The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-11-05
Whitney Says Mayor When
Motorman Lost Job for Hit
ting Curve Too Fast.
HE DOUBTS IMPARTIALITY
Quotes, Is Letters to Road on
Court Stationery Rclat-
ing to Favors.

4
to John ]. Dempsey, superintendent Of
the elevated lines Of the Brooklyn Rapid
Transit Company, In which the Mayor
| asked for Jobs for persons In whom he
was interested. The letters, written on
the stationery OF the Kings County
Court. began on June 3, 1915. and the
, last one was written on May 8, 1911,
. three months before Judge Hylan was
designated as the Tammany candidate
! for Mayor. Mr.. Whitney's statement
/ follows:
Il have said that Mayor Hylan has
been Magistrate and County Judge with
criminal Jurisdiction, and have asked
whether ne ever initiated any criminal
| proceedings as to competent rotormen
| or otherwise. lie has rallied loudly and
capitalized personally Brooklyn preju-
| dice against the Il. r. T., but he has
opposed or failed TO act upon plans that
, would have allowed steel cars to take
the place of wooden cars, and while a
| Judge privately sought and obtained
! favors at the hands of the 3. r. r The
Fulton street elevated must be strength
ened or replaced to carry steel cars
safely, He has had this responsibility
since he became Mayor and has failed
to act. Why?
"As County Judge he frequently had
before him civil damage suits against
| the B. r. T. The court records are open
| to every one as to the outcome Of these
suits. Yet while be was County Judge
| sitting tudicially in cases brought against
the b. r. T., and when that company
might regard his favorable attitude as
important. he frequeatly wrote asking
Tor tobs: That IL, publicly he was per-
| sonaiiy capitalixins the appropriately OF
the cornuany; as, a Judge he was acting
| as the records show, and he was pri.
vately obtaining favors from the COM
pany.
Mayor Hylan is anxious to be known
, as letter writer. feel Il necessary
| to make public letters that the Mayor
apparently has not yet felt free to pub
| lish Some time ago In inquirins as to
methods or employment and OF train
ing employees I learned OF frequent
recommendations by Judge Hylan. Sew
sral days ago. with the power OF sub
pena at my disposal secured the let
tiers Of which copies and reproductions
are now made public. They speak for
themselves. Why IL the Mayor cage
now to sit judlcially?"
Sample Letters From Mayor.
Here is one OF the Mayors letters 10
Superintendent Dempsey. dated April IA,
1916:
II am very much interested In Mr..
Milton Brandt. who Is a ticket agent at
the Union street station In the subway,
ana who is DESTROYS OF obtaining a posi-
ton as conductor on the surface cars
The reason Mr.. Brandt desires TO be
transferred to the surface cars as a con-
ductor is that he will have an oppor-
tunity to earn better salary. lie is
married and finds II very hard for him
self and his wife TO get along on the
salary he Is now earning
ANY consideration you may extend to
Mr.. Brandt will be appreciated. Very
truly yours, JOHN F. HYLAN"
The other letters contained similar re-
quests but were shorter In the matter OF
composition. Three of them were re-
quests regarding positions for women.
Another, dated September s, 1918, read:
Il have received a letter from Miss
Kathryn E. Kerwin saying that you mad
given her a position. and in addition you
have placed my friend Gerhardt I wish
to say that am deeply grateful for the
consideration you have extended TO these
two friends Of mine. Sincerely yours,
JOHN r. HILAN"
Earlier in tie day Commissioner whit
ney issued statement rejecting on the
propriety OF Mayor Hylan sitting as n
Magistrate in judgment to determine
whether Anthony Lewis. motorman of
the Ill fated train, attempted Ito take the
curve at the Malbone street tunnel at
an excessive rate OF speed. Mr.. Whitney
said that Mayor Hyhn. who once had
been motorman on the B. r. T, was
discharged for taking a curve at excess
sive speed. He also charged that Mayor
Hyian knew Of the strike order issued
by the officials of the Brotherhood Of
Locomotive Engineers and that he made
no effort to avert IL
Hylah's Experience a. Motorman.
This ;s what Commissioner Whitney
said regarding Mayor Hylan's experience
as a motorman:
Mayor Hylan was once a ri7otorInan
on the Brooklyn Rapid Transit. am
informed ON inquiry that he was dis
missed from the service for having taken
curve at excessive speed. Perhaps
that popularity qualified him now to
sit In judgment as a magistrate to de-
terInine whether another motorman took
a curve at excessive speed. He talks
OF ordinances that would insure COM
petent motorinen. VIII he describe the
provisions OF a law that would have
guaranteed Motorman Hylan to be so
competent that he would not take a
curve at excessive epeed?''
Later, referring 10 the Mayors mem
bership in the brotherhood OF Locono-
tive Engineers as a possible reason for
the Mayors alleged failure 10 attempt
TO avert the strike, Mr.. Whitney de-
clared that the Mayor, as & member of
the union. had advance notice OF the
impending strike, and asked: O..
Did he ask that the strike be Cost
poned for twenty-four or for,y-e,gn,
hours until he could enlist the power
OF the national Goyernment Or Of th.a
State or city to secure satisfactory ac-
ceptance by the company? lie Is
member Of the union. lie holds n great
public Office. Which OF his duties was
he thinking most Off"
Commissioner Whitney's story was
partly corroborated by a man who was
present at the q art inquiry. He told
reporter for THE SUN that at one
time he had been employed in the Office
OF the late Isaac d, Barton when the
latter was general superintendent OF the
Brooklyn Union Elevated Railway Com
pany. That was in 1897, he thought.
His recollection was that Mr.. Hylan was
dismissed by Supt. Barton for speeding
around a curve on either the Ridgewood
or Lexington avenue line at the Navy
street curve. Some years later. he said,
Hylan met Supt, Barton on the street
and thanked him for d!scharg!ng him.
saying: THAT gave me my real. start
in life"
When an effort was made ~ see the
Mayor at City Hail he sent word that
he had nothing 20 say at this time re-
gardlne Mr.. Whitney's statements.
------------
Throat Cut. but No Suicide Motive.
Mrs Charlotte Sauer SO, los Audubon
avenue, was found dead with her thrc,, ,