Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-10-06
THE BRIBERY OF MIR. BLAINE.
Evidence Establishing the Fact that He
Accented Money for His Rulings.

Evidence Establishing the Fact that He
Accepted Money for His Rulings.
To-day the bottom dropped out of the
scheme so persistently prosecuted to sup
press testimony relating to the alleged
bribery of James G. Blaine while Speaker
Of the House, says a Harrisburg (Pa.)
special of Oct. 2. District Attorney Nc
Carrell sought to intimidate the Alder
men before whom the evidence was being
taken with a communication disputing
his right to admit any evidence except
that tending to establish the publication
of the libel with which George d. Her
bert was charged in having written
statement printed in the Harrisburg
Patriot, giving conversations had with
Charles I'll. Bergner, in which the latter
charged bribery on Blaine. The truthful
ness of this statement was denied by
Bergner and the Republican papers
friendly to Blaine.
Information was made against the
writer for libel, at his request, to elicit
the truth, and to-day the accuracy of his
statement was fully proved. b. f. Meyers,
publisher of the Patriot, swOre that the
day after the publication Of the statement
Charles II. Bergner had said to a number
OF persons that he had seen two checks at
Cincinnati with which VIM. H. Kemble
alleged he had bribed Blaine to make
ruling for him. Bergner cOntradicted
the truth of the publication, and had
printed in the Patriot denial.
To this Meyers replied: "Mr. Bergner,
you know you told me the story several
times"
Bergner answered: 81 did, except 1
said nothing to you about checks"
Meyers retOrted: 81 don't remember
whether you did or not, but you said to
me thatin Cincinnati, in 1876, William Ii.
Kemble, of Pennsylvania, had declared
that he had to pay Blaine twice to get him
to support measure in which KemDle
was interested, paying him 1000 and
$1,000 respectively, and that Kemble said
he could respect man who would vote
favorably for bill after having been
bought once, but he had no respect for q
- that had to be bought twice. You
said to me, Mr.. Bergner, that you could
not vote for Blaine, because you knew
him to be a corrupt man."
'You Democrats" J" said Bergner, sWOuld
like to see Blaine nominated; you would
have a pudding. 1t would be proved
upon him that he was a corrupt man, and
that is the reason you want him nomina-
ted.'
Elbridge McConkey, resident clerk of
the House of Representatives, swOre that
Bergner said he deprecated the nOmina-
tion of Blaine. The nomination was un-
wise and imprudent, and Bergner pre-
dicted Blaine's defeat, As a reason, he
gave the existence of the checks in Kem-
ble's possession. The genuineness of
these checks Blaine could not dispute.
Bergner said kemble stated in bis pres
ence when Blaine's nomination seemed
imminent the party could not afford un-
der any circumstances to take that kind
of candidate, and in proof said: ''Here
are two checks, one for $4,000 and the
other for $1,000, drawn by me to his order.
L ask anybody to say that this signature
on this back as lndOrsed was not genuine.
They We're given to him by me for the
purpose Of giving decision while he
was Speaker of the House of Represen-
tatives at Washington. l challenge
contradiction. | never had any other
business transaction with him in my life.
There they are, take them and examine
them" These checks McCOnkey SAID
Bergner told him he had seen and had in
his hands. ID. w. Seller, Secretary OF the
State Agricultural Society, testified that
he was present when Bergner made the
statement ascribed to him by McConkey.
He simply confirmed what had been stated
and in answer to an inquiry whether
Bergner had told him he saw the checks,
responded in the affirmative. The hear
ing was adjourned until tomorrow after
noon to take the testimony of Samuel
Kunkel, in whose presence Bergner told
the bribery story.
Charles Ii. Bergner is Republican
lawyer of this city, and was formerly pro-
prietor of the Harrisburg Telegraph, a
stalwart Republican paper.