Morning journal and courier., 1886-09-09

and so about week before my term expired I went to the treasurer of the company and asked him if could look over the company's books. He said yes, and went to see Mr. Charles Atwater and asked him to let me see the books. He asked me what wanted to find, and said I came to see if MT. Wagner had received any money from the company as lobbyist MT. Atwater said he did. He showed me two vouchers, l one on March 13, 1885, for $500 drawn by wards charged to the company for legal ex- penses. The other was bill of $364 25 paid to MT. Wagner, June 23, 1885, for legal services MT. Wagner then appeared at other meetings of the Board and called the men out to talk to him. Ex-Aldermau Benton-Do you know of any Alderman in 1884 receiving any money from Wagner a bribe? MT. Kennedy don't believe they did. MT. Benton-Do you think anyone was offered any money by MT. Wagners MT. KennedY-Don't know. MT. Tyler-Did he offer you any? MT. Kennedy-No. MT. Tyler-Ind1rectly?
 Mir. Kennedy-No.
 Ex-Alderman Whitmore-Do you know personally of anyone receiving any moneys
 Mir. Kennedy-I don't.
 MT. Hiller-Did anyone tell you he was of fered money?
 
 MT. Atwater was next called.
 MT. Sargent-You are treasurer of the Derby railroad!
 Witness-I am.
 Mir Sargent-Have you the reports of the Derby road?
 Witness-I have. MT. Tyler-I object to the introduction of this matter into the case. Mir. Sargent-I want to show by reports what money was paid out and if it was as MT. Kennedy testified, and I think it should be admitted The resolution says that I charged the Aldermen with receiving bribes. I did not accuse the Aldermen of receiving bribes, but it was against the Derby road. MT. Tyler-As I understand it, MT. Sar- gent has stated that the Derby road paid out money to bribe the Common Council to vote a certain way and this is what the commit tee az I understand it, is here to investigate, and I must object to the reports being brought in to be used as @ drag net to pull forth some old thing.
 Previous to some two years ago the legal ex- penses of the road were only about $15, but in 1884 they were nearly $1 800, and charge that this money, really belonging to the city, was used to influence or induce the Common Council to vote on the matter they other wise would not, said MT. Sargent.
 MT. Benton-In the charges the matter was part inference, and if he says we were never charged with being bribed, we say the
 
 apologize to MT. Sargent and the committee for having troubled them at all.
 After a five minutes recess the committee again took their seats and Chairman Dicker- man arose and said: First, the committee have voted to investigate whether, in the boundary of the petition, any money was paid out by the Derby road to corrupt mu- nicipal legislation; or, second, whether or not it bought votes in the Common Council of 1884.
 MT. Atwater was then further examined and stated that on January 16, 1885, he paid $500 to MT. Joel A. Sperry on his own &C., count, and this was afterwards charged to the legal expenses of the company. Also on June 23, 1885, he paid $364.25 to s. Harrison Wagner for legal expenses.
 Mir. Joel A. Spery, the president of the road, was then called and was examined as follows:
 Mr. Sargent-What was the first payment made by you to MT. Wagnera
 MT. Sperry-$900.
 MT. Sargent-That was on account ot the Derby railroad?
 MT. Sperry-Yes, sir; and was paid two or three days prior to the time drew the $500.
 MT. Sargent-Did you order the check Jan uary 16Ifor $364. 25 paid to MT. Wagner?
 MT. Sperry-I did.
 Mr. Sargent-Were any other payments made by your order to MT. Wagner?
 Answer-No, sir.
 NIT OaTSenG-W nat was the general IOQ0 of MT. Wagner's employment by the com pany?
 MT. Sperry-It was to represent the road in this matter before the Common Council.
 MT. Tyler-I wish you would state to the committee why you employed MT. Wagner.
 MT. Sperry-We are accustomed to have some one represent us in these matters and so l employed MT. Wagner.
 MT. Tyler-Was it 8 simple mattera
 MT. Sperry-lt was except that the public did not understand it and so I employed MT. Wagner to explain to the members of the Common Council what the Derby roads view of the matter was. When I employed MT. Wagner told him of the city proposition, and said the board of directors had accepted it, although we did not want to spend any money on it, not to bribe anyone but let them vote on it as they saw fit.
 MT. Tyler-Did you authorize MT. Wagner to pay any money to anyone to votes
 MT. Sperry-I did not, but told him not | to do it and to my knowledge not a dollar I was paid to any member of the Common attorney in this matter.
 Mir. Tyler-When MT. Wagner's bill was presented why did you not pay him at once2
 MT. Sperry-Because I thought it was rather large, and have never fully paid it. I think during this hearing on the matter in question ex-Governor Ingersoll and MT. W. J. Mills were employed for opinions and they were paid by MT. Wagner. The whole bill 1 was $1 ,214, and $1 164. .25 was paid out on it. This concluded the evidence of MT. Sperry, l and MT. Sargent started to call ex-Council- | man Gum, but MT. Tyler said he should be | one hour and half in the cross examination | and so the meeting was adjourned until 8 | o'clock this evening. |