Scandals of New York

Scandals of New York

In Albany last week, the New York State Legislature suddenly and unexpectedly voted (76-10-70 in the Assembly. 26-10-24 in the Senate) for an investigation of New York City's entire administration, from the Mayor down.

It was the fifth such legislative inquiry to be authorized since 1890, and the passage of the resolution marked the end of a political duel between William Kingsland Macy, G. O. P. State Chairman, and William L. Ward, longtime boss of Westchester County's Republicanism. For months Mr. Ward & henchmen had balked the inquiry, presumably because of a neighborly feeling for New York City's Democracy. Mr. Ward's capitulation, apparently under pressure from Washington, makes Mr. Macy undisputed G. O. P. chieftain in New York State.

Appointed to head the legislative committee of seven was Lawyer Samuel Seabury of Manhattan, the solid, smiling, grey gentleman who is also conducting the State Supreme Court's investigation of the city's judiciary and Governor Roosevelt's hearing of malfeasance charges against District Attorney Thomas C. T. Grain (TIME, Sept. 8, 1930). Mr. Seabury was thus placed in the extraordinary position of simultaneously representing all three branches of State government-- legislative, judicial, executive--as inquisitor of the first city in the land.

Inquisitor Seabury, 57, a ruddy, silver-haired, liberal patrician, has gone about his inquisitorial duties since last summer with such ability and unassuming good grace that in some quarters last week there was talk of drafting him for Fusion Mayor in 1933. Graduated from Columbia University and New York Law School, he was admitted to the bar in 1894. In politics he has been amazingly independent, having been nominated for public office at various times by Republicans, Democrats, Progressives, Single Taxers. Populists, Hearstian Independent Democrats. In 1907 he mounted the State Supreme Court Bench, distinguished himself by liberal opinions and by sending Police Lieut. Charles Becker to the electric chair for his part in the famed Herman Rosenthal murder. In 1916 Mr. Seabury received the Democratic gubernatorial nomination. Knifed by Tammany, defeated, he retired to private law practice.

In his Tudor library in Manhattan's 63rd Street hangs a portrait of his greatgrandfather, Samuel Seabury. first Anglican Bishop in America. He is married, childless, owns a summer home at East Hampton, L. I. When his inquisitorial duties began, he assembled his assistants --whom he calls "my young men"--and told them: "We must divorce [this investigation] as far as possible from legalistic machinery. There is more eloquence in the testimony of an illiterate witness telling of oppression suffered from legal processes than in the greatest sermon, editorial or address ever written."

Tammany, surprised by the sudden turn of events, last week began a hurried housecleaning. Like canny New England slave-traders of the 19th Century who dumped their black cargo to the sharks when in danger of a brush with the Law, the Sachems began pitching overboard certain characters whose presence was likely to be embarrassing. First to go were the city superintendent of buildings and the chief building inspector. The latter was charged with accepting a bribe, jailed. Evidence against him was supplied by the Mayor's eight-month-old investigation which has never made a public report and was all but forgotten until fortnight ago.

It was made clear, however, that the Tiger did not intend to sacrifice any favorite sons. Presumably under the leadership of Lawyer Samuel Untermyer and Max D. Steuer, who is prosecuting the Bank of U. S. failure, a Tammany "board of strategy" was formed to devise defense tactics. And after Boss John Francis Curry had dined with Governor Roosevelt at the Executive Mansion (Brooklyn's Boss John H. McCooey was also in Albany, but did not attend the meal), it was made known that the Governor himself, and not the Legislative committee, would handle the public charges pending against Mayor James John Walker.

Mayor Walker, vacationing on Lawyer Untermyer's estate in Palm Springs, Calif., declined to "enter into a long-distance oratorical contest," delayed his return to the city to "grab off some more of this sunshine."

"Fourth Offender." On the eve of the Mayor's return, 3,000 citizens stomped into Carnegie Hall for a mass meeting. Thousands more massed outside. Publicized by Colyumist Heywood Broun but presided over by Reverend John Haynes Holmes and Socialist Norman Thomas, the affair was distinctly a "Get Walker" meeting, an oratorical lynching bee for the benefit of people who "want to do something about" Tammany. Mr. Holmes, in the evening's big speech, tried Tammany and found it--after the Tweed, Croker and Murphy scandals--a fourth offender under Boss Curry's regime. "And I would remind you that, under the laws of New York State, a judge has power to sentence a fourth offender to prison for life!" Mayor Walker was given 100 days to live politically and consigned to "the society of actors and actresses, to which he is best adapted."

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