The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-12-10
WOODISASKED
POINT BLANKIF
HE BOUGHT JOB
Says '.'NO.' Defies Thompson
Committee i'm Bank
Account Quiz.
BORROWED $1,000
BEFORE APPOINTMENT

mittee yesterday to begin contempt pro-
missioner Wood because OF his refusal
to answer questions pertaining to- his
personal affairs before he became a
public official. When he had finished
telling the Commissioner what would he
done 10 him Senator Thompson brought
his examination to a sensational close
by asking the following question:
did you pay any money to become
Public Service Commissioner?
II did not" declared Commissioner
wood
1t Was evident that the questioning
was leading up to such Il climax. Com
missioner Wood was asked about his
bank account item by item. Thus II
was disclosed that six months prior tc
his appointment he borrowed about tl4.-
GOO from his family. His bank account
showed payments averaging $3.50
month to his brother, l.. Erskine Wood.
payments which the Commissioner in
sisted were IN liquidation Of this debt,
the family having agreed that all of Il
should he paid to =. Erskine Wood ana
by him distributed to the Commission
cr's mother. his uncle and his brother
!n-law.
Brother DEFIANT Too.
p. E,rskine Wood. the Commissioners
brother. took n similar position respect
Ing his private affairs He told will
ingly enough Of loaning his brother
s3.b00 and Of taleiug the stock Of the
Northwestern Construction Company as
part payment. lie sold the stock for
$4,000 To William q. Banks and de-
scribed how Banks paid him Ivy checks.
Mr.. Wood is In the bond business.
member OF Colgate. Parker 4 Co.
when Mr.. Wool refused 20 tell of
his personal business affairs Senator
Thompson said:
Now. Nj. Wood. | want you 10 an
swer. and II you don't you',l get n
chance 10 go before Grand Jury"
Air. Wooo still refused. however.
After Mr.. Banks had verified what p.
Erskine Wood had testified To as re-
Ss,ects their business relations Com
missioner Wood was tSlied. lie told OF
borrowing the $4,000 six months be-
fore ne becarie Commissioner and
then identitied Items III his bank tc-
count with the Lawyers Title AMI Trust
Company rs covering payments mad" 10
his brother IN liquidation OF this debt
and the remainder OF his dcb' to his
brother. He said he spent some of the
money in the Northwestern Construction
Company.
'What did you do with The bBiarce'"
'Thni IL my own business, personal bust
ness transacted before J went on the COM
mission and decline to answer
vo Vel x~n we mink It !, our % eus,ne.. end
ing the money OF the state OF NcN York
10 repay this debt aud We want to know
what that deb. was. VIII you answer"
y dom consider r. any %. your bust
ness and viii not answer"
Then We instruct the attorneys OF this
you for contempt. You know YOU are liable
to punishment for coutemp. Of this com
mlttse. don't you?''
Later Senator Thompson again tried
to get the Commissioner to say what he
borrowed money from his mother for,
but got a second refusal
DO you realize that we will have 20
subpoena your mo,hsr or tho: you will tell
II hear YOU say -o,' wac the reply.
Senator Thompson then directed that
a subpoena h. prepared for Mrs Alice
X. Wood. following this with IN. state
mont tina; was just ~ important for
, the committee to know what Commits
sioner Woods qualifications were two
days before he became "a COMMISSIONS
/ as II IL now.
And remember" he added. I'VE are
goinH to the bottom OF this This COM
mittee doesn't Ko out OF business on the
first Of January. Delay will not helm
you any. Delay won't make any differ
ence."
81 hear all you say" observed Com.
missioner Wood.
Ti~rney suxsest. appointments.
In answer to other questions the Com
missioner said that Judge Tierney, then
of Municipal Court I'm The Bronx first
suggested to him the possibility of his
being appointed 10 the Public Seryic.
| Commission. He said Judge Tierney
had been counsel to the Union Railway
Company, lie denied that he ever talked
| 10 John A. Mahcr or 10 Mr. Maher' ,
father. who is vice-president OF the
Union Railway Company. about the an
pointment.
Coming back to the $4,000, the Sena.
tor said:
| "whs. did you do vim th0! ucneyY"
what did you do with the rest Of III"
| II don't think that comes within the
| province Of this committee"
who did you turn IL over to?"
wa ANY OF i, expended by you to OBJ.
4
| Absolutely not
Don't you know that II you refuse "a,
| answer this committee will draw thai con-
! clusion?"
| y don't care what conclusions this COM
I ''Did you pay any money to become n
, Public Service Commissioner ?"
II did not
{ Asks About Freedman.
'Did you know Andrew Freedman"
I
! Did you ever give him any money!"
| II never gave him any, ] may have
| bought securities from him"
| Did you make any X md of Il contribu-
| ton to him or any one else since or within
three months Of your appointments" ""''
| II did not
Mansfield Fuhrer. who Is employed in
the purchasing department OF the Inter-
| had been on the Public Service Commits.
with the n. w. Equipment Company. the
successor Of the Northwestern Construc-
tion Company. had Increased from al
most nothing to an average Of $4,000 a
| month.
Senator Thompson and the Distric,
Attorney were silent yesterday concern
ing the matters over which they have
been IN consultation. although 1t was
intimated that a fund Of S5s,000 had
been traced somewhere. Where, or for
what. was not disclosed.
The committee continues It's hearings
to-day.