New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-06-09
r r. T. Head and Ceder-
strom Clash at Thomp-
son Inquiry.
FXTORTION THREAT,
WILLIAMS HINTS
Wouldn't Take $4,000 a Year
from You" Retorts Realty
Appraiser.

commit ee-ltS members ana CounSel
60 stated on the record as charge
Of extortion was made yesterday by
Colonel Timothy s. Williams. president
o. the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Com
rsnv. against Sigfried Cederstrom, real
estate expert Of the Public Service
Commission
Later In the day. when Mr.. Williams
was called TO the stand at the request
Of Leroy T. Hardness, assistant coun-
sci TO the Public Service Commission,
Colonel Williams denied that he made
any charge Of extortion or intended
any.
Here is what Colsnel Williams said
q. the morning session, and which the
Thompson committee, as well as Mr..
Cederstrom, regards as a charge Of
e1tortion
1T is absolutely impossible for US
the B. T. t. 70 agree with Mr.. Ceder-
strom on anything that is reasonable
or fair, and the reason for II, think,
was stated very frankly by Mr.. Ceder-
stron 70 me once. He said: 4 want
70 make my services so valuable to the
Public Service Commission that your
corporation or some other will pay me
$4,000 8 year to leave it.
Yelled Hint at Extortion.
I'VE (the B. r. t. haven't seen our
way clear yet to make any such propo-
sition Of that kind. We can never agree
with him. and the result is he is cost
ing the city hundreds and hundreds OF
thousands Of dollars by the attitude he
is taking on matters affecting the pur-
chase Of real estate by the city. and
he is so prejudiced against our cor
poration that any kind of price we put
on any kind Of property whatever he is
sure 70 make his objection in advance"
When Colonel Williams fnished-Mr.
Cederstrom was on the stand-Mr. &C.
Gerstrom snapped back:
81 wouldn't take $4,000 year from
you. I never made such a statement
In my life I wouldn't 60 with your
company II it was the last company on
earth"
The clash between the two men fol-
lowed testimony by Mr.. Cederstrom
that he had put an appraisal of $4,000
on real estate that the B. Z. I. wanted
70 sell TO the city for $780, 900. Later
I'm the dav he told how the Public
Service Commission Edward L. Mccall
was chairman during both deals al
lowed the B. R. T. $4,000 on property
that he had assessed as not worth more
han $4,000.
Williams Amends Statement.
After the tilt Frank Moss, counsel
To- the committee, brought out that
Colonel Williams never had brought
anv charges against Mr.. Cederstrom,
and then Mr.. Moss demanded:
"Will you make charges against him
now ?" 49,,
~ see no reason why I should"
"Will YOU call upon the Public Ser
vice Commission to punish this man II
what you say is true, or are you DUH
Colonel Williams made no reply to
At the afternoon session under the
ross-examiration of Mr.. darkness
Colonel Williams said:
an substance ! repeated a statement
this morning that Mr.. Cederstrom
made 10 me in illustration of the cnar-
acter of the man we have to deai
with"
"Strike out that last" said Senator
Thompson. "Just tell US what Mr..
Cedcrstrom said TO you" 49,,
"He said" continued Colonel Will
Jams. che would make his work so val
liable 10 the Public Service Commis,-
sion that his services would be worm
$4,000 a year 20 some corporation.
"Not TO your corporation auened
Mr Hardness.
HE didn't say my corporation d,
you didn't say that this morning
nut in Mr.. Moss.
Eyes, l did" said Colonel Williams.
Eyes, you did" exclaimed Mr.. Ceder-
strom. 49,,
81 didn't mean TO say 1t II l did"
said Colonel Williams. i don't thinK
The record will show" said Mr..
Moss
Foolish Statement" He Says.
Answering other questions Colonel
Williams said he did not regard the re-
mark he attributed 70 Mr.. Cederstrom
.s anything other than "a foohsh state
ment."
"Wen. that's entirely different than
his saying that he was worth S2O,OOO
YEAR as a nuisance value" SAID Senator
Thompson.
Everybody in the room understood
What YOU said as a charge of extor-
ton" said Mr.. Moss. .,
81 certainly took il as a charge OF
c,tortion," said Mr.. Cederstrom.
John Z. Bennington. secretary OF the
r. r T., the next witness. testified
that after conference two or three
Years ago in Chairman McCalPs room
Mr.. Cederstrom said TO Colonel VIII
ANS that "he either was trying to or
would make himself so valuable that
sorne corporation would employ him at
$4,000 a year" He said he did not
hear what Colonel Williams said.
Colonel Williams will probably be
witness to-day, when the Thompson
committee will try to learn If a fye
cent fare 10 Coney Island Is not posi-
be- Efforts to learn this yesterday
from Mr.. Cederstrom were uhSuecesS-
full