Morning journal and courier., 1881-06-16
News by Telegraph
FROM ALL QUARTERS.
SESSIONS UNDER HRB.
b 81 sa#
Cross-Examined in Relation
to .sl Bribery no,
4 STORY WITHOUT CONTRADICTION.
s& 49, u u
Other Assemblymen Placed
"a. ON the Stand.
A STORY WITHOUT CONTRADICTION.
DETECTIVES BROUGHT TO ALBANY.
Instructed to Watch HaIf-Breed
81 Leaders. amn9a
NEW YORK.

NEW YORK.
| Sessions Under CrOss-examtnatfon-H
| ing to His Original Statements--Deny-
| ing the Use of Money to influence Leg
| tslation-The Sta1warts Employing De-
| tectfves-HalG-BreedL Leaders and Cen-
| trail Railroad Mem to BE Watched.
ALBANY, June 15.-In the voting in joint
| convention to-day one ballot was taken,
| terday's vote, the principal candidates for
| the short term scoring as follows: Conkling
81, Jacobs 40, Wheeler Is, Rogers Is, Cor
| nell 10, Lapham 10. and several scattering
votes being cast. Mr.. Reitz, of the Seventh
Kings county district, in voting sent to the
clerks desk resolution adopted by the
Brooklyn Sixteenth Ward Republican assoei-
alton declaring that Conkling and Platt can
| not be reelected, and requesting MIR. Reitz
to vote for such candidates as can succeed
and will represent the Republican party. He
| therefore voted for Richard Crowley instead
of Conkling The vote for Platt's term
showed for Depew 81, Herman so, Platt 81,
Cornell 10, and ten votes being scattered.
After the ballot the joint convention adj
journed.
The continuation of the cross examination
of Senator Sessions occupied the entire time
of the investigating COMMITTEES this morning.
The answers brought out by counsel for the
committee related mostly to Mr.. Sessions ex-
perience as q lobbyist in former years and to
his relations with lobbyists now. Very little
reference was made to the Bradley case, ex-
cept as to the motives that led to the inter-
view in Mr.. Bradley's room rather than in
Mr.. Sessions room. There are no material
discrepancies between Mr.. Sessions state
ments of this morning and those formerly
given by him. Mr.. Bangs, counsel for the
committee, wished to put in evidence two ar
ticles which appeared in the New York Ia5-
6atne of May and june 1879. relative to Mr..
Sessions course in the Legislature. Counsel
for Mr.. Sessions objected Pending discus
sion of the admissibility of the papers as evil
dence, the-hour of IL o'clock arriving, the
committee took recess until o'clock.
The committee resumed its sessions at 3
O'Clock, with Sessions on the stand. He re-
peated the statements heretofore published
about the incidents of the evening of June 8
the visits he made to Woodin's or Barber's
room was there any talk or allusion to infu-
encing Bradley's vote by the use of money.
Witness fully and explicitly denied that at
the time he left Bradley at the elevator to go
up stairs he said, Bradley, if you vote for
Oepew have 81. 900 for you to put in your
vest pocket" and, as Bradley testified, when
.sradiey refused, he (sessions) said, II win
20 up and see what is the best that can be
lone" Witness gave detailed statement of
his connection with the passage of the post
Office bill in 1861. Witness saw many
legislators and committeeman and urged
the passage of the bill by argument
out never gave offered any financial con-
sideration. It was not necessary. The bill
passed unanimously. Witness never in all
the nine or ten years in which he followed
the business of lobbying in Albany pursued
any other course. Never in his life had he
given or offered promised any financial
consideration to any member for the support
of bill in which he was interested. No
man that ever lived or that now lived could
say he had ever attempted to influence legis-
lation by the improper use of money, for he
never had done so. While witness was lob.
Dying he was not member of the Legisla-
ture. His brother, Walter l.. Sessions, was
a member in 1854 and 1855, Senator from
1861 10 1867, Congressman from 1871 to 1875.
1t this point Mr.. Sessions was allowed to
rest, and X. 81. Pruyn of Albany, president of
the National Commercial bank, was sworn
de knew man called Charley Edwards; saw
MIN at his bank June 4. Edwards came into
witness room and presented check for
81 200. The check was one of AID. BARRIERS
on the Utica bank. He had a letter to cash
it. The proceeding was not secret one nor
unusual, but altogether regular.
Daniel W. Wemple, cashier of the New
York State National bank was next called.
He corroborated the testimony of Pruyn
cta of o,
ing with the bank Edwards made propo-
sition to witness that he (witness) should
cash a check for 81, 600 on the Utica bank.
The check was signed by A. D. Barber. Ed
wards objected to the rate of exchange, took
the check and went away. He was sure the
day was June 10.
Sessions was recalled and said Barber's
room was resorted to by men of all shades of
politics, both members and Senators. Wit
ness never to his recollection saw Tillinghast,
of the New York Central railroad, IN Barbers
room.
T. Coe Young, Assemblyman, was next
sworn. He voted for Tremaine and Lapham
all the time Knew Edwards had been in
formed that Edwards was lobbyist Ed
wards had several times talked to witness
about the Senatorial candidates. Edwards
had said to witness that his preference was
Depew. Edwards had made suggestions that
it would be to witness personal interest to
it would. Several times Edwards had said
that If witness would vote for Depew he
would be treated as well as the others Ed
wards had never said just how the others
would be treated and so witness did not know
how well Edwards meant Knew Surveyor
Graham of the port of New York; he had
two or three times asked witness to vote for
Depew. Once witness asked Graham to give
General Chrysler the same place he formerly
held in the custom house. Graham after asking
witness to vote for Depew said he regarded the
General as efficient and he should have his old
place in the custom house if he (Graham)
could secure it for him. Witness could not
swear that what Graham said about the Gen
eral was in connection with his request that
witness should vote for Depew. Witness was
Grand Army man and was looking out after
its interests when he voted for Tremaine,
who belonged to it.
Speaker Sharpe was recalled He said he
was not in his room at the Delavan the night
Bradley came there with the money by any
arrangement. Did not expect Bradley
and had no understanding of any kind with
him previous to that evening. Gould not re-
member who were present during the even
ing or what conversation If any took place
Witness mentioned several who called, but
was alone for few minutes when Bradley
and Jones called. Witness thought that
those who called previously to the visit of
Bradley and Jones did not sit down and talk
| to witness. Bradley and Jones did sit down
as men who came with a purpose and to talk
| about something specific. Witness thought
| it took him a minute to count the money
Witness if he had been engaged in conspir-
| acy would have certainly remembered every
detail of the conspiracy, but witness was not
| engaged in anything of the kind. Was not
| in his room to receive Bradley; did not ex-
| pect him when he came did not know he
as to come or was conf =; had no know1-
l eake when he came what le came for; had
no knowledge directly or indirectly by word,
| rumor, hint or any other known means of
| what Bradley had been doing or engaged in
before he himself told it. The balance of
Speaker Sharpe's testimony was unimportant,