New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-02-19

many's municipal watchdog, made pub
lie yesterday complete report, said TO
be based on court, city and state rec
ords, of the city's purchase Of sea-
side park at Rocksway in 1918. in
which il appears that the owners of the
property, the Neponsit Realty Company,
realized 2,400 per cent profit. The
principals in the transaction, according
TO the report, we're friends and business
associates Of former Senator William
II. Reynolds, friend of Mayor Mitchell.
The report is interesting at least IN
connection with the recent situation
arising out of the governments at
tempt to secure a fertilization site at
Rockaway.
In a letter to Governor Whitman,
written by William Bullock, head of the
Bureau of City Inquiry, who also trans
mitted copy of the report to the dis
trict attorneys of New York, Brooklyn
and Queens, Mr.. Bullock states:
THE report appears to bear upon its
face proof Of a conspiracy to defraud
both the State of New York and the
City of New York. Sworn appraisers
for the Neponsit Realty Company,
which sold the park to the city, made
affidavit to the State Land Commission
that certain property applied for under
a grant was worth S31 an acre. Sworn
appraisers for the same company, when
this same unimproved land later was
being sold to the City Of New York,
testified it was worth $4,000 an acre.
Investigation Is Urged
con this state land alone FORTY
seven acres), spproximating only one
fifth of the area of the park, the
Neponsit Realty Company obtained
more than 2,400 per cent profit. In
view of all these facts and of still
others of which the Bureau of City In
ouiry has cognizance, il appears that
opportunity is presented for investiga-
ton of the purchase of not only Rock
away Park. but also of other land deals,
involving millions of dollars. in which
il appears there exists a conspiracy to
defraud the City of New York
The report mentions in connection
with the history of the Rockaway Park
purchase Mayor Mitchell, Controller
Prendergast. William NJ. Greve, vice
president of the Neponsit Realty Com.
panv. friend and business associate of
REYNOLDS; Remsen Johnson, president
of the company; Clifford S. Kelsey.
treasurer Of the company and vice
president of the Realty Associates;
REYNOLDS himself and others interested
in the Neponsit Realty Company, the
Realty Associates, the Title Guarantee
and Trust Company and the Long
Beach Estates.
"Greve," says Bullock in his report,
ais the lessee OF the property which the
United States government IS taking Tor
a fort on the Rockeway peninsula. This
matter has a close bearing on the pur-
chase of Rockaway Park by the city.
The park and the fort site are sepa-
rated by a narrow strip across the
peninsula. This strip was coded by the
Neponsit Realty Company to the United
States in order to settle a claim of the
Federal government to all the Neponslt
Realty Company's holdings and which
claim formed a cloud on the title.
Joker" in Legislative Act
"Bv an act of the Legislature in 1909
all the land under water owned by the
state in Jamaica Bay was granted free
TO the city with the exception of the
land under water adjoining the Neponsit
company property. The company got
this by Joker in the legislative act
and by favor of the State Land Com
mission. Mayor Mitchell was quoted
publicly as saying that il had been ar
ranged TO exchange the land under
water for property owned by the United
States government on Plum Island. He
was further credited with saying this
arrangement took in the Southern Pa