The record-union., 1891-03-14

was talking with Paris kilbourn and some
other gentlemen at the time, and put
Beiau off by saying he would see him
again. Louis Jones had said he was in
troduced to witness down there, but Mr..
Bruner said he had no recollection of it,
but il might have occurred. as there were
many persons about. Heknew Belau by
sight, but did not then know his name.
Witness then repeated what took place
between reporter Alexander of the Ec-
GBti3ler and himself before the latter left
the city en- route to San Francisco, in re-
gard to the reported sales of places on the
police force. He told Alexander he knew
nothing about it, and the latter told him
that Lawrence would interview him on
the train, but to look out for him. Law
renee came to him on the train and told
him what was being said, and he CBruner)
replied that he would like to get hold Of
the persons who were using his name.
After Belau approached witness on
Monday of last week he (Bruner) thought
the matter over and concluded that q
trap was being laid for him, and that
Lawrence had hand III it. He contided
the matter to his brother, and said he
would turn the tables on them, and his
brother advised him to have nothing to
do with it. The. next day witness met
Judge Armstrong and told him it looked
as If there had to be Il fight" between
himself and the E,rdDeiner reporters.
Juti1G G-AlilSlIoliS UtSStll lilill 10 ldNc no
trouble with tho reporters, as they had a
newspaper at their backs and would have
the best of it.
That afternoon he told his brother of
his interview with Judge Armstrong,
and of his advice, and his brother urged
him to have no trouble with the news
paper men. Witness replied that he
would engage in no controversy unless
he had the best OF it.
Mr. Bruner then related what occurred
in the library on Tuesday evening-of
the conference between himself and
Messrs. Johnston, Govan and Alvin j.
Bruner on city politics, and the subse-
quent transaction about the letter and the
certificate of deposits substantially the
same words as in his statement made to
the Assembly Il week ago. When Belau
| told witness that his friend was there for
| the letter, that there was $f00in it, and that
he (Belau) was to have $50 out of it, it
then occurred to witness that there was
| a conspiracy on foot and he decided at
once to go into the library with Belau.
St;lweli and Jones. After the letter was
written and the certificate of deposit
handed to witness, Stilwell picked up Il
card on which had been written the
name of ''Thomas Stoley," his business,
etc.
Witness saw at glance that the writing
on the card and that on the certificate of
| deposit were not in the same hand, and
being convinced that not only had an at
tempt at bribery been made but that for
gerry had been committed, he asked Still
well for the card, and when he got it he
kept it. [The card was introduced in
evidenced Witness then went into the
private office of Mr.. Lease, and made
the remark that she had got the
-" and asked Mr.. Leake to cash the
certificate, and he got 500 at the time.
| Witness brother asked him if that was
the matter of which he had spoken, and
he replied that it was. Subsequently his
brother went to him in the Assembly and
said he felt uneasy about the matter.
Witness assured him that he knew Just
what he was doing, and had ''got those
| fellows were he wanted them."
Witness then told how Mr.. Leake paid
him the balance of the money on the fol-
| lowing morning, and of his depositing it
with State Printer Johnston. He denied
that Senator Maher or anyone else had
ever held out any inducements to him, of
any kind, to use his influence for the
police bill. He did not know who the
Police Commissioners were, and did not
ever know that Chief Crowley was a
member of the commission. In all of his
experience in politics and public affairs
moi Il dollar had ever entered his hand as
compensation for using his influence in
behalf OF any person for position.
Chairman Bledsoe asked Mr.. Bruner
why he had not taken other persons into
his confidence in the matter, and he replied
that he supposed in his conferences with
his brother and Judge Armstrong, and
his intended conference with State
Printer Johnston, he had gone far enough
| in that direction.
Being asked as to the character of his
relations with certain persons, Mr.
Bruner replied that they were warm per-
sonal and political friends, but as a mat
ter of fact there were few men to whom
he would confide matters of importance
to himself. he regarded the certificate of
| deposit to have been forged, and knew
| that if such We're the case it would be dis
covered when presented for payment,
that then the whole thing would come
out, and it would not be necessary for
him to do further in the matter.
Chairman Bledsoe asked witness why
he did not report the matter to the Assem-
| bly, on the night he got the certificate
and he replied that he saw no necessity
for so doing, as he had gone openly to
Mr.. Leake, a member of the opposite
political party to his, to have the certiti-
cate cashed.
| Mr.. Gould then questioned Mr.. Bruner
at some length, and in response thereto
| he stated that, on his second interview
with Lawrence, when the latter told him
there was nothing in the report, he was
satisfied thathe was telling him q false
| hood.
! Being asked why he did not denounce
the men at the time the certificate was
! handed him, Mr.. Bruner replied that it
was his Judgment at that time that Law
renee was concerned i'll the transaction,
and he believed it better to let the certifi-
cate go back to the bank, when the forg-
! cry, if such it was, would be exposed. He
may have erred in judgment, but he
| thought he was pursuing the proper
course. He did not have Belau arrested,
because he believed that Lawrence of the
Examiner was the person who was at the
! bottom of the affair. but at that time had
not the evidence thereof.
! A great many questions We're asked by
| Mr.. Gould as to why witness did not do
certain things, but his reasons therefor
were substantially covered by the above
statements. Early in the session, Mr..
Bruner said, he had entertained Arthur
| Mcfwan and one or two other Examiner
attaches at dinner; it was done out of
pure sociability and because up to that
| time they, especially Mr.. McEwan, had
| treated him quite fairly.
! Mr.. Burners attention was called to
! his statement that he had called Belau in
| as witness during the transaction in the
! library, and was asked why he did so.
| He replied that it was convenient to do
! so, as he was near by. He had not taken
| into account what would have become of
| the $50 paid to Belau, in case the certifi-
cate had been declared forgery.
| If the Examiner had not published the
| statement, Mr. Bruner said, he would
| have followed the certificate to San Fran
cisco and traced up the matter until, if
| possible, the chief conspirator was I'M
earthed. He did not call his brother and
Judge Armstrong before the Assembly
when he made his statement, because he
intended to demand an investigation, and
did not wish to give away all of his case
at that time. 1t would have been unwise
and impolitic for him to have done so.
Mr. RrIlna, said tllerf, WIS no ilarticr-