The San Francisco call., 1899-01-24

this Legislature, through the influence OF
Daniel M. Burns or otherwise?
A. l do not. That is probably the an
swer to the question But if you are re-
ferring to the transportation that was
furnished to some one at the instance or
Assemblyman Merrill-is that what you
want to know?
@. That is what I want to know.
A. Well, 1 can tell you all l know about
that.
Q. Kindly do that
A. Some time in December, | think 1t
was-the exact date / cannot place, a
gentleman called at my office and intro
duced himself as Assemblyman Merrill.
| had no acquaintance with him, ana tnat
was the first time / ever saw him. he
wanted transportation for a friend of
his, and so far as 1 remember, he only
mentioned one person who wanted to go
East-some one, | think he said VINO
lived in Philadelphia; that he was under
obligation to this person, and that ne
would like to get transportation. | told
him it could not be furnished; that the
law prohibited the granting of free
transportation to any one who was not
an employe of the company. Then ne
wanted to know If 1 could not get some
reduction-get a reduced rate; half
rate, l think, he wanted. told MN
mo" that was equally prohibited ana l
could not furnish it. He then went away
and afterward, l don't remember whether
it was that day or the next, some one
came to me. 1t was not Mr.. Merritt
probably some clerk in the passenger ae-
partment or it may have been Mr.. Worth
ington, but I don't remember as to that,
and presented a request from Colonel
Burns that two tourist tickets from san
Francisco to | think some p0int IN Penn- tsin
sylvania l think it was Philadelphia.
And those tickets, as 1 understood, were
furnished.
@. Was this a written request from
Daniel Burns?
A. My impression is that it was simply
II is nv recollection that it was simply a
Q. Were those tickets paid for, do you
know?
A. They were.
Q. BY whom?
A BY Colonel Burns.
@. Do you know the consideration to
NColonel Burns for those tickets?
A. do not.
@. Did you ever have any talk with
Colonel Burns about it?
A. I met him afterward, and l men,
toned the fact that upon his request l
had furnished these tickets, and that the
price-I stated what it was-either $132 or
$1S3 for the two and he paid me for it.
O. At that time?
A Yes, sir
Q. Did he say at that time anything
about whose money 1t was he was pay
ing for those tickets?
A. He did not. We had no conversation
on that subject.
Q. Do you know Assemblyman Mer-
rill-since that time?
A. l saw him to-day here.
Q. Did you ever have any conversation
with him about it?
A. No sir l think l did meet him after
ward, and there was some newspaper dis
cussion about it, and [ think | met him
about that time, and he seemed somewhat
disturbed by the newspaper reports and
asked me what I thought about it.
told him he seemed to have got some un-
pleasant notoriety by trying to help
some friends. 1t was just casual con-
versation. There was no significance
to it.
@. Did he, at that conversation. say
anything to you about any consideration
having been offered Mr.. Burns for his
intercession in the matter?
A Colonel Burns name was not men
toned. 1t never was mentioned be-
tween us.
G. Do you know anything Of any sim
liar transaction in behalf of any other
member of this Legislature?
A. That is the only transaction OF that
Q. Have any other passes or tickets,
paid for by any other persons than the
legislators themselves, to your knoWl-
edge, been furnished for any other mem
bers of the Legislature?
A. They have not.
Q, You know that they have not?
A. To my knowledge no such tickets
have been given.
@. Those things would pass under your
eye if they were given?
A Oh, well, they would If it came to
me- OF course, don't run the passenger
department but
Q. Well, if any member of the Legisla-
ture, for political purposes, desired such
a pass or ticket would it not pass under
you?
A. 1t would very likely be submitted to
me-yes, l think it would.
c. You are the attorney for the South