Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-06-11

ALBANY, N. Y, June THE resolution
providing for an Investigation of the charge
OF bribery, made by Assemblyman Bradley.
was amended so as to include all similar
chargeS and rumors. The committee met
last evening. Mr.. Bradley was not present
at the opening of the session, and Mr.. z.
A. Carpenter made strong effort to secure
an adjournment. This failed, and voluu.
tary statements by members were in order.
Hiram Sessions, a member Of the Assembly.
stated that he had been approached last
January Ia the interest of Depew, by man
named Edwards, who had offered to defray
his campaign expenses In return for his
vote. In the present canvass no direct
offer had been made to him.
Assemblyman Bradley then appeared and
was sworn. he testified that on Wednesday
night Senator Sessions met him at the Della
van House, sought an interview, accom-
panied him to his (Bradley's) room, and
offered him one thousand dollars for his
vote for Depew, after which he raised the
bid to two thousand dollars, with the prom
ise Of an additional one thousand dollars IL
Depew should be elected. Bradley took the
money, and, after some debate with himself
as to the best method OF exposing the trans
action, concluded to hand it to Speaker
Sharpe.
At the conclusion of Mr.. Bradley's ex-
animation Rufus w. Peckham, as counsel
for Mr.. Sessions, demanded a hearing for
bis client in order that his denial might go
to the public with the accusation. Mr..
Carpenter opposed this and wished Mr..
Sessions examination postponed until
to-day. Finally it was agreed that Ses-
sions should make voluntary statement
- - Ill, q
ley four or five questions was refused by a
vote OF to g. Sessions then stated that he
had had a number of conversations
with Bradley with the object of inducing
him to vote for Depew, but that not word
was said about money at any of them. At
the last conversation held In BradleY's room,
the latter announced his intention to vote
for Depew, having become convinced that
his constituents were overwhelmingly
against Conkling and Plstt. Sessions again
sought to question Bradley, but was refused
permission to do so. After the adjourn
ment Sessions said the question he desired
to ask Bradley was whether he had not told
four different persons on Wednesday, and
before the transaction he referred to took
place, that he intended to vote for Depew.
The committee met this morning at $40,
all the members present. Speaker Sharpe
was the first witness called. He was sworn
and said: 81 know Samuel FL. Bradley;
had an interview with him the night before
last at the Delavan House in my room. No
one was present except Bradley and Mr..
Jones, member of the Republican Safe
Committee. Bradley and Jones came into
the room together, and Bradley said he had
an important thing to say to
me. He said he had been
approached a little while ago and was
offered money to vote for Depew. l asked
him if he had the mouey. He said yes, he
was given the money. He then said he
wanted me to take It, l asked him why,
and he said as the chief officer of the House
he preferred to give it to me. He said he
was in doubt whether to make statement
In the House or in joint convention. He
wanted my advice, and l did not want to
give it. Nv impression is that he asked
| Mr.. Jones whether he should tell
who gave it to him. He told
| me 1t was the Senator from his district, Mr..
| Sessions. He then gave me the money. /
counted It. There was 81, 600, three $500
and ten $50 bills. (The Speaker handed over
| the money to the charm n Of the commit
tee put the money in that envelope and
| put it In nv pocket. l counted the money
| again before | went to bed and counted 1t
| again in the me rning. | carefully examin-
| ed the bills. They were the same bills.
| There are three $500 Treasury notes" The
witness detailed the number and series of
4
money be deposited with the Comptroller
to be held for final disposal by the Speaker.
/ Carried.
Mr.. Peckham cross examined Speaker
| Sharpe, eliciting the following testimony:
l did not give Bradley any advice, telling
| him that while / did not want to take the
money, still l thought he had right to
leave it with me. When took the money
| | asked him IL he had mingled the money
with any other. He said he had not. He
asked Jones if he should tell from whom he
/ had received the money, and / think Jones
/ told him he ought to. Bradley then said 1t
was the Senator from his district, Mr.. Ses-
sions. He asked me IL l would recognize
him on the floor of the Assembly next day.
| He asked when it would be In order, and l
| told him at any time. l did not advise him
| to see Mr.. Sessions In the morning. | did
not see him again until l saw him in the
/ House. The room IN which the interview
| took place was Gen. Arthur's room. | was
| there receiving callers. Mr.. Bradley and
Mr.. Jones were the only ones In the room
at the time, and they stayed only five or
seven minutes.
To ex Speaker Smith, of Sessions coun-
sell was at Vice President Arthur's room
| simply to receive calls. These callers came
/ on general business. The Senatorial ques-
| tion was spoken of. l spoke of the matter
| to Gen. Arthur within half an hour. He
| was the first man communicated 1t to. he
| was alone. l did not speak of it TO any
one else that night. Mr.. Jones is named
Orsini. He comes from the Cattauragus
| district. He was member of the Republi
| can State Committee. He Is supporter Of
Mr.. Conkling. There was no prearrange-
ment by which 1 made the statement from
the chair corroborative of Mr.. Bradley's
| statement. 1t was not my duty to do so,
but as Mr. Bradley had said he gave the
money to me | believe it my duty to say
| that the statement was correct. The COM
mittee adjourned until this evening.
The joint convention met at IL M, with
Senator Robertson In the chair, and pro-
ceeded to vote for a successor to Roscoe
ConkliDg, with the following result:
The Senate voted as follows:
Conkling. .... Cornell. ..............
Jacobs .............. 5 5lLapham .............
Wheeler. r.............. 4lFolger.... ......
Rogers .............. s Bradley. y.............. !
The Assembly voted as follows:
Conkling. ...... % Lapham ........ -.
Jacobs ............ AZ Tremalne. ..........
Wheeler. ........ .16 Folger. r................
Rogers -. ......... 10 Harris -. ......
Cornell. ID
The convention proceeded to vote to I'll
the vacancy caused by the resignation of
Thos G. Platt with this result:
The Senate voted:
Platt 6lFolger ........ ......
Cornell ............ 8 Herman .....--.......
DepeW --.....l4I