The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-04-01
THOMPSON IS RAFFLED
BY CIRCUIT, AS WITNESS
Ex- Comptroller Tells Investigating Committee He
Won't Answer Any Questions He Considers I'M
proper-Says He Earned PETERBOROUGH Fee.

written memoranda covering each days
work on the part Of Mr.. Circuit in the
subway negotiations of June and July.
Mr.. Moss read them of, item by item.
Gay nOr's Name Prominent.
The name "Gaynor'' appeared fire.
puently. Sometimes IL was prefixed by
Mayor" and often without. and Mr..
Grout sometimes could not tell whether
II was the executive Of the city or the
auditor of the marlborough to whom
reference wa made. The memoranda
showed almost daily conferences and
consultations with marlborough officials
and city officials.
An entry of June 90 showed a telc-
phone call to Robert Adamson. Mayor
Gay nor's secretary the day after an en-
try. which read consultations with
Shonts. Gaynor. McAneny and with
Shonts." Mr.. Grout insisted that he
never saw Mayor Gaynor with MIR.
Shonts. he refused to admit that the
two entries formed what Mr.. Moss
termed a cycle" Other entries related
10 conferences with Kingsley Martin,
Mayor Gaynor's representative: with
Andrew Freedman. with Mayor G;aynor.
with Mcssrs. Shonts. Hcdley. Pepper
man. Rogers. lie l.anccy Nicoli. Seth
Low. T.. j. Berwind, Chairman Wilcox.
rrondergast. j. j.. Morgan and Henry
l.. DAWSON.
Were You trying To convert Mayor
Gay sor TO your position" MIR. Moss i'll
uuired.
NO. We had no position then.
was trying to each a basis upon which
to open negotiations, The question was
Of terms"
what was MIR. Irendcrgast's atti.
tude or the matter?"
II don't recall anything definite"
There was an entry of July q in the
Crout memoranda, on which his ~
to the marlborough for services was
based. which referred TO a letter written
by Mr.. Circuit to Messrs. McAneny and
Wilcox about elevated railroad values
MIR. Moss asked about the letter. MIR.
GroNt insisted that 1t had no connection
with the Thompson inquiry. Mr.. Moss
asked II Mr.. Grout would look for the
letter In his files.
MIR. Grout took the question TO be a
rcprimand and n heated wordy c~olloquy
followed. . on with the next Qucs.
iion.' said MIR. Grout. Don't tell me
TO 20 on" replied MIR. Moss. who char.
acterized his remark rs a simple ques.
ton" Mr.. Grout declared it was i'm.
pertincnce and Senator Thompson
warned him to appeal TO the chairman
- 80 Nhfhf = ~ my
"No. l won't" declared MIR. Grout
II won't answcr II I think the qu,s
tons improper"
Another entry in the memoranda re
fcrred to a meeting OF Mr.. Grout. Mr.
Shonts and MIR. Freedman in Mayor
Gaynor's office. but Me-. Grout said 4
must he a mistake. as he remembered
no such meeting. Another entry re
lated TO a telephone call to Borough
President Dresser OF Queens. who. Mr.
t;rout said. voted the way Mayor Gay
I.or voted on the subways.
Did you ever see any city official il
connection with your employment by tn,
marlborough before you were EN-
ployed?" asked Senator Thompson Nj
Grout replied. "No, sir emphatically.
Mr.. Moss then read n letter of Rich
ard Reid Rogers dated November "a
1912. referring to Mr., Circuit bill 70
$1,000 for his services. The lette
stated that the matter had been set
tied through a third party for $500
Mr.. Grout. who previously stated tina
he had a dispute with Mr.. Shonts abou
, the bill and once thought he would hav
to bring a suit for II. explained tina til
third party" VAS Morgan J. O'Rrier
In whose hands he had placed the mat
ter.
The Thompson committee then al
Journed until next Friday morninr
Senator Thompson stated that his fuI
report TO the Legislature next yea
would recommend that the dual sub
way contracts be declared null and VOID
He also said his present bill TO remoy
the subway construction from the con
troll of the Public Service Commissio
was meeting with strenuous opposition