New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-07-20
Craig Is Sued
For. 100000
By DIR. Shallow
School Official Says Comp
troller Detained Him i'm
Demanding Investigation
of Neptune Avenue Site
Charges Malicious Intent
Lewis Also Rebukes Critic.
Asserting He Has Resort
ed TO 'WillfuI Falsehoods'

| X,
Comptroller, growing out of his charges
| implying that there had been malfeas-
ancc, collusion and corruption in tho
selection by DR.. Edward b. Shallow,
associate superintendent of schools. of
school site near Neptune and Mer-
maid avenues, Coney Island, developed
yesterday from two sources.
Dr. Shallow, in fling suit against the
Comptroller for 100000 damages,
charging defamation of character, as
serted that Mr.. Craig made false and
utefainatoIy" statements IN discussing
Ihe school site before the Sinking Fund
commission and in asking District At
torney Harry E. Lewis of BROOKLYN to
'nS M grand jury investigation.
mr.. Lewis in letter to the Comp
troller,. after declaring that no evil
dence had been found to justify Mr..
Craig's suspicious" accused the Comp
troller of having resorted to "wilful
and malicious falsehoods." Mr.. Lewis's
retort was in the nature of a reply to
the Comptroller's expression of impa-
thence that no investigation had been
made and that evidence had been SUD-
pressed. P
Build School, Lewis Urges
Keep on fighting, if you want to.
but build the school," said Mr.. Lewis.
The controversy over the site has
Deen waglng for several months. 1t
was based on alleged evidence that the
city had sold its interest in the site for
$500, which on DR.. Shadows recon-
mendatlon was to be repurchased for
$750O0 A0A
Dr. Shallow, whose suit is to be
tired IN the Supreme Court, Brooklyn.
asks that the Comptroller be made to
pay Soo,U0O damages for each of two
instances OF alleged defamation The
the Sinking Fund Commission on june
10 were intended to convey the i'm
preston, the complaint saws. that Dr.
swallow mad been acting in conniyance
WIN INSCRIPTIONS persons in "a cor
rupt and criminal scheme to defraud
the taxpayers of the city and had
placed the city in position where it
YOU'D be compelled to repurchase land
price" '''NO
The other count is based on tho
Comptroller's letter to Mr.. Lewis ask-
ing Tor prosecution. DR.. Shallow AS
serts that the statements in the letter
were known to the defendant to be
raise and defamatory, and were com
posed and published with the malicious
intent to injure the plaintiff and to
BRING him to public hatred and con.
Tempt. and were intended to convey the
IMPRESSION that the plaintiff was guilty
ol nal1easance in office and criminal
and corrupt conduct"
DR.. Shallow was accused of b,,,;,~
three sites up his sleeve" Mr. Craises
lntlmated that the city would have to
pay ten times as much for the site as
IL received for its interest in the Land
should Just as soon have this thing
go before the grand jury-that is
where 1T ought to be-" Mr.. Craig is
quoted as having said.
John r. O'Brien, lis Broadway, an
DR.. Shallow. A0A
District Attorney Lewis in his letter
to Mr.. Craig said in mart: ''''eA
our letter of July 10, 1921. was
received by me yesterday morning. I
our statements that | had SUPPRESSED
evidence are willful and malicious
falsehoods.
Lewis Finds No Evidence of Crime
Or. Shadows explanation and YOUR
explanation are both matters of record
IN this office. Neither has been sun
pressed. l can find in neither any evil
dence of crime.
You say in your letter that l falsely
stated that there was an agreement be-
tween DR.. Shallow and yourself. I
would not be foolish enough to accuse
you of willingly agreeing with ANYBODY.
GU suggested the plot on the northerlv
side OF Neptune Avenue, between Thir-
ty-hrst and Thirty-second streets, and
thereafter DR.. Shallow expressed him
self to me as being willing to accept
that site for the purpose of expeditinc
the building of school. This certainly
looks like an agreement to me- 1t is
enough of an agreement to prevent YOU
from further delaying the building of
the school.
"You yourself admitted in nv Office
that you had no evidence that a crime
had been conn tted-that you had moth
ing but suspicious. l have given your
suspicious most painstaking investi-
cation and have found them unsup-
ported by evidence or proof of any
kind. The results have not been sup
pressed. They are on record in this
office. They are official records and are
open to your inspection at any time.
If on reading them you are still Of
the opinion that there is evidence of a
crime, you are at liberty to take them
before a magistrates court and ask for
an arrest.
81 thought could stop your fighting.
Apparently l was mistaken. Keep on
fighting if you want to, but build the
school,"
Mother Hears of Sons Death
Az p0Lx, &c A,,otl,,. r..sc