The New York herald., 1872-10-26
A DisgracefaI Condition Of Affairs
in Luzerne County.
Congressman Shoemaker's Al
legged Manipulations.
How Money Was Offered for Venal Pur-
poses Before the Election.
Judge Hoyt, Gaines Miller and Other Republi.
cans Implicated by Direct Testimony.

WILKEsBARRE. Pa, Oct rs. 1872.
The enthusiastic Beamish OF Scranton, appears
determined to carry out his programme OF prosecu-
tons tor alleged violations OF the election laws at
the recent election. It will be remembered that
shortly after the counting OF the votes In Luxerne
county Beamish entered charges OF bribery and
corruption against Congressman elect u. L. Shoe
maker, Judge Hoyt. Collector OF Internal Revenue
and Chairman Of the Republican County Committee;
@. NJ Miller, Collector OF Taxes; O. T. Gaines As
SCISSOR for Pttston: ex-May0r Monies and Joseph
Siocum. Postmaster at Scranton. Monies and Slo-
cum appeared before Alderman Philbin in
answer to the summons on Wednesday the
10th inst, but owing to a deficiency in
the testimony they were acquitted. Every
body interested In politics ut once became doubt
ful whether the other gentlemen alluded to would
ever be brought to trial. On the 23d inst, how
ever, It was apparent another move was on the
tapis. When the Aiderman's Court opened,
Palmer, Sh0emaker's counsel, stated that he didn't
believe his client would put IN an appearance: but
the counsel engaged for the prosecution demanded
that the case against the defendants should be
proceeded with and the Court SO ordered Con-
sequently the reelected member OF Congress had
to be sent for and, without that kind Of coercion
supposed to be inherent in q bench warrant.
promptly appeared and took his place near his
legal defender After considerable consultation
between the accused and counsel shoemaker be-
ing lawyer OF some imp0rtance) they intlmated
their readiness to go on with the case
CORCORAN COMES TO THE POINT.
The first witness was Patrick COrcoran, q
judge OF election at Scranton, who In lengthy
statement depOsed that while at Shoemaker's
office, in this city, few days before election. the
latter offered him $40 bill, which he took from
his pocket in his presence; promised him more If
hn wn roll I'm inrff Tuva
ward OF Scranton. where there were but six or
seven republicans out Of $50 voters and was sur
prised that some Of his agents had not seen him
(COrcoran) before. He was subsequently offered
SITS to make the majority for Shoemaker sure in
his district. Michael Judge an inspector OF the
Twelfth ward and Third district of Scranton. who
was present at the interview between Shoemaker
and Corc0ran, testified that the Congressman
offered them each $40, at the same time asking
them to keep the money for time as 1t might be
traced as coming from his bank Miller, he stated,
met him at Hyde Park su bsequently and offered
him $50 to keep down the vote or make the seven
republican balance the $50 democratic votes; and
one John Stewart, OF Lackawanna, he alleged,
offered to pay him $l25 for the same purpose.
Corcoran, on being recalled, created sensation.
He averred that Shoemaker said to him, ''C0uldn't
| you manage to balance the vote in counting the
! tickets;' that Stewart told him he "could fix the
votes In counting them and give majority for
| Shoemaker as large as he wanted tO;'' and, sud-
terous force, he said, triumphantly II told stew
maker majority where there were but six or
seven votes.n Humphrey Bradley, Daniel Lundy
Patrick Smith, Michael Murray, james Kllgallon
Christopher Eckhart, William Burke, James Null
lin, Thomas Sultry and others testified at great
length to about the same eject tending to impi
cate the defendants in violation the election law
Mulin swore that . gentleman came to him at
orPrprn HIM a 200
that city even for Shoemaker thus far the
the political joke 1t was at first said to be; and
yesterday there was considerable uneasiness
manifested at the nasty turn matters had taken.
When the justice opened Court, at two O'Clock,
yesterday, the chief defendants Messrs. Shoe
maker maj noy5 ana nd. Gaines appeared in person
the day than many OF the idlers in Court, and
certainly less interested than certain oiceholders
| OF the district whose names may be mentioned
! hereafter. On motion a p0stponement was ordered
in the cases OF Shoemaker and Miller, and an in
and Gaines commenced. Hoyt acted as his own
counsel displaying remarkable GOODNESS consider
| ing the circumstances and surroundings OF the
inquiry.
machinist named James NJ. Harrigan at
| tempted TO crush him at a blow He detailed
several conversations with the Judge before the
| election with reference to an understanding that
election and bribe the window men to give out
Hartranft instead of Buckalew tickets; to act in
4 SCRANTON as u general eleCJ0n cnedb, ana ''WOrk"
! the inspectors and judges. Moreover he swore
that he had special interviews with Hoyt and
Gaines touching the villainy he to perpetrate;
that he took money to bind his bargains, receiving
| on one occasion from Hoyt a letter containing
CHECK FOR POUR HUNDRED DOLLARS
which he was TO deliver and did deliver to gen.
tleman in scranton, who would deposit it for him
(Harrigan) guarantee OF good faith on the part
Of Hoyt Co., to be paid over when he had
'piling up the. agony' in this style for about
an hour, and putting the accused judge
10 considerable trouble in crOss-examining him, he
deliberately stated he had promised thousand
fold more than he ever expected to perform, and
that the day OF election, instead OF attending
the business he had engaged In, feeling satisfied
that things were quietly going to the bowwows,
partly by the machinery he had assisted to set in
motion, he went on spree, enjoying himself in
about the manner Nero Is said to have done after
he had set fire Rome. II the half uttered by this
witness be true 1t will not only tend to convince
people OF the utter reckessness OF political parties
In this section In all matters touching elections,
but will also raise the question why such men as
he are not spending their valuable time in the
Penitentiary
The investigation has been adjourned to Thurs
day, October 81. In the meantime Hoyt has inti-
mated that subpPnas will be issued for Colonel II.
b. Wright, the defeated candidate for Congressman
at large, and several other prominent democrats
Should this move be successful Heaven only knows
what Will yet be said and done before the 5th OF