The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-12-30
FIGHTING SENATOR'S.
Testimony in the Murpliy-Ma.
=. honey Election Contest. :.

Very Little Material Evidence ELECTED.
I. Senator Standards Reasons for DISC
beying the Subpoena,
The hearing of the Senatorial contest be-
tween P. }. Murphy, the late Incumbent,
and j. II. Mahoney, who was recently
elected to the Office from the Twenty-fourth
Senatorial District, was resumed yesterday
morning before Justices of the Peace Stat
ford and Murasky. AT the; opening of court
there was Large array of political talent
present, including some of high as well as
low degree. with sprinkling OF well-known
Stanford men,.
- After the fofmality of declaring the court
80 open had been. gone through, ID. NJ. Burns
was called to the; stand and duly sworn. In
answer to A. j.. Clunie's interrogatories, he
. stated that lie lived and transacted business
" in this city: Is a. member Of the Republican
State Central Committee was Chairman of
the Campaign Committee during the late
political controversy, and, as such, attended
TO the hiring of speakers, renting Of halls.
and all other necessary campaign work.
10 lll6 question w udl was slI.e amount
of money turned over 10 that committee by
the Republican State Central Committee
during the campaign? r. Ii. Lloyd. on be-
half Of SeDator-elect Mahoney, raised an
objection: and instructed the witness not to
answer, but after an extended controversy
: between opposing counsel. Mr.. Burns finally
p answered that he had not received a cent.
Continuing his testimony, the witness ad-
mitted the existence of an Auditing Com
? inittee, but who the gentlemen were who
composed il he did not know.
: :. What was the rule that governed the
paving out of money by that conmittee?"
.queried Mr. Clunie.
II decline to answer" said the witness.
NOT: COMPELLED TO ANSWER.
- Counsel asked that the Court instruct the
: witnesS.to reply, unless he claimed that the
so deing; would tend to convict him of a
crime. The opposing counsel resisted this
demand and claimed that the Court had
no power to.cempel an answer as the pro-
eeeding is not a trial but merely to take tes-
timopy. He went further, and claimed the
right for the witness to refuse to answer any
Z. questi n: he saw ft.
The Court sustaining this view of the
matter; the investigation proceeded for some
moments as follows: 49,
Ibid Xpu furnish money to any one in the
campaign.??: =.
Decline to answer"
.'Did you buy any votes 2"
- ..Depline to answer"
ibid you: have list of persons in the
Twenty fourth Senatorial District 10 whom
money was piid fer yotes?"
II did not"
How did you procure money to carry on
thecampaign?"
. -..Decline to:apswer"
- DO you know Phil Crimmins, W. W.
STOW or: Martin kelly?''
'Dectlna 10. answer"
T.: -. :. Did you. give any money out that could
be used for buying yotes?"
- qbiect,h said Mr.. Lloyd, and the OBJ
: jectlon.WaS sustained.
Thes witness then declared his intention to
: answer all questions pertaining to the con-
test, between Murphy and Mahoney, but
i: atGnaaH outside matters he would refuse
!: 10: testify. He denied the existence of a
=. Stant ord fund for the purpose Of buying
Votes acnai fted that he had known Maho-
neg for twenty years; denied having sug-
gested hin as the nominee to either Stow,
Crimmlns or Kelly, or that he had any
knowledge that Senator Stanford or w. W
STOW would give a sum of money to Repub-
. lFean. candidates on the Legislative ticket,
-nsr did he know. anything about the pur-
chase OF votes in the district in controversy.
: After further frultless efforts to obtain in
formation from him the witness was ex-
cuSed,.@:
W. W. sTow's TESTIMONY.
= w. W. Stow being next called and sworn
testified substantially as follows:
II am not a member of the Republican
State Central Committee. l know Senator
Leland Stanford, but have not been acting
Tor him year prior to the last election. l
-neyerrnade any agreement with any person
Tegarding the return of Mr. Stanford to the
Senate OF the United States. l had no con-
: yersation with Mr.. Kelly or Mr. Crimmins
regarding; the nomination of any person
from the Twenty-fourth Senatorial District
+ Tor the state Senate. | never had a CONVEX
sation with anybody. Neither Mr.. Kelly
nor Mr.. Crimmins ever told me that Mr..
: Mahoney, was to be the nominee from the
TwentyIourth Senatorial District. No
money was furnished to me by Senator
Stanford during the last campaign, or prior
to tile last campaign, to be used for the pur-
pose of electing members for the Republi-
can ticket to the State Senate"
~ Subsequently the witness refused to
answer a number of questions reaching out
in the same direction as those asked d. NJ.
Burns. Many Of them, he claimed. were
impertinent, and others were characterized
as an attempt to besmirch him. After many
refusals, he finally invited Mr.. Clunie to call
. at his office if be desired political instruc-
ton, and he would accommodate him to the
best Of his ability. Later he refused to say
where he banked; denied the existence of
Stanford or Stow bribery fund, and would
late campaign in the interest of Senator
Stanford.
e. AFTER THE RECESS.
= The examination of the witness was con-
.tinued alter recess, and Mr.. Ciunie's des-
perate struggle to induce the witness to
commit himself some way OF another con-
tlnued as fruitiess as ever.
81: Mr.. Stow said he mad heard of the Demo-
cratic reform movement, but was not on
especially intimate terms with any of its
ha haa in foro
with any of them concerning political
matters.
:; The attempt to worm out an acknowledge
ment that he had contributed largely either
of Ills own or somebody else's money, to
Influence that branch OF the Democracy in
working for stanford's friends, resulted in
a complete disavowal oSever having had a
: thing to do with them in any way, shape or
:form, denial OF the payment of a cent to
assist them, or the authorization of any one
TO do SO with his own or any money at all.
Mr. Clunle thought possibly the witness
might have kept some accounts of disburse-
meDts, and reminded him that he was
sabpeDaed to bring all such evidence with
- hini. Mr: Stow replied that he had moth
: ing OF the kind in his possession, and
didn't believe there was anything Of the
kind in existence, for the simple reason that
: there was no such money paid.
The witness paid the State Central
Committee $1,000 toward the establish
ment of the Wigwam, and that was all
he was ever asked to pay. If Senator Stan
ford paid as much or more, or anything at
all. he did not know. He could not say
whether Stanford had any confidential
agent to assist IN conducting his Senatorial
fight or not; never talked with him on that
subject
BADGERED FOR ONE HOUR.
Mr.. Clunie asked the witness il he had
seen and talked with C. p. Huntington in
relation to political affairs, and the answer
was that he had, but he declined to state
the nature of the interview. When asked
whether be had given the State Central
COMMITTEES $4,000 to use in behalf of Stan
ford's fight. Mr.. Stow replied: 81 did not"
~ I" How much did you give?"
mot one picayune."
Mr.. Clunie then badgered the witness for
fully one hour without making the slightest
Roadway. Questions that could not have