New-York tribune., 1922-06-15
"You're a Liar"
.M'WhinlleySays
He Told Strong
Tesiifies TO Warming JUS
iicc He Would Have
State Inquiry if Road
Contracts We're Probcd
Thompson Is a Witness
State Senator Makes Denial
of Reelection Pledge if
He Dropped Black Bill

ks,,mblyman Thomas ,. NeNh.
acy iesaf,ing ycl;erday before in'
legislative coNmi;.c .nyesii@a'ine
charges a:ain,, Supreme Court Justice
selah z. strong. admitted that nc had
warned the justice that unless he
,.opped contemplated inquiries Into
road contracts In Nassau County and
o,ber matters. he would have a legis-
lative committee investigate ln'
| judiciary there. MeWhinney. who rep
roscnts NASSAU County in the Assembly
is the author o. the resolution unoei
which the Jenks committee IS conduct
ING is present Inquiry INFO justice
S,Tong's actions.
W,Whinncy also testified that he had
told Justice strong That u he had no
more justification for his charges ABOUT
the road contracts thar for mention
INC promises Of reelection given
high state official" II he would oppose
the Ioring Black bill, then you'd bet
ter he careful or you'll ret your
monkey in a muss.'
When asked by Senator Bracket
counsel for Justice Strong, what he
meant By this remark. which bracket
termed a threat, but which MeWhin-
new insisted was merely warning, the
Assemblymhn declared that since Mas
sau County had no resident Supreme
Court Justice. "any little judges can
come down there and exploit their po-
litical ambitions and get in the news
papers. and thought something ought
10 be done TO prevent the good name OF
the citizens and public officials Of the
county being bosmirehcd.'
"You're LIAR lie Told Judge
McWhinncy testified that he had said
or another occasion 10 Justice strong
You're n liar and YOU know y.
Immediately after the justice had
charged the December grand Jury the
Assemblyman went 10 the formers
chambers and accused the justice OF
having intimated. in calling attention
70 a high state official" that he Nc
Whinney) had been bribed. Justice
Strong denied this. according 70 Nc
Whitney, and added that he had meant
Senator George l. Thompson, and that
he had afidavits from two reliable men
10 back the statement. Later, when
McWhinney WAS under subpoena in the
John Doe proceedings conducted b. the
jurist. Justice Strong declared that al
the previous meeting he had said
statements" not "aiTidavits." the wit
ness asserted. and McWhinney there
upon passed the lie 20 the justice.
The Assemblyman said he had been
asked for committees Of inquiry at
other times, though by whom he could
not tell. notably when tho Almirall
afe fst
and when Justices Scuddcr and Cropsey
had been conducting Their respective
John Doe inquiries IN Nassau County.
lie had not asked for n committee ~
the time OF his difficulties with the
justice. he said. because he was getting
enough publicity AZ the time, and II
there was any way Of getting out or
the matter without besmirehing tho
judiciary Of Nassau County ho wanted
20 do so.
Takes Credit for Bill's Defeat
The witness then declared that he
was probably more responsible than
any one else in the State legislature
for the defeat In 1920 Of the Black
measure, designed to prevent the
County Judge and Surrogate Of Nassau
County from practicing Law. lie said
that at the times these officials aidec
the defense in the Brooklyn Rapid
Transit disaster case he had seen no
impropriety In their doing so. al
though he later had felt that IL had
been unwise.
Under cross-e examination Mr. Me
Whitney admitted that still later de-
velopments had made him consider this
permission 10 the county officials in
advisable, and that he had introduced
a bill in the Legislature similar 20 the
Black bill. which had been passed. and
also a companion measure raising the
salaries Of the County Judge and Sur
rogate from $1,000 to $4,000 a year.
Senator George L. Thompson, OF