The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-03-08
Attempts to Bride Members of the
Pennsylvania Legislature.
VOTES FOR JURY BILL
MEMBERS OFFERED FROM $500
TO $1,000 EACH
Asked to Vote For Measure Intended
to Assist Quay In Packing Jury
Members Were Promised Some
thing Good On, Other Bills-Sensa-
tional Testimony.

Harrisburg, Pa, March IA meeting
of the committee to inquire into the
charges of bribery in connection with
the passage of the McCarrell jury bill
in the house was held this evening and
developed some sensational testimony.
The first witness called was Colonel
George Nox Mccain, staff correspond
ent at Harrisburg of the Philadelphia
Press. Mccain said that Peter j. Girls
TIC, representative from Northumber-
| land county, told him that he was ap-
! preached by an individual and told
that it would be worth $1,000 to him to
vote for the reconsideration of the bill.
! Subsequently he admitted to the wit
ness that it was eX-Representative
Thomas Moyles of Wilkesbarre, who
said he wanted, the bill to become a
law, as it would help him out in case
of LuZerne county in which he was a
defendant.
John p. Dwyer, also of the Press, tes-
| titled that Representative John Engler
of Lycoming county told him that he
met Michael j. Costello, a former resi-
dent of Williamsport, and escorted him
to the Bolton house, Harrisburg, where
they met ex-senator John ]. Coyle of
Schuylkill county. Mr.. Coyle told Eng
Ter that he understood he was a Roman
Catholic and asked him to cote for the
bill because Archbishop Ryan wanted
it to become a law. Witness said Coyle
told EnGler he would pay him $500 to
vote for the bill, and put his hand in his
pocket and said he would give him 5000
at once. Coyle said he used to do this
when he was a member of the legisla-
rure and that if Engler would go along
on this bill he would put him I'M on
several other bills. and that he could
make more on the outside than his
salary as member of the house Mr..
Engler refused to accept the money and
left Coyle.
Mr.. Engler testified that Costello met
him at the Bolton house and took him
to a room at the Lochiel hotel and in
troduced him to ex-senator Coyle.
Coyle said he used to be in the legisla-
ture and that he took everything that
came his way. Engler corroborated
Dryers testimony as TO Coyle's alleged
offer of 5000 to vote for the bill and to
pay the balance when the witness voted
and that if .Engler would go along on
this bill he would take him in on five
or six other bills.
Mr.. Criste said he knew Moyles and
was member of the house with him in
1898. Moyles told WITNESS that there
were three in it if he would vote for
the bill Moyles saw the witness SUBJ
Sequently and asked him to vote for
the reconsideration of the bill. Moyles
was under indictment in LuZerne coun-
ty for conspiracy, and said he was anx-
ious to have the bill passed. About this
time ex-senator Coyle came in and said
to witness: You vote for the McCarrell
bill and leave the rest 10 me-
An hour later Moyles called Criste out
into the hallway and urged him to move
for the reconsideration of the McCar-
rell bill. Moyles told Criste what to
say when he made the motion, and
promised if he would make the motion
there would be $1,000 IN it for the wit
ness Criste told AIoyles to write out
what he wanted him to say when he
made the motion, and while he was do
ing so the bill came up and Criste went
into the house and voted to. adjourn to
prevent a recons. deration Of the bill. Mr..
Criste said that after adjournment
Coyle came to him and told him he
mad a mistake in not voting for the
bill IaG fellow over there" (pc '7ting
to - ''insurgents'D, the witness said,
were being taken care Of
This remark created general laugh
ter.
Mr. Voorhees, of the committee asked
that Messrs. Coyle, Costello and Moyles
be called, that they. be given a chance
to testify in their behalf. Chairman
Fow said these men could not testify
before the committee, and that they
would be given a change if the matter
was taken into the courts The COM
mittee adjourned until tomorrow at s !
n m