Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-30
TAMMANY NERVOUS
As SEABURY DIGS
New York Investigation Stlrs
Worst FearS-Break Near
With Roosevelt.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch TO The Star.
NEW YORK, August % (NA.N.A.1 -
Samuel Seabury silver-h parsons
son who goes to Europe II study ca
thedrals and whose most compelling
ideals are the publication of the law
and Of public officials. has rounded out
the first year of his investigation into
New York City corruption
A resume of what this unusually capa-
able lawyer has accomplished so far in
penetrating inquiry which has reduced
Tammany Hall to a state of nerves and
hot evaporation is impressive; what
may yet come Tammany would prefer
not to think about
Preferences, however are not being
extended to the Tiger these days. and,
the past being an index for the future,
Tammany cannot forget that since the
scourge began three city magistrates
have resigned and two have been re-
moved; one city official and confessed
money taker has committed suicide
rather than tell the rest Of what he
knew, two more officials have disap-
peared, Is lawyers have been placed on
disbarment trial and nearly twoscora
policemen have been suspended or dis
charged several of them going TO prison
on perjury and assault convictions.
Roosevelt Rift Feared
~ dA0 10 1dAlAillditN Hal dSSAlltill.
an open break between that political
power and Gov. Franklin D. Roosevelt
is in the offng. as the immediate re-
suit Of Mr. Seabury's tenacious and
merciless ferIeting.
Mr.. Seaburys IS not the first legis-
lative investigation Of New York City
and it also is not the first to face a
concerted cry of politics" arising from
the investigated Tammany Hall Demo-
Gratis The Legislature in New York
State is controlled by Republicans.
currently with majority of only one
vote in the Senate and the cry raised
now is that the investigation is a des-
perate partisan attempt TO save New
York for the Republican presidential
nominee
AS the investigation rolls on. APP
parently with the support of Gov
Roosevelt. Tammany voices a threat of
repTiSal in case Roosevelt gets. as so
many believe he viii, the Democratic
presidential nomination in 1882 And
that, of course. gives rise to speculation
whether Gov Roosevelt could carry
New York State over the passive re-
siStance of an apathetic Tammany.
Mr.. Seabury has been surprised 10
find himself in the middle of a COM
pick political situation once more His
position this time differs from that on
other long past occasions only in that
he IS not a candidate for anything. He
gave up all political ambition, his clos J
est friends say, Is years ago. when ne
resigned from the Court of Appeals to
run for Governor as-rnirabile dictu-
the Democratic candidate with Tam
many backing. That was the year 1916,
and Mr.. Seabury suffered the same
fate Woodrow Wilson did Charles
Evans Hughes carried New York by a
great majority.
Returned to Private Life.
Mr.. Seabury retired, then. into pri-
vate life and practice. Almost every
Summer since then he has spent in
Europe, running down old and rare
pursuing other and ike fancies of his
desire. Once he bought and brought
home with him, one of the very few
paintings If not the only painting by
William Hogarth ever to reach the
United States 1t was out of this Sc
clusion of privacy that the appellate
division Of the Supreme Court jerked
him IN August, 1881, TO serve as referee
and investigate the magistrates courts
Of two borouglls Of New York City,
Manhattan and the Bronx
Since then the urge to investigation
has been constantly shifting and ex-
banding. While the magistrates inyes-
tlgatlon was going on. Gov. Roosevelt
appointed Mr. Eeabury a commissioner
10 examine charges against Thomas c.
T. Grain, district attorney of New York
County. While that was in progress,
the Republican-eo controlled Legislature
voted an investigation Of the city gov
eminent. and appointed Mr.. Seabury
Chief counsel
1t is out Of these separately author
ized Investigations, all technically still
IN progress, that the table Of results
which has brought Tammany to a low
state OF great fright is TO be compiled.
II includes:
Hurried designations of Magistrates
Francis x. McQuade, Henry M r
Goodman and George w. Simpson. Re-
moyal on charges by the appellate d.
vision Of Magistrates Jean H Morris
and Jesse Silbermann Mrs Morris was
the first woman magistrate IN New
York, and the most severe magistrate
on the bench.
Lawyers in Disbarment Trial
Disbarment trial Of IS lawyers on
charges OF having bribed the prosecutor
In one Of the courts. and a yet-to-be
held trial Of sixteenth lawyer who
while serving as g prosecutor, split, 1t