The New York herald., 1921-05-17
O'BRIEN OBSTRUCTS
PROBE OF OFFICIALS
To Take Meyer Committee
to Court to Test Power
in Secret Sessions.
EXAMINATION HALTED
Corporation Counsel Tells
Witness Not to Testify
at Hearing.
RECORDS ARE REFUSED
Insists That All Papers Will
Be Withheld of Star Cham
ber' Plan Is Continued.
RECORDS ARE REFUSED

Corporation Counsel John p. O'Brien
yesterday dropped monkey wrench
into the Meyer Investigating machine
when he questioned the right of Scna-
tcf Never, or anybody else. to issue
s,.nopnas for documents or examine
officials of the city administration
secretly or in the absence of the other
members of the committee. Mr..
O'Rrien said last night he would oblige
the committee to go TO court TO enforce
the right to hold what he termed star
chamber proceedings"
Senator Meyer was just finishing an
examination Of Lloyd Crabtree. clerk in
tie Police Department, in the keadquar-
ters OF the committee. 3S Park Row.
yesterday afternoon when In walked
Deputy Police commissioner Leach with
the Corporation Counsel Mr.. Leach had
bee.t served with a subpoena duces
tecum but he did not produce the records
called for
Mr.. O'Brien directed Mr.. Crabtree not
to testify further. Leonard M. Wall
stein, associate counsel, said 1t would
be ridiculous to hold all examinations in
public OF to furnish copy of all the
evidence to the Corporation Counsel. Ad-
vance information, he said, would then
be had by persons who would be able to
prepare for investigation.
Further argument on the point was
postponed until to-day at 2 80 p. NJ, and
the Corporation Counsel asked for a
transcript of the testimony taken from
Crabtree He did not get 1t.
Senator Theodore Douglas Robinson.
as committee Of one, began an in
vestigation OF Borough President Con-
molly. last week. but 1t was halted ior
lack OF certain documents. Mr.. Con-
molly said last night ne would place all
his records at the disposal Of the COM
mittee. but would Insist upon all testi-
mony being taken In public.
Mr.. O'Brien issued a statement saying
the Mayor would gladly place in their
hands all records wanted py the COM
mittee, but added
1--WE shall insist, however that the
meetings OF the committee at which tes-
timony is taken be open to the public
and that there be upon any sub-com-
mittee taking testimony representative
of the minority In the State Legisla-
ture."
The Meyer committee may punish a
recalcitrant witness for contempt Of a
mandate OF the Legislature or may ask
for a court order and have a witness
punished for contempt OF court II he
fails to obey such an order. Mr..
O'Brien. acting under Mayor Hylan's 9
orders. is seeking to discover other
stumbling blocks to place In the path
of Senator Meyers investigation.
The Corporation Counsel referred
Yesterday to the report of Marvyn Scud-
der, accountant. working on city con-
tracts under the direction Of Meier
Steinbrink, counsel selected by the
minority members of the Board OF Esti-
mate. Mr.. Scudder is quoted as saying
in his report:
In connection with all this work.
which we have attended to assiduously.
we would say that we have not been
hampered in our inquiry by any city
department. It Is only fair to say that in
all this inquiry we have found no irreg-
ularities that in any way reflected upon
His Honor, the Mayor"
Spencer Phenix. who has just COM
plered some work for the United States
Chamber Of Commerce. has been added
to the accounting staff OF the Meyer
committee.