The San Francisco call., 1899-01-24
D. M. BURNS AS AN ANGEL.

D. M. BURNS AS AN ANGEL.
D. NJ Burns, being sworn, testified as
follows:
The chairman-Have you been SUBJ
penaed, Colonel?
A. No, sir.
Q. Are you willing to come before the
committee without being subpenaed?
a. Most aSsuredly.
O. Your name is Daniel NJ. Burns?
a. Yes.
Q. Where is your residence?
A. San Francisco.
Q. Are you the Daniel NJ. Burns who is
a candidate before this Legislature for
election to the United States Senatorship?
A. | am.
Q. Mr.. Burns, have you used any money
to influence any legislator in the matter
of the election of United States Senator?
A. | have not, sir.
=. Directly or indirectly?
A / have not.
promise of patronage, or the threat to
withhold patronage, for the purpose of
influencing the vote of any member of the
Legislature on the question of the United
States Senatorship?
A l have not.
Q. Have you authorized any agent of
yours to use any money or patronage, or
the promise of money or patronage, or the
Withholding of patronage, to influence the
vote of any legislator on the question of
the United States Senatorship?
A. | have not, sir.
Q. How long have you been a candidate
before the Legislature, or before the peo-
pie, for the office of United States Sen
ator?
A. 1 arrived at a conclusion in my own
mind to become a candidate the day after
Christmas. announced my candidacy on
the I'd of January.
Q. 1t was testified here, Mr. Burns by
Mr.. Herrin, that at one time he issued
passes to persons whose names he could
not remember, two of them, at your So
hnif1finn writing n 2
port two persons to some point in Penn
sylvania, perhaps Philadelphia, and that
you paid for those passes or tickets, as
Mr.. Mellick-They were not passes.
They were tickets.
The chairman-Well, either passes or
Mr.. Mellick-And, then, at the request
The chairman-Well, will find out
about that. Do you remember any
such instance as that?
A. / do.
Q. Kindly state to the committee how
tation, if true, and whether it is true,
state.
A Mr.. Merrill came to me, think,
abut the 10th of December and stated to
me that there was a man and his wife
in his district who were poor, objects of
charity; that If they remained here they
would become a public charge; that they
tions raised in his district; that if he
could get reduced rate-that he had been
to the railroad company to try to get
a reduced rate to send them back to their
friends, and that he was unable to do so.
He wanted to know if L could not assist
him. l said: What sort of ticket do they
what would it cost?'' We'll" he said, II
don't know, but you might be able to get
a charity ticket 1 said, II don't think
So" But after discussing the matter at
some length / wrote to Mr.. Herrin, ask
ing him if he would give them tickets and
make the best rates that be could. A few
days after Mr.. Herrrin said that under the
State commerce law they could not issue
passes or could not issue tickets, and that
he had directed these tickets to issue and
l would have to pay for them, and did.
Q. Do you remember the amount you
paid for them?
A. Ny recollection now is it was $1S2 or
s1$S, somIething Of that sIiin;i.+,on kind: ..
understand you, of Assemblyman Mer-
rill?
A. Yes.
O. OF what district?
Q. You had had a talk with Mr.. Merrill
about it?
O. Now in that talk that you had with
AssembIyman Merrill in connection with
these tickets, this thing of the couple, was
anything said directly or lnelrectly con-
cerning his vote 1or OIiteu states 0eiia-
A. Not a word. and I will state further
that 1 never talked with Mr. Merrill
body's candidacy until after the roll call
here in the Legislature and he had voted
for Mr.. Grant. l saw him that afternoon
and discussed the matter with him, and
he said to me that he had voted on
piuue 1 will frankly confess that ex-
nected as much to have Mr.. Merrlll vote
as any other member OF the delegatlon,
ana Furthermore, / never asked Il single
man to vote for me. Many OF them nave
volunteered to me that they would sup.
port me, but personally peeTr haeT y, h4he 4he
Condition to ask any one, because was
not a candidate, and, as have stated pc
fore l had not made up my own M ntinu ~. ~
to become candidate uhlii 'ii9 e''
C1ii1 q The Sn 2Sth of December last?
G Such thought I never e. enIereG ra1eer my my
tared NV mind until after The Call and
The Chronicle commenced to abuse me.
That put the idea into my head more
tnah "a Wai Taiy The the abuse az the Chronicle and
cali might be considered an improper in
fiuence brought to bear S upon fa a caholoate
Aos II 4 tbinlS If has been a very improper
one I think 1t has been an outrageous
one o We'll Colonel. were you influenced in
anV manner in paying for these tickets
for the couple mentioned, ny the e,, oena-
torial situation or with the e nope oL SeSut
ing the vote Of Mr.. Merrlli TOT canoloate
for United States Senator?
a Not in the slightest degree.
o. Was there any intimation ma, made eoy by
s,0tho,i+y thai YOU would assist Mr.. Mer-
rii in securing these tickets for the pur-
pose of securing. his vote for any candi-
9ate None whatever. In fact, Mr. Merrill
came nc 10 to me in the State Central rooms:
We went into the back and 6aodad he tod
me his story, and lmpulslVeiy oeelueo TO
assist him in the matter.
o. Purely as matter of charity?
A. Purely.
sense?
Q. Has Mr.. Merrill repaid you the
money that you paid for those tickets?
A. TIe has not. I would not expect it.
@. Has Mr. Merrill, in consideration of
your having paid for those tickets. direct
ly or indirectly promised. or given 1t to
be understood to you, that he will vote
for you for United States Senator?
A. No, sir.