Morning journal and courier., 1886-09-16
THE BRIBERY INVESTIGATION.

THE BRIBERY INVESTIGATION. Another Lengthy Hearing Before the
 Committee-The Evidence to be Con.
 c1uded This Evening and the Argu.
 ments to Follow.
 The investigation into the charges of bribery in the Derby railroad matter was re- stunned last evening in room 10 City Hall. The attendance was not so large as on the previous evening, ths interest apparently being on the wane. The committee were promptly in their places at 8 o'clock, when the hearing was at once resumed.
 S. Harrison Wagner resumed his testimony as follows: I never offered ahy member of the Court of Common Council one dollar or any other consideration for their work or vote in the Derby railroad matter. I never told MT. Gum that would help him to get
 any political office. told him did not
 know anything about these political offices;
 that had just got through with one politi-
 cal campaign and that was enough. I also told him that I was not near
 the throne and was not particularly intimate
 with Congressman Mitchell. In reference to
 my calling at his place, have no recol1ec-
 tion of calling there more than once and then I think talked with him in the doorway;
 our conversation may have bsen in relation to the Derby railroad matter. I cannot say.
 MT. Tyler-What haveyou to say about offer ing Councilman Clark money to influence his vote2
 Waener-I know Mir. Clark as gentle manly young man and once met him at George R. Cooley's office. I think I first asked MT. Clark what he thought about the Derby railroad compromise, and he said he knew but very little about as it had not got to his board yet. He said there was no use in his looking into the matter as he was going South to the New Or leans exposition, and as I understood it, in the interest of some loading tool for the Winchester rife. I said to him, I wish you could stay here and give us your aid. He replied that there was not one chance in ten of his being here. He then passed out and I gave him no further thought.
 F'How about yonr bill to MT. Sperrya"
 s'We1l, MT. Sperry found some fault with my bill because it was larger than he expect ed it would be. I explained to him the amount of work had to do, and the result was that fifty dollars was taken off the bill and it was paid. I contracted 8 number of bills, and after I had paid them I sent him or the road a statement.
 On the cross-examination the witness said his personal bill was not over $500 nor less than S7OO He said that he could not tell what he said about the matter to the various Aldermen. Witness recollected of talking with Alderman Brown on the subject one night when he walked home with him. Our views differed on the subject, said MT. Wag- ner, and I left him undecided as to his course of action. I think that subsequently, he told me he should support the bill.
 F'How many times did you see Mir. Gunna'
 "Well, he may have called at my office twice-perhaps three times"
 Continuing, witness said that he finally got tired of Gunn's coming to his office and he told him to get out, that he had got tired of hearing him talk. At the request of MT. the witness gave statement in detail of the form of compromise.
 To most of the questions propounded by Mir. Blydenburgh the witness did not give definite answers, he stating that so much time had elapsed that he could not recollect all of the little details of the matter.
 He said he did not know which of the di- rectors of the road told him to employ MT. Mills.
 When MT. Blydenburgh had concluded his cross examination of MT. Wagner the committee took 8 recess for five minutes.
 After recess MT. Kleiner of the committee asked MT. Wagner if he could not detail more at length his conversation with MT. Gum.
 Witness replied that he could not, the con- was very short, anyway. He also said that he did not keep any accounts of monies paid out in this matter.
 In reply to MT. Kleiner witness said he did not recollect of sending any members of the Council home in hacks who were oppos- ed to the Derby railroad matter, altho ugh he might have done SO.
 MT. Sullivan called up MT. Gum and asked him if he had any proof other than his own statement that MT. Wagner offered him any money to influence his vote. MT. Gum replied that he had not any direct proof George R. Cooley was next called and test fled that he heard the conversation between MT. Wagner and Councilman Clark. He said he heard no offer of money made or any talk about using money by MT. Wagner. MT. Cooley then detailed the part he took in the matter that was pendingibefore the Common Council. His impression was that he received e25 for his services from MT. Wagner.
 In reply to MT. Kleiner witness said he recollected distinctly that Clark said it did not make any difference to him as he was going away.
 Mir. Tyler at this point laid in the records of the Common Council, showing the pro- ,eedings during the pendency of the Derby matter.
 The defense rested, and MT. Blydenburgh called Charles L. Ullman in rebuttal. He testified that MT. Gunn's reputation for truth and veracity was on a par with other men.
 R. S. Duff, w O. Staples, L. M. Tanner, William Lee, Charles Lippenstein, James Foley and Philip Winter testified as did MT. Ullman.
 When Mr. Lee was on the stand he testified that he never knew Gum to tell but one lie. He was about to leave the stand when MT. Sullivan, of the committee, called witness back and asked him what the lie was that Gum told him.
 Lee replied: "When he told me he was -Ga iv, ,uAo house."
 The answer caused a roar of laughter, which the chairman in vain tried to quell. After quiet had been restored MT. Sullivan asked few more questions and excused the witness.
 J. J. Kennedy was recalled and said it was at one of the last meetings of the Common Council of 1884 that MT. Wagner told him he was not paid attorney of the Derby road. He said also that there were some members that he went to see and found that they had been seen by Mir. Wagner and had changed their minds.
 J. B. Sargent was called and said he was quite positive that Mayor Lewis was mis- taken about seeing him talking with MT. Gunn He said he did not know MT. Gum at that time. The same was true in regard to MT. Wagn CTS statement of similar pur port.
 In reply to MT. Tyler MT. Sargent said he did not do any lobbying on the railroad mat ter and did not try to influence the vote of anyone.
 MT. Blydenburgh stated that he had no other witnesses to call except Alexander Troup and John W. Lake, both of whom were absent.
 Mr. Tyler said that he did not know that he desired to call any more witnesses, unless there should be something to answer from the witnesses that MT. Blydenburgh proposed to call.
 Chairman Dickerman said that the com mittee would call few witnesses on certain points at the next meeting.
 The counsel asked the committee if they desired to hear the case argued, and replied that they were willing to do so.
 It was then agreed that MT. Blydenburgh should make the opening argument, that MT. Tyler should follow and MT. Blydenburgh close.
 Ex-Alderman Benton suggested that, as this investigation had been made at the re- quest of the ex-Aldermen and Councilmen, and that they were as much interested as anyone, that they should, if they so desired, have the closing argument. This was agreed to by the committee, and then, at 11:15, an