at
Albany had been lean years Tor hlm'
Mr. Barnes declared. Mr.. Quigg, he as
serted, backed a rival bidder for PRINT
lng contracts.
The "Easv Boss" tried to smooth
things over. but without immediate sue
cess. In his reply Mr. Barnes reiterated
that Mr. Qu!Cg's proposal that barnes
should stop legal proceedings against
the printing board tnat awarded a con, ;,
tract 10 bis rival was "insolent." ."
Z. plte Nr Quigg's denial OF II, ne
wrote, Mr. Barnes had seen Attorney
General Davies and Controller Morgan
Barnes Ready to Fight.
In other letters Mr.. Barnes Informed
Senator platt Of rumors that ROBERT
G. PIuyn and others intended 70 estao-
lish d newspaper in Albany. There was
already too much competition for PRINT
ing contracts. he wrote, and any addl-
tion 70 IL would mean a fierce night Dut
hight he would not hesitate TO enter.
Having been unable 70 find any later
Barnes letters relating 10 Albany PRINT,
ING. the Colonels attorneys caileu
Thomas Salisbury Huff. who acted as
secretary 70 Senator Platt for three
Years, beginning with 1901. Mr.. nun
remembered that there had been letters
from Mr.. Barnes during those years
and that they had to do with printing
contracts.
Mr. Barnes had sought Senator Platts
iatereession with certain ofhcials NJ
Albany 10 obtain printing contracts
the witness said, in which Mr.. Barnes
was "kcenly interested" The James B'
Lyon Company had been mentioned IN
some Of the letters, he added.
John VI. Bowers, counsel for Colonel
roosevelt, found the cost computing
methods Of the James B. Lyon Com
hsny battling mystery. Charles NJ.
winchester. vicc-pres of the com
Pany, had been subppnacd 20 bring the
cost books containing the printing cost
certain state publications. Mr..
winchester had the books, but il WAS
a tough job TO find in them the par
neular publication which Mr.. Bowers
wanted.
When counsel asked about "Statis-
les Of Crime" Mr.. Winchester would
s.ilsnoly proffer Apples Of New York
nnen, az last, both nit on the same
.eepie simultaneously, IL WAS found that
she cost books gave the cost IN hours
and minutes instead Of in dollars and
seats.