New-York tribune., 1922-07-11
State Troopers
Used i'm Nassau
Graft Inquiry
Justice Strong Alleged to
Have Called Them. to
Serve Subpoenas and
Help Cart Away Books
Contracts Badly Muddled
jerks Legislative Commit
tee Reveals Unusual Pro-
ceedings i'm Political War

State troopers were used as process
servers by the Nassau County Associa-
tion in connection with the John Doe
inquiry into Nassau County contracts
conducted by Justice Selah B. Strong
last winter according to testimony
adduced yesterday at the resumption
of the hearing before the jerks legis-
lative committee, at the Bar Associa-
tion, on charges against Justice Strong,
alleging misconduct in Office
Corporal James Flynn, a member of
Troop X of the State Police, stationed
at White Plains, testified that he re-
ceved verbal orders from his com
manding officer, Captain John A. War
ner, to interview Neal Vandewater,
president of the Nassau County Asso-
citation, at Mineola, land follow his
instructions" Flynn testified that in
the John Doe proceedings conducted
by Justice Strong as committing
magistrate at Mineola, he served sub
p9nas or John Both. q member of the
contracting firm of Both & Weston;
James Stiles, president of the South
Side Observer Company, of Rockville
Center, publisher Of "The Freeport
Daily Review; Charles Davy, reporter
on that newspaper, and others who ap-
peared before Justice Strong
Books Finally Recovered
Flynn said that the day he served
Mr., Both with subpoena he assisted
mobile with books and records of the
firm, which were taken to Justice
Strong's chambers. The witness said
that these records were carried back
and forth over a period of two months
between the justices chambers and
vault in the Nassau County Trust
Company, at Mineola. He was assisted
by Trooper Grimes in transporting the
records, he said, and MIR. Vandewater
gave him an order each time to get the
books from the trust company. The
Both & Weston books and records to
Mr.. Vandewater's office about dozen
times. Whether the books were taken
to any other places, the witness said
he Gid not know. The many subpenas
served by the state trooper were all
given him by Mr.. Vandewater, Flynn
testified.
Considerable time was occupied at
the hcacing yesterday by the examina-
Iloll oA w iiliaHi d. MOTHS JTy oI L aI
Rockaway, counsel for Both G. Weston,
who testified to the difficulties his cli-
ents had in getting back their books and
records He said they finlly had to get
an order for their return from the APP
pellatc Division of the Supreme Court.
Mr.. Morris also testified that he failed
to obtain copy of the information rel
ative to the John Doe proceedings from
Justice Strong, although he made sew
eral attempts to do so and wrote the
justice several letters.
On March 18, the witness said, he
went to the office of Mr.. Vandewater,
in Mineola, and received the books and
records of Both & Weston. which were
sent by Assembl lyman Thomas A. Nc
Whitney to Andrew Weston. The in
dictments against Both g. Weston,
growing out of the John Doe hearings
were dismissed later, Mr.. Morris testi-
fed.
Strong's Defense Undecided
Philip F. Wiedersun, confidential in
spector of the Comptroller of Nassau
County and Acting Comptroller in the
absence of his superior, testified that
he was called before Justice Strong as
a witness on January It, 1922. Wieder-
sun said he had heard that Justice
Strong had said that the new Long
Beach bridge contract was illegal and
that he had told him that no more
claims should be paid on this contract.
Fhe witness said he learned that the
bridge contract had been sublet when
he saw the signs of new contractor on
the work. He didn't know whether it
had been legally sublet. No civil or
taxpayers action was brought to pre-
vent payments on the contract or to de-
termine the legality of it, the witness
said
Mr. Weidersun testified that there
was no money on hand at the time to
pay claims on the bridge contract and
that he wanted also to look into the
matter Of the legality of the contracts.
Some OF the claims were paid, however,
ne testified, following his tall! with
Justice Strong.
from Earl j. Bennett, County Comp
tcoller, to Justice Strong, notifying
him of two claims filed against the
| Long Beach bridge contract by the
John T. Brady Company, one for $685.
l4O and the other for $49,14O A SINH
lar letter was sentsto the Nassau
| County Association, the witness said.
Ihey were also notifications of the
hearing to be held on the claims.
Weidersun said Justice Strong tele-
phoned he was too busy to attend the
hearing, and didn't know whether it
would be material anyway. Payment
on the claims was further postponed,
according to Weidersun, in order to
give any one with objections to them
an opportunity to be heard.
Henry c. Perkins, of Binghamton,
counsel for the committee, conducted
the direct examination of the wit
nesses. Former Senator Edgar T.
Bracket and former Lieutenant Gov
ernor Edward Schoeneck, as counsel
for Justice Strong, cross-examined the
witnesses. Mr.. Perkins said Yesterday
that he expected to finish the presen-
tation of his case by to- morrow.
Whether Justice Strong will rest his
case or put in a defense will probably
be decided to-day.
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