The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-12-09
CANCELLED CHECKS
WORRYING WOOD
Banks, Public Service Mans
Ex-Partner. So Admits in
Investigation.
MEAGRE FACTS FROM HIM

The Thompson legislative committee
learned yesterday that Public Service
| Commissioners Robert Colgate Wood IL
worried. 1t was shown that on Tuesday
night he communicated with a former
business associate that he met him by
appointment yesterday morning and that
he disclosed an anxiety to know whether
his friend had the cancelled checks
covering the sale OF tho Northwestern
| Construction Company by p. Erskine
| Wood. Q brother of the Commissioners
This information came from william
c. Banks. who has been friend and busi-
| ness associate of the Commissioner for
many years. For an hour aud a half
Mr.. Banks provided moro laughs than
the Thompson committee ever heard, but
It was admitted that laughs were about
all he did provide. When II came to
disclosing facts that the committee
wants Mr.. Bank was a failure. Frank
ness ran through every sentence. but
when It came to using him as a medium
to prove that Commissioner Wood and
| not his brother Is the man interested
I'm supplying electrical equipment 10 the
Interborough and other corporations do
ing business with the Public Service
| Commission Mr.. Banks was a poo con-
ductor.
When II was disclosed that Banks
meets commissioner Wood almost every
Sunday morning in out of the way places
II looked as II a sensation were near.
but Banks asserted that he met the Com
missioner to play baseball with him. 1t
appeared that years & Banks. as tho
manager of a baseball team In TIT Bronx.
captured a millionaire player in Wood
and has been playing with him ever
since.
MSatery in One Account.
Banks had opened his company's books
to Perley Morse, the committees ac-
countant. and then said that he couldnt
tell much about a commission account"
that appeared there. To the committee
MIR. Banks said frankly that most of the
money credited to that account was
spent by him in winning and dining"
prospective customers. But he made
it plain that the commission account"
did not refer to the Public Service Com
mission.
Banks bought from p. Erskine Wood
on Juno .. 1914, all OF the stock of the
Northwestern Construction Company.
which had been owned by Commissioned
aIu III iC o ~
his brother TO sell. bank does business
now under tho name of the North
western Construction Equipment Com
pany. Banks admitted that he had done
business with most OF III railways
around New York and that since Mr..
Wood. former owner OF his company. be-
came a Public Service Commissioned his
business with the marlborough had In
creased very much. He also admitted
,hat n h,,sipasc uith Tho Tnfavshrrattrh nf
from $500 to $4,000 a month had fallen
away to less than $500 q month zinc
the Thompson committee began its in
~vestigativn. although he refused to admit
that there was any connection between
the two.
Led by the questions of Senator
Thompson and Deputy Acknowledgement
Lewis, Mr.. Banks named over the n
in which he thought the Commissioner
had accounts, told where he lived and
how ardently be played baseball.
"Who ara YOU trying to protect"
Queried Mr.. Lewis. laying aside his smile
for "A moment.
Mr.. Banks denied thai. ne was pro-
tecting any one.
Denies Payments TO Wood.
II want to say" ne answered in reply
TO another question. that all the money
credited to those commission accounts
went to different individuals, but not one
cent ever went to Robert Colgate Wood.
not one cent. not a SOU marquee"
When the morning walk with Wood
can up Banks was asked:
"pidn't he tell you not 10 give this
committee any more information"
'1ie did not"
Isn't II II fact that your business Is
with Commissioned Wood and not with
i. Frskine WoodT
ct IL not a fact"
Banks will he called again this morn
ing. II was learned yesterday that the
Thompson committed intends to prepare
separate charges against Commissioner
Williams and Commissioners Wood
before he END OF the week. As
sistant District Attorney Stanley
Richter had a conference with
Senator Thompson YESTERDAY. but
neither he nor the Senator would dis
close the nature OF It. From what Sena-
tor Thompson said on Tuesday Il is be-
liered that their talk related to Commits
sioner Woods admitted failure to nut
transfer stamps on stock which he dis
posed OF when he became a Commits.
aiOner