The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-26
u. S. BEGINS PROBE
OF ARMY TUG SALE
Col. Bradley Justifies DISPOSE
ton Of Service Transport
for 50, 500.
LATER SOLD FOR S18, 800
Price Paid for Vessel by City
of Newark Called
Excessive.
LATER SOLD FOR s18,5OO

An Investigation was begun yesterday
by army officers al Hoboien of the sale
OF the Grover Cleveland, the leftover
Army Transport Service tug that
fetched only $500 when sold by the
Government and then brought s1s.500
when sold to the city Of Newark by a
ship broker. BY to-day It was learned
at The Hoboken piers a complete report
of the sale of the tug will haye been
made 10 Col John j. Bradley. command
Ing officer there. and il was understood
that the PAPERS in the case would be
. forwarded To Washington.
Major Farmer. Col. Eradlet's repre-
sentative. together with a stenographer,
went Ia the city Hall. NcwariS. ycster-
day. and conferred with Director of
Public safety brennan. q, whose sug-
gestion the tug was bought ana Capt.
Matthew 7. Quigley. OF the Newark Fire
Department. who handled the actual bar
activities buy ing " the boat at from a
Capt. Rudolph. ship broker, OF Brooklyn
and Hoboken, and Director Brennan ex-
planned just what he did in connection
with the purchase.
While this was going on il was boing
stated by various persons connected with
the transport service that when Newark
Grover Cleveland It bought "a lemon"
and not good fireboat.
Col Bradley exhibited all the corre-
sqondence connected with the sale of the
tug. He said that all the records were
in order and that all that was done had
the approval OF Washington. He re-
ferred to the sale OF the boat to Rudolph
for $500.
IL was explained by Col. Bradley that
Capt. Harrison OF the army legal depart
ment carried out the negotiations with
Capt. Quigley when the latter came
looking for a fireboat.
Col. Bradley said that the original
offer of the tug to the public was at r
time when five other left over boats
were available for sale. These boats
We're placed on the market. he said, and
the highest bid on the Grover Cleveland
was 1915. A man who said he was s..
J. Wentch OF New Rochelle made that
offer. but the Colonel rejected il as in
adequate. He requested that Washing
ton send an appraiser. and presently
Major Tinkle came TO inspect the tug.
Major Tinkle. according to Col. Brad
ley, placed the valuation of the boat al
$4,000. but suggested that any bid
greater than $500 should be accepted
Then came Capt. Quigley. He looked
at the tug and. according to Col Brad
ley. made no bid. but remarked that
$50 900 worth Of repairs and alterations
would be necessary before Newark could
make n fireboat out OF her. At that
time Capt. Harrison was negotiating
with Rudolph. II was explained. The
day after Qugley saw the boat Rudolph
made his bid of $4,000. The bid WINS
forwarded to Washington and reported
on favorabiy. Col. Bradley said he rec
commended its acceptance in the light or
Major Tinkie's suggestion that anything
higher than $500 would be all right.
So Rudolph got his boat and took II
away and then came Capt. Quigley with
pocketful OF money and lot of cnthu-
siasm over the Newark marine fire
squad. The boat was gone. and he start
ed on It's trail provided with tho infor-
nation that Capt. Rudolph was the new
owner. How he bought the tug for
SIS. 500 already has been related.