Morning journal and courier., 1881-06-11
News by Telegraph
FROM ALL QUARTERS.
PROBING FOR BRIBERY.
Hearings Before the Com
mittee at Albany.
SPEAKER SHARPE ON THE STAND.
The Ha1f-Breeds Threaten
ing Revenge.
G0NKLING GONE OFF IN DISGUST.
Dissatisfied with the Conduct
of the Case.
NEW YORh.

| The Bribery Investigation - Speake
| Sharpe On the Stand-Hfs Testimony
Unimportant-TheM Man Edwards gail
| How He Approached AssembIymal
Armstrong-The Whole Affair Regret
| ted BY All the Observation-Disclosures De
| nounces It Put-up Job.
ALBANY, June 10.-The committee to inves
tigate the alleged bribery case met this morn
ing, Speaker Sharpe being the first witness
called. His examination was barren of an,
new developments. About all that it served
to do was to identify the bills which Bradle,
handed Mr.. Sharpe as having been received
by him. A cross-exanination by Henry Smitl
showed Mr.. Sharpe to be very reluctant t.
say that there was any kind of political re
ception in General Arthur's room before anG
after his interview with Bradley took place
Mr.. Sharpe also failed to explain why he was
SO solicitous in regard to the identity of the
original bills as to make detailed memoranda
of them, saying he had no reason for doing sc
except that to a lawyer it would be reasonable
| to take particular memoranda. He also
said there was no Encouragement by which
he made a statement from the chair in cor.
| roboration of Bradley's statement. After Mr.
Sharpe left the stand, Senator Williams testi
fed that he related having seen Senator SEES
sions and Assemblyman Bradley at the Ken
more Hotel night before last he had no con
versation whatever about the Senatorial cleo.
ton with either; did not see either after OF
| before he spoke to Senator Sessions, and
| walked toward his room. The committee
| then adjourned to p. m.
1 The investigating committee resumed its
| session this evening, all the members present,
Kidder NJ. Scott presiding Mr.. Armstrong,
who on Thursday morning in the Assembly
alleged that he had been offered an envelope
/ believed to contain money for his vote for
| Depew, was called to the stand. Rufus W.
| Peckham, who appeared as counsel for SEES
| sions, argued in favor of finishing the testi
| mony against Sessions before allowing the
/ inquiry to become distributed on other
| charges than the one against Sessions. He
| asked the committee to allow Bradley to fin
| ish his charges or Bradley his defense. Mr.
scott objected to allowing counsel to assist
sessions SO long as Bradley had none. A long
| discussion ensued as to the advisability of al
| lowing Peckham to appear as counsel for Ses-
| sions, a number of members participating.
| NTH said if the committee would allow Mr.
| sessions to go on in his own defense tonight
| he was ready and prepared to show where
| he S., 900 came from and just what purpose
| it was procured for. He would give names
| lates and everything to close the whole case
up so that the public would be satisfied and
| the committee and the Legislature also Mr.
| Bradley then arose and said he disliked to
have arraigned against him such counsel as
| were on the other side, and asked for delay
until tomorrow morning, when he would be
| present with counsel Peckham accepted
Bradleys suggestion. The committee adopt
ed the same Mr.. Carpenter moved that the
committee adjourn; lost.
Mr.. Armstrong then being sworn said his
mama James Armstrong and he vas a
member of the Assembly from the First
L oneida county district. He was serving his
drst term. He had been approached. It was
Ike week before last. Couldn't remember
the day. 1t occurred in Stanwix all Hotel ;
1idn't know the man; had heard that
his name was Edwards didn't know
The man; on April LIST last one of
the Assembly page boys came to
| witness and said the man wanted to see him
4 and showed him the man. Witness asked if
ne was looking for Assemblyman Armstrong !;
the man said he was, and asked witness if he
was member of the Railroad committee
Witness said yes Witness did not like the
mans manner. The man said there was a
bill before the committee that Mr. Dixon and
Mr. Madden desired passed. and if witness
| would help the bill through, Madden would
help in the Senate any bills witness was in
terested in there. The same man, after the
bill was killed in committee, witness voting
against it, came to Stanwix and again saw
| witness and reproached him for voting
against the bill. Met the same man on the
| train to New York; the man interested him
self in witness and showed him points of in
| terest along the river; again talked about
1 the bill and induced witness to think well of
| it, so when it came up again witness veted
| tor the bill and it passed. After that the
| man again came to Stanwix, and asked wit
1 ness to go up to room 10, the man IS
room; there the man again talked about
| the bill and said he was authorized to make
/ witness present for supporting it. The man
l drew out some envelopes on one of these
| witness saw his name written, and the man
offered it to witness. Witness refused to
| take money and turned to go; the man de-
| tanned him and said witness could have TWEEN
| ty times what was in the envelope if he would
| vote against Conkling (the election was then
| going on). The stranger told witness that
situated as he was in Oneida county his turn.
| ing against Conking would be more valuable
| to the other side and would bring more mon
ey. The man asked what Conkling had ever
done for witness Witness said nothing, but
| he believed in Conkling. The man then told
witness that he expected to get a place in the
| custom house, and that if witness would op
| pose Conkling he knew men who would heII
him more than ConkGng ever did. The mar
| never directly offered witness specified con.
sideration for voting against Conkling and
| never mentioned whom witness should
Il
| could have money for voting against
Conkling. At that time there were no candi
ates up but Conkling and Platt. Witness
| did not know whether there was really any.
| thing in the envelope; didn't handle or SEE
| it opened. but supposed it had money in it
did not know the man but heard him called
Edwards; heard he was lobbyist. At the
time witness last saw him Edwards said some
men could be bought, but thought witness was
not one of them. Witness did not know OF
what politics Edwards was all he knew
was that he was very bitter against Csnkling
terested in the Republican cause or in the
| Democratic or whether he was working fol
any candidate at all. Edwards did not pro
pose any specific way of opposing Conkline
whether by vote in caucus or how
he merely told witness that il
he opposed Conkling he could get money fol
| doing so. Witness could not say whether
the envelope Edwards offered him had money
or necktie in it. He supposed Edwards
was trying to ring him in and place him il
hostility to Conkling. The. conclusion OF
Armstrong; testimony caused a perfect con-
vulsion of laughter among the spectators
after which the committee at 10 O'Clock &C
Ijourned until 9 O'Clock tomorrow morning
There is a general disposition among the
members of BOTH houses to refer as little al
possible to the bribery cases, they preferrine
| to await official developments. The members
l 1851 Irrespective OF 1dcttOn tAl25b bu6 ulaGG6l
has been unfortunate In casting an imputa
ton upon the whole Assembly. There il
also an apparent disposition among the mem
| bers to close up the election now as soon az
possible lest any further prolongatior
of the contest may lead to further desperate
attempts to charge corruption and
affect the reputation of the Assem-
bly,. The Democrats express regret at yes
terdays disclosures and seem anxious tc
save any further scandals of similar ma
ture. The half breeds are bitter against the
stalwarts and make threats of retaliation OF
the most injurious nature if they persist il
the present course. Many of the stalwarts
say they do not like the scandal and do no,
| approve of it as means to defeat their op
ponents. They admit that yesterdays dis
closures must hurt the party, not only in the
fall elections, but as ground for an attach
at all times all over the country. Robert
son says he will clearly establish thai
the allegation made by Bradley was
the result of put-up job entered into fol
the express purpose of arousing the country
people to a suspicion that Depew is being
| pushed AZ a candidate in the inferasf ef s,oz.