The New York herald., 1921-10-08

ng required to pay Phillips money out
| IF his contracts?"
"Sigretto told me he had paid him
about s4s 900 or thereabouts. and asked
| MIN what II was for. and l said. You
are foolish to give a man $4,000 u-less
he Is rendering some service for it.
He says, He helps me to get payments
out OF Borough Hall In Queens county
so that 1t would go from Queens county
to the Comptroller's office. and he also
helps me to get contracts %
ITO get contracts from Borough
Hall?"
Yes. / suggested that he assign his
contract to some reputable contractor
that could not be bulled in Queens
county"
That could not be bulled by whom.
Mr.. PURCELL"
by any one who was in authority
over there. particularly the unofficial
head OF the Sewer Department. John
You base that statement on what.
Mr.. Purcell?'
"On the fact that contracts were
thrown ou. and relet. and 1t seemed
that usually a favorite contractor who
was friendly with Mr.. Phillips got the
contract"
'And those contracts involved millions
of dollars. didn't they?"
Collectively. 1 would say they did"
Phillips Claims $4,000 Check.
The witness said that finally he was
asked for the consent of his surety
company to transfer the 100000 bond
to John ]. Green, contractor, and that
was zone. he identified check for
$4,000 given by Green to Sigretto for
the sewer contract. That was paid In
the office OF Sigretto's lawyer, and
Phillips was present. the witness said
Phillips insisted that the check be
indorsed over to him." Purcell said
"Sigretto said he didn't see why he
should. Phillips said the original propo-
sition was that he get $4,000 and he
thought Sigretto was getting off easy"
Did you say anything to Phillips
about the money!" Berger asked.
Il asked him IL he wanted to use the
money for the purpose he had stated
to Sigretto. and he said yes--that he
was to get the cash and give 1t to
Mr.. Connolly
do you know whether he did It or
not?'
II don't know that"
did you ever have a complaint pre-
pared in suit alleging you had 50
per cent interest in the $4,000 check %
No; positively not"
Mr.. Purcell was asked to state his
opinion. based on his observation OF
the handling OF contracts in Queens, to
give his opinion OF the conduct OF the
office of the Borough President of that
borough.
II would say that Mr. Connolly 10
either incompetent. or Is guilty of gross
negligence" he answered.
1T is an established rule that no con-
tract may be assigned from the original
contractor to the other contractor with
out the consent OF the borough authori-
ties. isn't it?''
yes"
WAS the consent had in this case to
the assignment Of this contract from
Sigretto to Creem?"
There must have been q consent or
the assignment could not have taken
place"
Don't you recall that Mr.. Phillips
had in his pocket and produced at the
time of the making Of this assignment
to Green a consent In blank signed by
the borough authorities of Queens?"
Yes. he said that he had it in his
pocket, the assignments from the Bor-
ough Hall. He must have had them,
would have been indorsed II It had not
been for that"
Phillips Busy on Borough Hall.
Regarding Phillipss standing in
Queens, Purcell said:
ANY time visited Borough Hall on
business. which probably was two or
three times q week, I noticed that Phil
lips was sitting in a chair with q tele-
phone in front OF him. and have seen
him many times using the telephone, and
in fact have seen him debating to ste
nographers and using the stationery OF
tho Borough Hall. have in my possesS
sion letter which he wrote in reference
to figures that he gave to cortractors
written on the Borough Hall stationery
by tho same machine and ribbon that
they use down there"
"And he is not public offlcial?"
mo. not officially. only know him
as the recognized unofficial head of the
Sewer Department"
Who Is the titular head Of the Sewer
Department. supposed to be the head?"
II never met any one that was"
Your dealings ana the dealings Of
those who had occasion to go in there
were with Phillips?''
with Phillips. aS-olutely."
why. this very morning. Mr.. Purcell,
in the corridor Of this building. you saw
Mr.. Phillips in conversation with Mr..
Connolly. did you not?"
Yes"
Mr. Connolly jumped UP in the audi
snce and shouted: He Is a liar. Mr.
VIII you state what the conversation
was, Mr.. Purcell" Berger asked. You
are under oath, Mr.. Purcell. as you
know. and In spite of Mr.. Connollys
statement will you state what that con-
versation WASP"
The witness said he had not heard the
but described In detail
where he said he had seen the two men
Mr.. Phillips gave his address as 333
Fremont avenue. Long Island City. and
said his business was selling pipe for the
Lock Joint Pipe Company. He has no
office. but said he seldom went to Bor-
ough Hall. never occupied a desk there
and seldom used telephone. He knew
William F. Matthews. commonly known
as Doc" very WELL but could not recall
receiving a $4,000 check from him. He
does his banking In the Italian Discount
Trust. and asked where that was he
roared Find out!' The witness refused
TO answer numerous questions about his