The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-06-25
PUBLISHER TELLS OF
P@RENDERGAST CALL
Bradford Merrill Describes
How Comptroller Wrote Sub
way Vote Pledge.
BRINGS 4 WARM REPLY

BRINGS 4 WARM REPLY
Bradford Merrill. Publisher Of the
New York American, told the Thompson
commit'ce Yesterday of the visit TO his
otare in July, 1911. of Comptroller
prerdergast. when the Comptroller wrote
hs refusal 10 vote for the marlborough
ANYWAY offer. which he had agreed with
George McAncny a few days before to
eupport.
Ne aspcct IT the subway negotiations
After the campaign pledges Of Mayor
Ca,ror. Mr.. Prendergast and others to
support a programme of subways quilt
srd owned by she city. When Mr.. Nc
Anery went over to the Peterborough
dian. ne said. he realized hat the Comp
,,o,ler was our last chip, for II he
rould stand fast the whole thing was
h.feated, though by this time tJuly.
iall1 everybody knew that Gaynor was
the most efficient ally the marlborough
bad"
The witness said he heard that the
East chip" was going over to the Inter-
borough too, and when MIR. Prendergast
came to his office he asked the Comp
6oller.
Are YOU going 10 be a traitor or will
vou keep your pledges"
mir. Prenderyast." related Mr.. Mer-
Al was very nervous when he came to
The office on July 10. about 3 L. NJ. He
aat down I'm a chair. tidgeted. jumped up
And sat down several times and began a
hnr rambling statement about the ad-
yantares Of a Ave cent fare all over
the city and linking the new subways
with the old. let him talk. and then
tod him they were the old corporation
arguments.
ms manner Convinced me that he had
promised to support the marlborough.
H. iumped IN and said I'll vote against
the lnterhorough job He picked up the
biggest piece Of paper he saw and wrote
his promise 70 vote against the Inter-
borough proposition.
81 am sure that Mayor Gaynor's let
to- 10 the same effect was written late
ira, night after ne had heard what
Prerdergast had done. In other words
Re beat rrcnderCast 10 it"
ale got very nervous here" inter-
lec,ed Mr.. Moss. When I asked him
Il his hand shook he nearly took my
bead off.
Praises Avcrting Disgrace.
when n. finished the statement"
continued Mr.. Merrill. "he said: Well.
there YOU are. | have written II now
and there Il is in black and white.
When MIR. Prendergast handed me the
statement ! said 1 congratulate you.
You are not going down in disgrace or
something Of the sort.
'pid YOU know asked Mr.. Moss,
'rhat Mr.. Prendergas, became Mayor
n-x xa Altar shpf in
conferences with the marlborough"
"Not then" replied the witness. 81
know what they had been before that,
BIZ, they soon became friends. They
both worked for the PETERBOROUGH
PrenderGast'a Reply.
'Tn the face Of Nj. Merrill's testimony
before tho Thompson committee to-day.
said the Comptroller in a statement giver
out, II wish to reiterate and confirm
everything I o which ! testified regard
.nc my Interview with Mr.. Merrill in my
Office and also regarding my Interview
With him In the american office on III,
tight Of July 10. 1911.
AS far as he Thompson committee !!
concerned | decline 10 discuss II fur
the except to say that MIR. Merrill va
apparently the author of many Of tn
questions put to me by Mr.. Moss 9TH
ccmmittee's COUNSEL. His testimony 10
tav is nothing more than n recitation
previously framed between himself am
Thompson, Moss & Co. AS for tn
Thompson committee itself I have moth
Ing 10 say on the theory that there 1
TO use IN shooting at a dead dog"
The tilt between Senator Thompson an
Mayur Mitchell over the sending OF Harr.
Klein. Frank Mcss's investigator. TO ex
mime some Of the Gaynor files in Cit,
Hal and the MAYORS refusal TO allo,
X \ TO make the examination was az
Erayated rather than settled yesterday
when tho Committees subpoena serve
reached City Hall to serve Sam Martin
the Mayors executive secretary. with a
orGe- - produce the flies there was n
one on name except Paul Wilson. an at
0ohe Of the office, so the committee wi
rot ae' the desired papers before 10
morrow.
Harry Klein wrote to Senator ThomI
en- asking the chairman Of the commit
tee TO invite the Mayor to state III
ground 81 his objection TO the commit
toe Il think" Klein wrote, tn
Mayor yves it to this committee and
myself 20 explain his objection
Mayor Objects 10 Klein Only.
MAJOR Mitchell promptly explained 1
. statement dictated to reporters owe
tt telephone rs follows;
" refusal ~ allow Harry Klein
y through the files of the Mayors o'
ice was based solely upon my persons
Feelings regarding that young ma
Any other Interpretation that may !
placed upon my dcclination would be II
co'rAct NJ attitude in the matter wa
erected against n particular person
ken-and against no one else.
y 4 matter of fact Perley Morse, AZ
e~ourtant for the Thompson committe
has either personally or through h
stan been working for weeks past Q
the files in the Mayors office. lie ha
t"eU dong this through an arrangemei
which was perfectly agreeable to me an