The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-03-07
THE BRIBERY INVESTIGATING
COMMITTEE. 60
WHATCoLLECToR BURGESS KNOWS
II. ABoUTsIT.
HE TELLS A WITNESS HE LIES,
AND WILL WHIP HIM OUT
OF HIS HIDE.
THE MEMBER WHO WAS DEAD.
He is Alive, aEd Testifes.

| The House Committee on Bribery and
Corruption continued their examination
yesterday afternoon.
Rush Burgess sworn. By MIR. Turner:
= Do you know Of anv member Of the LIE.
gislature who has received pecuniary or
other consideration to vote for or against
Iany bill that has been pending? A. do
not know Of any, sir.
@. Do you know of any member being
offered any such consideration for such
purpose? A. l do not. ssan. ...
Q. Do you know of any money being
placed in the hands of ontside parties TO be
used for such purpose? A.aT do not, sir.
@. Do you know or any agents being ap-
pointed by either side with authority to
make promises conditioned upon votes
being niven in any particular way? A. I
do not, sir. Z. i....'' :. -" -..- ,~
@. Do you know any facts pertinent to
the subject-matter of the investigation A.
I don't know of any fact at all that will
aid you in this matter. Either on the day
or the day previous to the passage of the
bill, was approached by Mr.. Hinton,
who told me that he could influence the
vote of one man-a member of the Legis-
lature-for the Pennsylvania Central bill.
could: He said it would take money to do
TWAS THE WRONG MAN
for him to apply to; that was working
for the passage Of the bill, but that I was
using no money whatever. He wanted to
know from me whom he could see, then. I
maybe he could tell him something about
it; that did not know of any one who
was using money. / think this is all I said
to Mr.. Hinton, except that there was 4
room over in Ford's Hotel where he could
see some parties who were working against
the bill. / told him that the room was the
last one in the hall running this way from
the front entrance. Whether he went there
or not, do not know but was told by q
member of the Legislature Mr.. Wood
worth, think, is the name-that Mr.. Hin
ton had been in the room, and ' - s.,
STOLEN THEREFRoM TWO BOXES
of imported cigars, and sold them at Put
nam's saloon, on Broad street. This, be-
lieve, is all that I know. .af~ ~. r
Q. Explain why you sent Mr.. Hinton to
Mr.. jenkins. A. knew Dir. jenkins was
interested in the passage of the bill, and
was working for that end. .,... -.
.. Had you any reason to believe that
money was being used by him? A. I had
not, but I thought that if money was being
used he would be as apt to know it as any
one else, " j. .,~.
KNOWING THAT He WAS AN ACTIVE LOBBYIST.
@. Do you know of any money being
used in this room that you speak of ut
Ford's Hotel against the bill? 4. do not
1 was in this room several times, and saw
demiohn sitting in the corner and box of
cigars, and saw members of the Legisla-
ture and others there, but I do not know of
money being there used against the bill.
@. Did you hear there offers Of any kind
made to members conditioned upon their
voting against the bill! A. did not. If
they had wanted to make any they would
have hardly done SO in my hearing, know
ing that was for the bill.
z. Do you know at whose instance you
We're summoned before this committee
A. do not. should like very well to
know.
@. Do you know of any person whom
you have reason to believe is in the posses
sion of any information that might throw
light upon the subject matter of this inyes-
tigation A. I do not know of any one
who was actively engaged in the interest of
the bill who would be so corrupt as to ac-
cept bribe.
BY DR.. Pannill: Have you ever heard of
any rumor that possibly might lead to the
which would show that money or other
consideration was offered to any member of
the Legislature to influence his vote? A.
don't think have. / have loaned money
to members recently, but not for any bad
purpose at all.
Q. Will you please state the amounts
and the, names of the members? A. Geo.
W. Graham is one of the Members white
Republican OF the
. BLACK REPUBLICAN PARTY.
1t was on the 18th OF February, and the
amount was 800. al.f f.a ~ -'''- t
Q. Did he give you his bond for the pay.
ment of The money? A. No, sir. He asked
me to lend him 800 until the next day. He
said he would give me his due bill, but I
told him it was not necessary, as he would
pay it back the next day. He returned this
money to me the next day or the day fol-
lowing.
o. Please state what other members bor-
rowed money from you. A. Senator Mas
sey sent a note to my Office on the Goth of
February asking the loan Of 800. did not
send it to him by messenger, but brought
it to him and gave it over in the Senate
chamber in the presence of Senator Green
and two or three others. There was some
joking about it at the time, and remarked, ,
"Well, Massey, when get up railroad
bill of my own you will have to vote for it"
| consider the debt perfectly good. He says
he will pay it, back, and believe he will.
let Peter X. Jones, of the House, have
some also. This was on the oath of Decem-
other one, though; let DR.. A. n. FretZ
have some that amount was $40. This
was some time in September last. ,L D.
Q. Can you tell us who occupied this
room in Ford's Hotel. A. A gentleman By
the name Of Ph9bus and another by the
name of Powers, think.
w. N,7Stevens (colored), member from
Sussex, sworn ... ...-....
BY Mr.. Turner: Do you know of any
member having received pecuniary or
other consideration to vote for or against
any bill? A. l do not, sir. -.-...>'.
Q. DO you know Of any money being of.
fered to any member for his influence or
vote for or against any matter pending in
the Legislature? A. L know OF only my.
self. -.
@. State the. circumstances surrounding
the offer to you? A. During the pendency
of the bill known as the Pennsylvania Cen.
tral bill, think about the day previous Ia
the day on which the bill was passed to Its
engrossment in the House. In the morn
ing of that day. while coming down Broad
street, met MIR. n. j. Hinton at Putnam's
saloon, on Broad street. He asked me tt
walk with him down the street; that he
had something very ...
4 81 IMPORTANT TO RELATE; 'ers
enjoining. however, the strictest secrecy
in consideration of which he called HeayeI
to witness it that he would never disclose i
himself. I told him that
Is @.-- "MUM WAS TUE woRD." '-. s..sn
He asked me how stood with regard tt
the railroad matter then before the House
told him that was generally known, ant
had for some time been an ardent advocate
for the massage of the bill. He asked III