Los Angeles herald., 1891-07-25
BARDSLEY INQUIRY.
The Councils Committee Still
Investigating.
Auditor General McCammant
Makes a Denial.
Newspaper Proprietors Placed on the
Witness Stand.
They Gave Large Commissions Co Some
body for Public Printing--Marsh
Tried to Bluff Wanamaker
but Failed.
Associated Press Dispatches.


PHILADELPHIA, July 24-The council's
investigating committee held another
session today. William II. Kemble and
William l.. Elkins, traction railway
magnatos, testified that they loaned
money to Bardsley with which to buy
Philadelphia and Chicago traction
shares, and he closed out at profit.
Auditor General McCammant said,
emphatically, that he never received,
dicectly or indirectly, one penny of the
money mentioned in the experts re-
port. He also denied that various sums
credited on the stubs of Bardsley's
check book to "Mc." were ever received
by him. Advertising business was
transacted through Captain Griffin
for a number of years, who was
employed in the auditor-general's de-
partment, and who died last year. Wit
ness had reason to believe that rebates
were paid by papers, for the reason
that Griffin intimated to him that GER
tain political debts had to be paid, and
that they were settled in this way. He
also understood that the newspapers
that did not get advertising were taken
care of by those that did getit.
After McCammant left the room,
Councilman Elting stated that notwith-
standing the auditor-general's denial, it
had been his (Elting's) intention to ex-
anime him upon certain documentary
evidence in his possession, but upon ad-
vice from the district attorney that it
would be unwise to make public dis
closure of the contents of the documents
at this time, he refrained.
Ex-State Treasurer Livsey could not
appear today, because Of the serious
illness of his daughter.
j. f. Singer, connected with the
Fourth street national bank, related
conversations had with Marsh, the
fugitive president of the Keystone bank,
after that institution was closed. Marsh
told of his endeavors to prevent the
closing OF the bank, saying: II tried
to bluff Wanamaker, but failed"
Marsh also told him he tried to get
Wanamaker to use his inhence to keep
the bank open, but that that gentleman
declined to interfere.
Clayton McMichael, of the North
American, Robert J. Cook, of the Press,
William H. McCully, of the Bulletin,
Edward Moreits, of the German Demo-
crat, and James Elverson, of the In
quirer, proprietors or managers of the
papers alleged to have given rebates on
the mercantile appraisers advertising
list, were sworn. Their testimony was
to the effect that they could not get the
advertising without paying commits
sion of 40 per cent. to the person bring
ing it to them, and as they could print
the matter and make profit after pay
ing the commission, they did so as mat
ter Of business. None of them had knowl-
edge that the commission was to 60 to
either Bardsley or the auditor-general.
Cook admitted that Captain Griffin was
the man to whom he paid the commits
sion previous to '91. Captain Griffin
having died in go, Cook declined to re-
veal the name of the person who re-
ceived the commission since, saying the
person was not public officer. the
others also declined.