The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-05-17
THOMPSON GETS LIST OF
$50 PHONE W7RETAPPINGS
Lines at Present Being Listened In" on by
the Police From Time to Time-Statement
Defines Scope of Inquiry.

a COMMISSIONS who is making inquiry
into the question Of the charities.
~ want It perfectly understood that
the committee has no power 20 inquire
into the question as to the operation
Of the charity departments OF the State.
That IL an inquiry for the strong COM
m!ttee, and we must not Interfere with
that and will have no power, nor would
II be proper for us to do so: neither
would 1t be proper for Mr.. Strong to in
quire into the administration of the
public service. Keeping that in mind
this committee will take up this inves-
tigation beginning tomorrow morning
Mt II o'clock"
T. A. Gillespie Of the contracting Arm
| which third tracked and extended the
| Manhattan elevated roads. who occu-
pied the committees attention for the
rest of the day. again refused to allow
the committee to examine the company's
Pittsburg account books. Perley Morse,
the committees expert accountant, testi-
fed that he had found some items in the
pary which he could not explain from
the books. but Mr.. Gillespie was
obdurate. He will be called to the stand
again to-day, and II he insists OF his
present course the committee may be
obliged to lake other threatened action.
Mr.. Gillespie told in detail OF the d.
vision OF profits for the third tracking
among his company. Snare & Triest
and Terry & Tench. The gross profits
Of the r. A. Gillespie Company were
$500. 900. Of Snare 4 Triest $4,000, OF
Terry & Tench 1851. 900. The Gillespie
compaoy, which handled the entire con-
tract, first deducted 8 per cent. Of the
10 per cent. commission for managing
and financing the work then suble'
about 20 per cent. OF the work TO the
Terry & Tench people on a 10 per cent
basis and entered into a partnership
with Snare & Trieste for about so pei
cent. Of tho work.
Asked About 'MelIon.~
Frank Moss asked Mr.. Gillespie abou'
the hitherto mysterious Mellon of Pitts
burg n the witness said he knew sew.
eral OF that name. principally A. w
Mellon, with whose bank. the Mellon Ma
tional. the Gillespie company did bust
hess for many years. But. said Mr.. Gil
lcspie. his relations had no connection
with the third tracking work. Mr.. Gil
lcspie also testified about work his com
pany has done for the Board OF Watel
Supply and told about n loan to forinel
state Engineer John A. Bensel. MIR
Gillespie said he would lend MIR. Bense
money any time.
Mr.. Gillespie said there was nothing
political about his water board contract,
or his marlborough contracts. He tolc
all about his relations with Lemuel l.
Quicg. hut said his employment of Mr.
Guigg as counsel in connection with liti.
cation OF the New York Disposal Cor,
poration and the sanitation company IL
which the Gillespie company is inter
ested, had nothing to do with the Thomp'
son committee.
District Attorney Swami said yester
day when asked about the intended wir,
tapping investigation by the Thompson
committee, that he believed he woult
take no action In the matter until
complaint is made to him. He explained
that the police have The right to tai
wires only when a crime has been com
mitted or contemplated, but, said he
there must be no imaginary crime"