The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-03-26
A DRAMATIC COURT SCENE.
Philadelphia Councilman Confesses
TO Bribery in Open Court.

Philadelphia Councilman COnfesses
TO Bribery in Open Court.
The Morning News dispatches of Thurs
day referred briefly to the sensational
scene in a Philadelphia court, on the day
before, when one member of Council con-
fessed the acceptance of bride, another
was accused of like offense, and two
others were charged with offering the
bribes. 344
The whole affair grows out of the or
dinance offered in Council to lease the
city water works to the Schuylkiu Valley
Water Company, and the alleged attempt
by Nelson G. Green of New York. repre-
senting the company, to obtain favorable
report from the water committee by the
payment of between $4,000 and $4,000
The court scene when Councilman Walk
er broke down and made a clean breast
of the fact that his vote had been bought,
was intensely dramatic. Describing the
occurrence, a local paper says:
Louis j. Walker, member of the water
committee and of the subcommittee. and
select councilman from the Twelfth ward,
next took the stand. He began his tesu-
mony with nervous boloness; = he lett the
witness stand broken, weak and trembling
"a self-convicted perjurer, selt-contessed
bribe- taker. This transformation was DIS
trict Attorney Graham's triumph. Inc
story, so strangely told seemed TO De
dragged out by a power almost hypnotic
AS an exhibition of the control of a mas
terly mind over a weaker will, still further
weakened by conscious guilt, IL was SUI
perbly remarkable.
Walker is man of limited educaton,
| shrinking in manner, hesitatiug In voice
and lacking in physical as well as mental
| force Graham is big, impressive, QUICK
| Drained, magnetic. Walker began ms
| story meekly Graham, seated at table,
| thumbing some papers, led the witness on,
| pointing the way in soft, persuasive voice.
| The witness tumbled at first and then
| gained courage He began his denials
| timidly There was no obstruction ana ne
foundered on a little more boldly, ne
| had never seen Nelson G. Green IN MS
| life; he had never been paid bride or
had been offered one; ne had never even
| heard that bribery was attempted.
Graham. the persuasive, changed In an
instant to Graham, the terrible. Now,
| SIR he numbered, jumping up with a
bound, and glaring with eyes hashing
| mower and determination, and finger point
ed threateningly. Now sir, want the
truth. Yau may as well tell the truth now,
and / mean that you shall
The witness trembied perceDtibly. Judge
|
| God as your Judge answer me the truth,
| you owe it to YOURSELF
''Now Mr. Walker" again broke in Mr..
| Graham II VIII give you one minute to
reflect. Then will ask you once more,
and 1 want you to tell The truth"
The minute was marked by silence In
| tense. Every eye turned towards the wit
ness to see face that looked appealingly
| for a friend ana saw none, a face that
was the theater of a panorama of emo
tions conflicting and terrible. Mr.. Ora
| hams glance, steady, impassioned, re-
| lentless, seemed TO be piercing the witness
through and through. Walkers jaw trem-
| bled; his knees shook. g
Now" said Mr.. Graham, 81 will again
| ask you If you were offered any money to
vote for this bill?" The witness parched
| lips moved, he hesitated--he was lost.
He tried to get away from his pursuers'
awful glance.
Look me in the eye" thundered Gra-
ham.
The district attorney was at him now
hammer and tongs.
The story was soon dragged forth. The
witness whispered, Il vas offered 5000
! by Mr.. Byram.'
! Mr.. Byram is a select councilman. He
had, Walker said, calledgst his house and
asked his support, holding out bait or
$1,000 Once the witness came near to
what was revelation OF gas lease meth
DDS, but Graham did not press this point
| Instead, he went on to the story of how
| the water bill came from the sub-com-
mIttee. Again the witness took refuge
| in denals and Mr.. Graham Numbered
forth: 81 know $4,000 was paid to get
that bin out of committee. and l mean to
4 know who got it,
Again the witness broke This time he
said he had been paid $500 for his vote
in committee. The money had been paid
to him by Common Councilman Charles
! Seger. and the payment had been made
in Seger's saloon, on South Penn square
! At the time he got the money, the witness
/ said, he was accompanied by Common
I Councilman Edwin e. Smith of the Elev-
| enth ward. Smith, too, had been handed
$500 al the same time. Walker left the
stand a wreck