The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-12
MAYOR DEFENDS ACTION ON STAND AT GRAFT INQUIRY

! Dear. Sir-Attached is a copy OF a
| proposed letter, prepared according to
your instructions of last evening. I beg
to say that the statements contained
therein are correct and the labor union
representatives of the stone industry are
ready to verify them by documentary
! evidence at any time.
VERY respectfully yours,
John T. Hettrick."
Attached is copy ofsproposed let
ter prepared according to your instruc-
lions of last evening"" Mr. Untermyer
quoted. Now. that means something.
doesn't tip
Yes. explained, that this morning."
Never yet"
yes, 1 have"
"Did Hettrick give you any instruo-
lions, or did you give him any?"
mo. think Hettrick or some one. pos
sibly. and probably 1t was Hettrick. but
l didn't at the time get the name or
remember the name. He talked with
me about terra Gotta or wrote me about
something"
Doesn't that letter OF February 8.
saying that he Is attaching copy OF pro-
posed letter. prepared according to your
instructions of last evening. refresh your
recollection as to whether you gave him
any instructions on the 7th of February,
| 1892?
ITO the best OF my recollection. prob
! ably Hettrick had called here and talked
with me about terra Gotta and about the
workingmen. and I said. Prepare some
memorandum and submit 1t to me-
! That is the best of my recollection OF
| it," the Mayor said.
| "Your memory is bad. Mr.. Mayor.
Now it is not possible. Is 1t. that II you
| instructed man to prepare proposed
| letter on the 18th of February. 1919. and
the next morning he wrote you saying
| that he had prepared the letter. and en-
closing the proposed letter, and then you
wrote him back the same day that you
! had received his letter with enclosure,
would that fade entirely from your MEM
ory?"
well. 1t faded entirely from MEM
| ory until / saw these letters"
But II is still faded? It has not
come to life yet?''
mo. no; remember these letters"
mo; but talking about man?'
II don't remember the man; still 1
may know him II you produce him here"
Tests the Mayors Memory.
Have you any doubt that you had
seen him frequently before?"
| "Oh. maybe l have seen him many
times before and SINCE but ! can't re-
call him"
do you remember being present when
this committee convened2"
Yes, sir"
"You heard Mr.. Hettrick testify for a
| while before you left the meeting? You
were there and heard him testifying?"
IT was there and heard somebody tes-
tifying."
NO; you heard Hettrick testifying.
Don't you remember you stayed about
an hour?"
"I don't remember the name"
1.-THE testimony was quite interesting
to you. wasn't it?"
yes. II was interesting; but I didn't
remember the name, Mr. Untermyer."
And you didn't recognize him as any
body you had ever seen before?"
/ mo. I didn't"
"He is not the man to whom you sug-
gested or instructed to prepare a pro-
posed letter, Is he?"
We'll. 1 couldn't say. He may have
| been"
The Mayor could not recall the con-
| ference referred to 1.-The evening before"
nor could he remember giving any in
structions. He did not know about the
enclosure" mentioned by Hettrick as
having been prepared under instructions.
He sent his clerk to his letter files to
| llHtH tiie lbS Citlh SdiIlco
back word there was no such thing. The
Mayor did recall that the next day he
wrote TO Frank p. Wilsey in the Board
of Education. Wilsey was the Mayor s
! appointee.
an that letter to wilsey you begin by
! saying Information has been conveyed
to me- To whom did you referT" the
Mayor was asked.
II referred to the Information given
to me by the man who spoke about terra
Gotta and the workingmen."
you mean Hettrick?"
'If 1t was Hettrick-it was Hettrick."
"And .Hettrick gave you the informa-
ton the previous EVENING""
"Yes."
1.-THE city had a programme for build
ing forty-one schools?"
II would not say forty-one. but good
many" \
SCHOOLS to cost s1s,ooo,oo0. wasn't
it?"
IT think about 100000"
but It was increased to $4,000, 900,
wasn't II 2"
II am not sure about that"
Contracts for the Schools.
and they had heretofore been using
in the construction of schools. largely,
terra Gotta, had they not?"
II presume So"
isn't that your information7"
81 never received any information on
IL until / got the information through
the communication, and whoever talked
TO me about It."
''Well, the contracts for the schools
had not yet been given out at this time
February, 1919"
mo. do not think So"
"And you were on the eve OF big