New-York tribune., 1921-10-08

running for the Supreme Court at that
time and that the mans name was
Maurice Connolly, the Borough Prcsi-
dent
The witness said he never had heard
Of Phillips being partner" OF
S!gretto's, but knew that the latter
had paid Phillips total of $4,000 in
commissions. He said he told Sigretto
he was foolish to give man $4,000
unless he was rendering some service
for it, and that Sigretto replied that
"he helps me to get payments out of
Borough Hall and he also helps me to
get contracts from Borough Hail."
Mr.. Purcell then described in replies
to the committee counsel what hap
; pened at the controversy over the
$4,000. as follows
@ What was the argument about
A-Phillips insisted that Sigretto in
dorse the check over to him.
Q.-~Whnt did Sigretto say? A
Sigretto did not see why he should do
that. Well. he said, he had been put
to great deal Of expense to bid upon
this work, that he had lost time and
that he did not see any reason for
indorsing the check in its entirety
over to Mr.. Phillips.
Q.-What did Phillips say? A
Phillips said that was the proposition,
and he said it was not only the propo-
sition to receive the check for $4,000
or TO receive the cash in that amount,
but the original proposition, he said,
was that Sigretto should pay to him
$4,000 and that he thought Sigretto
was getting off easy.
Rasis for Cash demand
Q.-Now, did you have a converse
tion with Phillips in regard to the
$4,000 in Mr. Titcombs Office at that
if that was so, that he wanted to use
that money for the purpose which he
stated 20 Sgretto. and he said yes.
Q.-What was that purpose? A.-As
stated before, that was to get the
cash and give it to Mr.. Connolly.
Q.-Without coniining yourself as to
notifications of contracts, give me your
general opinion as to the conduct of the
office of the Borough of Queens by the
President of the Borough of Queens :?
A.-Well, I would say that Mr.. Con-
molly is either incompetent or he is
guilty of gross negligence.
Q.-Just one more question, Mr..
Purcell. You said something in answer
to Assemblyman Donohue about
Phillips having desk in the Borough
Presidents office or the Department of
Sewers. What do you know about that,
Mr.. Purcell? A.-Well, I know this,
that any time I visited Borough Hall
on business, which probably was two
or three times weck, at that time L
noticed that Phillips was sitting in q
chair with a telephone in front OF him.
and ! have seen him many times using
the telephone, and, in fact, have seen
him using the stenographers and using
the stationery of the Borough Hall.
have in my possession letter which
he wrote in reference to Cgures that
ne gave to contractors, written on the
Borough Hall stationery by the same
machine and ribbon that they use down
there.
Q.-And he is not a public official
Or employed in any public capacity in
any department in the Borough of
Queens, so far as you know? A.-No.
not officially. ] only know him as the
recognized unofficial head of the Sewer
Department.
Q-Who is the titular head of the
Sewer Departm ent, supposed to be the
head? Al never met any one that
was.
Q-Your dealings and the dealings
Of those who had occasion to GO in
there were with Phillips? A-With
Phillips, absolutely
Q.--Why, this very morning, Mr.
ing, you saw Mr.. Phillips in conversa-
ton with Mr.. Connolly, did you not?
A.-Yes.
Witness Denies Charge
1t was at this point that Mr.. Con-
molly arose and called Mr.. Purcell a
liar. When moment later Mr.. Pur-
cell was asked to reply to Mr.. Connol-
Us charge that the former was in the
ray of the Meyer committee, Mr.. Pur-
cell said, az will say the same thing
about Mr.. Connolly that he said about
me a few moments ago"
Mr.. Fox was then put on the stand.
lie at once went into the matter of a
Phillips shortly after he obtained the
contract for a pumping station for the
borough. Mrs. Ada Dudley, his stenog-
rapher, was called to the stand for a
moment to identify the typewriter
transcript Of the conversation as she
took it listening in on the phone at the
direction of Mr.. Fox. She said that
Mr. Fox wanted her to do this because
ne had had threats about bidding on
the job and he was told to keep off"
When Mr.. Fox was recalled to the
stand he said that he had great diff
Guilty in proceeding with the contract
because of the numerous obstacles put
N his way by engineers associated
with tho Sewer Department and that
they demanded things not required by
the contract. He said about three days
ago, some time after he had been ques-
toned about the matter by a sub com
mittee of the Meyer committee, he
complained about his troubles to Presi-
dent Connolly and that Mr. Connolly at
once "had the matter Strengthened out"
Phone Conversation Given
The telephone conversation between
Phillips and Mr.. Fox was then sub
ter ?. referred to Mr.. Phillips, F. to
Mr. Fox and Mrs. D. to Mrs. Dudley
It was about the pumping station con-
tract and took place on January 27,
1920, Mr.. Phillips having called up Mr..
Fox. .. ss..s.3 &;
MIR. Berger-"Mr. P, will you have
Mr.. Fox write me a letter about the
lock joint pipe required for the pump
ing station, Borough of Queens, and |
will confirm it?
MRS. dust a minute; here is
Dir. Fox now.
"Mrs. D.-Mr. Fox, Mr.. Phillips on
phone; wishes to speak to you.
"Mr. P.-To Mr.. Fox: Why didn't
you lay off that JOB to-day? l sen,
work for you TO do so. G. d. it,
Mr.. Berger-Does that mean Coo
damn it? Witness-Yes, sir; l pre-.
sume SO.