New-York tribune., 1922-10-26
]. A. (sFishhooks') Nc.
Cartlly, Boss's Friend,
Admits Owning Both ST.
Line, Cream of System
Dummies Used
To Hide Purchase
Other District Leaders
Believed Rewarded by
Money Making Permits

At least one OF the bus lines advO-
Gated by Mayor Hylan In and out of
season and operated under permits
| granted by Grover A. Whalen, his Com
missioner Of Plant and Structures, was
revealed yesterday by Clarence j.
Shearn in the course Of the Transit
| Commission's investigation as an enter
prise Of John A. Mccarthy, business as
| sociate Of Charles F. Murphy, of Tam
many Hail.
"Billy" Murphy, nephew of the Tam
many chief, served with Thomas r.
Lynch as collector for Mccarthy, as
Mccarthy, who is himself known
as "Fishhooks," acknowledged under
cross-examination by Mr.. Shearn.
Mccarthy is the same "Fishhooks"
McCa"thy who recently pleaded guilty
OF corr piracy in restraint of trade with
other members Of the builders ring.
The fine of $1,000 imposed on his firm
after the conviction was the heaviest of
any of the fines that were substituted
in the cases of the builders for tie
prison sentences demanded by the
prosecution.
Virtual Owner of seth Street Line
1t was this same "Fishhooks" Nc
Carthy, Mr.. Shearn brought out, who
is the virtual owner Of the profitable
Eighty-sixth Street bus line lie is not
the ostensible owner of the line, but
supplied the necessary cash to the
dummies to whom Commissioner
WlAlen issued permits. He testified
that Lynch. one of his two collectors,
deposited the receipts from three Of
the busses to the account Of John A.
Mccarthy in the Corn Exchange Bank
at Eighty-sixth Street.
MY. Shearn expects, in the light OF
yesterdays revelations, to he able to
show clear and far more extensive
connection betreen the newly estab-
lished bus lines of the city and Tam
many Hall. the bus lines lining the
pockets and enhancing the political
prestige of district leaders.
1t is believed that the expected dis
closures may give added significance to
rhe testimony previously given in the in
vestlgation that Commissioner Whalen
and his subordinate, Frederick Richter,
have been discharging bus drivers who
do not stand in with Tammany. sup
planting them with deserving Demo-
Gratis.
Take in $40 Day
The testimony yesterday showed
that Mccarthy used his political PIES
tige to obtain permits on the Eighty
sixth Street line, where, the operators
agree, is the Cream" of the business
Tho testimony was that the busses take
IN about $35 or $40 day on this line
With a fixed charge of $40 for the
enauifeurs plus wear and tear and cost
CT gasoline and oil and insurance
Mccarthy loaned his credit to three
employees, George Allen, Frederick MIC
Donald and Frank J. Higgins, who
bought the buses from the Interna-
tional Motor Company at about $4,000
apiece, paying S2,25O down and giving
notes foT the rest. The profits were
deposited by the dummy owners and
went toward the liquidation of the
notes.
In addition to the three bought osten-
sibly by Allen, Mcdonald and Higgins,
Mccarthy also financed three other
ylsed by "Billy" Murphy and Thomas
+. Lynch. "a
Bus Operators Hedge
One of the features of the proceed
ings yesterday was that the bus oper-
.tors, who previously had privately tes-
tilted under oath, when they went On
the stand tried to'"shade," or weaken,
their own testimony. Some of them
testified yesterday with apparent re-
luctance. Mr. Shearn asked them if
anybody had talked to them about
their testimony. Each denied that any
one had
Mr.. Mccarthy is about fifty-fve years
old, and has blond hair and blue eyes.
He said in answer to inquiries that he
was a dealer in mason building mate
-riels, with yards at Rivington Street
and East River and at Exterior Street
and 149th Street.
After sparring about being ain the
bus business" Mr.. Mccarthy finally ad-
mitted that he helped to finance them. |
He said that Higgins, Allen and Nc
Donald were his employees.
Reaching the point where he told
about the o-aership Of the buses.
Judge Shearn asked:
Q.-Why did you have your employee
Higgins give the twelve notes for the
balance of the purchase? A.-Because
he was the man who bought the bus
Q.-You were the man who bought
tcontnued page nIne)