New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-03-12

He told Of going over to Colonel
Williams while the negctiations were
on. This was about the time coroner
Williams wrote his famous letter say
ing that the PETERBOROUGH had a orancn
Office in City Hall Park and its agent
was Mayor Gaynor.
az went 70 Colonel williams at the
Mayors suggestion" said the witness.
81 proposed 8 division Of territory be-
tween the the B. r. T. and the Inter
borough. The Mayor said to me: This
Is a pl,n I've gotten up myself, en-
hodyine the best features OF ootn
plans"
Did you talk the matter over with
Mr.. Shonts before going to Colonel
Williams ?" asked Mr.. Moss.
Gaynor "in Collision"
81 went 20 the Interborough after
nv visit 70 Colonel Williams and Dir.
Shonts denounced the plan"
Colonel Williams said he remem-
bered the visit. He said that previous
20 it the Mayor was hostile 20 the
b. r. T.. had called il ramshackie
railroad. said il didn't have the money
20 finance the subway plan IL oNered
to carry out and that generally, We
(the h. K. t. were the scum o. the
earth"
Colonel Williams said that he coubt-
ed that the offer came in good faith.
"Did you suspect the intentions OF
the Mayor?" asked Mr.. Moss.
81 remembered the old motto: Be
ware OF the Greeks bearing gifts, he
replied. -,
not carry out his propos ton
"He and the marlborough were
working in collision"
"Collusion?" ..
"Well, that's rather a hard word
"No. only wanted to be sure IN
derstood you"
"Perhaps harmony wouk be the bet
ter word" said Colonel Williams
thoughtfully. -,
"CoIlusivo harmony" asked Mr..
Moss.
Harmony" said Colonel Williams:
The witness said he spurned the orer
because he did not want TO be party
70 a private deal with the lnterborough
md negotiate for n lesser and more
selfish plan" He explained that ne
meant that the proposition submitted
TO him by Nr. Martin. who told him ne
could talk TO him as to the Mayor,
would have been more advantageous
financially 10 the B. X. /.
THAT plan allowed you to eharg'
double fares with the East River
barrier to a single five-cent trip
asked Mr. Moss.
yes" said Mr. Williams.
Mr. Shonts, who followed Colonel
L kaa I'd m
til Mr. Martin testified, that the Mayor
tory to the b. r. T.
Mr. Moss tried TO get the witness to
admit that after the lnterborough's
first two offers 10 build the subways
with private capital had been rejected
he had reached an understanding with
Mayor Gaynor for the city TO help
finance the building before he made the
third offer. which was accepted. In this
the city pledged itself to spend $685.
100000 and the marlborough was to
spend s56,0O0,000. All that the sub
wav was TO cost above the total OF
these two figures the city was TO fur
nish. But Dir. Shonts could only say
that there possibly was an under
standing"
Mr.. Shonts, answering another ques-
ton, said the only way he understood
that the Mayor was converted TO the
Interborough's plan was by the facts
and figures submitted by the INTERIOR
ough.
He said that after the second offer Of
the Interborough had been rejected
Samuel Rea, president OF the Pennsyl-
yania; Seth Low and Morgan j.
O'Bricn called on him and asked that
the lnterborough reopen negotiations.
Morgan To Be SubpGnaed.
an the last analysis these three men
were the Intermediates between US ana
the Public Service Commission, and
they persuaded US TO reenter the heId,
said Mr.. Shonts.
lie denied emphatically that he and
the Mayor had agreed OH a division OF
subway territory between the inter
borough and the b. X. I.
Earlier in the day Travis whitney
was called to the stand to identify a
letter. unsigned, from Nj. Shcnts 70
William K. Wi lcox. then chairman OF
the Public Service Commission. II was
a proposition TO build the sIbways Tith
PETERBOROUGH money. Ii was dated
March %, 1910, month earlier than
the Shonts visit to Gaynor at St. James.
"Was that letter ever shown TO any
member Of the Board of Estimate 7"
asked Senator Lawson.
"Not that | know off, sad the wit
ness.
1t was kept In safe, and several
references were made to II as secret
letter and 70 the safe as secret ar
chiyes." TO all of which Mr.. Whitney
said that there was nothing secret
about il, and that it was kept in SAFE
with hundreds Of other letters. This
letter. Mr.. Whitney said, had not been
made public before.
The committee will not meet again
until Friday, when ii holds public
hearing in the City Hall. Senator
Thompson said last night that when
J. p. Morgan reached this port mex,
Saturday on the Philadelphia he would
be subpenaed.