New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-01-24
investigators Insist Hand
of Taminany and K. RS
Back Hotel Bill Row.
PROSECUTOR DENIES
POLITICS IN HIS ACT
Asking Senator's Aid, He Asserts
He VIII Not Interfere with
Examination Of p. S. {.

Guiding one Of the expenses Of all Leg
islative committees for ten or fifteen
years back; an investigation OF Gov
ornor Whitman's trip OF last summer
to the Panama Exposition, and an IN
vestigation Of District Attorney
Swanns office, is almost certain to fol-
low District Attorney Swann's lnYes-
tigat.on Of the Hotel Biltmore bill OF
the Thompson com. Zee. Those IA
miliar with the situation say that be-
fore the investigations end more repu-
ts.ions of men in political and hnan-
cal life will be blachened than can DC
imagined.
senator Robert X. Lawson, Of Brook
ne lao npry COM
mittee. il was said on excellent au-
thority last night, would introduce
resolution calling for a legislative IN
yestigation OF District Attorney
Swann's activities in investigating the
Hotel Biltmore expenses.
When Senate. Lawson WAS asked II
such was his intention, he answered.;
"MayDe." Then he added:
"No crime has been committed ex,
cent a highly technical one by ho1el
clerk, II one has been committed at
all. Where the jurisdiction o. DIS
trict Attorney Swami enters the case
DO not see. District Attorney swans
actions are certainly strange not 70
saw peculiar. They have been sucn
that an investigation into them Dy
somebody Of competent jurisdiction
should be made. The whole talk OF inc
B.tmore bill was started to choHe OH
our investigation OF the puo.lc ser
vice corporations. The bAtmore OH Is
genuine. II the District Attorney OF
New York County IS gong 10 coHuue'
criminal stigatiOns based on news
paper accounts. as ne says he has done
in this case, think IL Is time ior the
legislature to step m
Swann's Purpose Firm.
District Attorney Swami. who was
-nending The weekend - his country
home. in Park R.dga, y. J., When told
what Senator Lawson said. replied:
81 do not think Senator Lawsons
statements cal for a reply. No aouse
that may be heaps on me VIII swerve
me from doing my duty as a pubic
prosecutor. This talk that | an try
ng to stop the Thomp on comm -ttee
Investigation is absurd. do not Nno"
Speaker Sweet, and | do not know that
! know any one connected with tne
traction intere IS of New YORK cry
Assemblyman McQuistion, OF brooklyn
a Republican. made certain charges.
Those am investigating.
District Attorney Swami was indig-
nant at the insinuat.ons against ms
investigation. He declared there was
no politics in his actions.
The investigation was not inspired
10 even up for the removal of Judge
Edward f. Mccall from the Puolic Ser
vice Commission l selected Mlll'am
Uarman Black 10 investigate because
he was formerly Commissioner OF
Accounts, and we needed man eX-
perenced in accounting. No one IS
better qualified than he TO unrayel
mesh of figures. It never occurred 70
me when i selected him that ne was
chairman Of the Tammany Hall Cen
eral Committee. And | haven't the
remotes, idea what Judge Mccall has
TO do with the case. The last time /
saw Judge Mccall was three months
age at a public dinner, and | did not
converse with him then"
Senator Thompson laughed when he
was told that District Attorney Swami
had not thought of Blacks connection
with Tammany Hall.
$50 Judge Swami didn't know Black
was one of McCalps campaign man
ayers. en- ?" said Senator Thompson.
Then ne intimated that he would
have a good deal to say when he took
his seat in the Senate in Albany to-
night
Thompson Defends Bill.
There was never a squarer bill of
any committee than the one Judge
Swami is now investigating" said Sem
ator Thompson. "While all this talk
of prorating is going on, the public
should not forget thatShe main issue
Is-Shall this committee investigate
;he public service corporations which
have been defrauding the people of
New York City annually out OF mill
ions of dollars. This Is just graft"
He said all the items listed under
restaurant charges" totalling $3.50.
were Legitimate. He defended all ex-
ccpt the item marked newsstand and
theatre tickets" amounting to $1,000
But even this is not unfair" said
Senator Thompson. "The members of
the committee were away from home.
and it is the custom of lawyers when
away from home for their clients to
cha~rn IN their expenses. including