New-York tribune., 1886-03-06
ON THE TRACK OF BRIBERY.
HAVE TWO ALDERMEN CONFESSED IT ALLs
WHAT CHARLES p. MILLER SAYS WAITE, CHIrTEN-
DEN AND RYAN TOLD HIM.

1
sensation IN the Senate Railroad Committees proceed.
ings yesterday. He declared that Thomas Ryan, once
treasurer of the cable road treasurer OF the Pha-
delphia syndicstes Metropolitan road and also Tam
many politician. called on him January Is or 10 last
! and said This whole matter Is political tight be.
tween Tammany Hall and the County Democracy; we
are going into the bowels Of the County Democracy the
Dell has been rang down them and they've got to
| come down." Then Mr.. Ryan said that two Aldermen
had confessed and they ready to forward and
make clean breast Of the whole bribery transactions
MI Ryan wished Mr.. Miller to have committee
and to go to Albany to have the Republicans the
investigation as righteous retrbution" II the Re-
publicans did not, Tammany man would :" as In
| fact done" The room was crowded when Mr.. Miller
made his statement and his wors produced sstonish
| ing effect Tie Broadway and Seventh Avenue people
delighted and at the time disgused at this es-
tmony. They delighted to have said that IL was
purely political fight which had brought on tho in
vestigaton. They expressed their disgust at this and
other statements OF confessions because witness was
allowed to state what he merely knew from hearsay.
Mr. Miller further stated that L. z. Chittenden. while
| fighting for E. NJ Knox aud the Roosevelt
whitney road. had declared that there had
| been bribery and that the stakeholder was
John Keenan, Ex-Alderman Waite put down by
Mr.. Miller saying that Alderman had been
offered $4,000 $4,000 Then Mr.. Millor declared
that he himself had found udisputable evidence from
property investments that three Aldermen once poor
suddenly forth with the TO make extensive
purchases OF property. Mr.. Miller the day after the in
vestigation began had Billy" Moonoy take
train for Washington, having been attended to the depot
by ex-senator Hogan Mr.. Hogan says that "Bllly"
went to Philadelphia and has been in this city within
ten days. He thinks Billy" is having lively time"
In tho City OF Brotherly Love.
The entire testimony OF Mr.. Miller was spoken Of In
the main by those who heard II mere hearsay evil
dence. Mr. Miller only knew wha. others told him. An
Intimate business associate OF Mr. Ryan said 81 don't
believe he said anything Of the kind" When Mr..
Chttenden. Mr. Ryan aud ex-Alderman Waite are
called much light Is expected to be thrown on Mr..
Mter's statements.
Lawyer Newcombe disclanod that he counsel for
Moloney. "Billy" had promised the lawyer to be on
hand when wanted but he had failed TO respond to Mr..
Newcombes appeals. Mr. NewcOmbe wished to appear
formally for sixteen Aldermen but the committee pnt
him on an equality with Lawyers Chlttenden and Bliss
as spectators who might take notes.
ONE or Mr. KgRRs SONS TEsTIFIEs.
Robert b. Kerr. about twenty-five years old, son OF
Thomas B. Kerr. the treasurer and secretary OF the
Seventh Avenue road was the first witness called Mr..
Conkllng In all directions to ascertain IL
the young man had written any letters In 1884 saying
that the Kerr family were greatly troubled lest f. b
should be involved in the charges OF bribrS that
nc had said had xed the Board with 100000; that
Commissioners had been paid money that even one
OF the judges had been named as having been ap-
preached that Mr. Kerr had had his bag packed to 20
to Europe or Florida and that he had said he would
PASS the summer there In Jail All OF this young Mr.
Kerr denied that lie had said written. He admitted
that he might possibly have written something OF tue
kind to certain parties, he felt bitter against his
father at the time The for this he voluntarily
| explained. "a young lady" TO whom his
father objected. Mr. Conklipg impressiyely pro-
duced an envelope though it contained the corre-
spondence hnted but he went further than TO havd
the witness identity sheet of paper his handwrit-
Ing The young sail he could have written nothing
autbor .atvey In the matter as he knew nothing Of
IT, lie graduated at Yale. He told Mr. ConklinS
that he might have written bitterly against his
father certain parties" than he would have done
had lie supposed the matter would he made public He
might have written even untrue things WAerenpon
Mr. Conkng rut the impressive query Is tha: dis
tncon embraced in the curriculum of Yale College that
an injurious fslsehood uttered abous another depends
for its justification eItenuaton upon the person to
whom IL was uttered I" This was poser in morals
which the young thought was not settled by tho
curriculum at Yale.
Mr.. MILLER TAKES THE STAND.
There was great buzz OF anticipation at this point.
II centred around o compIctlybu darkfeatured nan
with black hair and black mustiche, which he pulled
vigorously. His called by Mr. Conkling,
wnereupon he shot around the room like bullet
and dropped witnessc chair with the air OF
VINO carries load Of terrible secrets. He took the oath
as Charles p Miller. and said that he was lawyer and
mad been OF the counsel OF the Gibbs Committee.
Certain facts" he stated on invitation OF Mr. Seward
" had when was iu the Gibbs Committees
employ before aud since then that there had been
bribery"
Mr. Seward--wl you go back snd give the history Of
your discoveries
Mr. Miller proceeded with the history talking so
rapidly that had hard work keep
with him. He said
In May, 1854, WAS retained. with John Cadwaader.
in behalf Of the Broadway Railroad ltho Ko0seyet,
Whitney ROAD in opposition To to the oharp scheme
then ard for the rst zine Of the CHARGES Of bribery OF
the Aldermen. and "a member of the bar who had OBJ
tanned al injunction against the Sharp road gave ne
certain which made confident that he knew the
facts regarding tie bribery. He was theh employed by
the Broadway road he was trying To get at tue facts OF
aud mysef before the Commissioners TIts law
yer told me that the matter had been arranged away
back hen the matter was before the Legislature and
he knew the man who had charge OF the sum to DO
used
Mr. Miller's statement causing astonshment. and
every leaning forward to hear more wnen Rich
ard g. Newcombe. who represents nfteen sixteen Al
dermen past present. asked that the Iard Of Alder
ren should represented by counsel before the COM
mittee view OF the ue OF testimony being given
by Mr.. Miller. He SAID
The moment this gentleman gives the testimony he
says ne is about TO give It will be ike everything eise
testified to before this ommittee-telegrapaed all over
country. He Is saying that be has heard somobody
say that somebody else knows certain facts Mere
repeated to this gentleman should not be heard
Under the circumstances ask that the Aldermen may
be represented.
Mr. CoNKLING "sUPPOsES"
Mr. Conkling repeated the argument with which he
had killed of Colonel Bliss early in the contest that the
sessions OF the committee were an "lnqllsuon" and
witnesses should not be allowed TO appear by counsel
Mr. Conking also argued that the doors OF the inQus
ton were big enough to admit Mr.. Miller and all tho
retinue OF which he had been gathering around
MIN Tor years wanted everything let IN which could
illuminate the path Of truth and justice. Continuing
he said:
supposs IL turns out that the stakeholder was Mr..
John Keenan, aud he still continues deaf to that
cal whicn has been going for him until IL nas
become din. suppose the thing turns out about
William H. Moloney. suppose it shall appear that
when this commi appointed Mr. MOloney
stepped a ia aud from the thereof waved his
ad.u to the committee. Laughter. charge no bad
faith on the counsel (turniny TO Mr. Nrwc0mbel but
whsu he said that Mr. Moloney wOdld be here said 10
myself, There is such faith no. not IN Israel
Na IN ahn4 n,lf nnlx hX Mr