Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1899-03-16

As High as $500 For a vote For the
McCarreil BIZ - Startling Stories
Told by Witnesses on the stand.
Honest Democrats who Cannot BE
Boueht-A Great Triumph For the
Personal Integrity of Democratic
Rank and File ut Harrisburg.
Especial CorresponderceD
Harrisburg. March 13.-Thc investi "a
tions into the attempted bribery of mem
bers of the legislature has been the lead
ing sensation of the week just closed.
The committee has done some admirah,H
work in uncarthing lot of crookcdn"Ss
Up until last Monday night 'hc commit
tee was in control of tine Ouayitcs eN-
clusively. 1t is now in the hands Of th"
/ Democrats. and that is the reason WHY
the investigation has been so thorough
and the exposure has been 81 swift.
After the failure Of the Quay packed
committee of five last week to satisfy
General koontz. of Somerset. the anti
Quay Republican on the committee.
Koontz kept his word and went before
the house on Monday night last. He de-
clared that the committee did not pro-
pose to investigate, and that he 1<oontzl
did propose TO investigate. He said that
Kreps, Republican, of Franklin, who had
Quay Republican on the COMMITTEES.
was the man who had denounced the
resolution to appoint an investigation
committee because it came from Il "band
of political cutthroats." Voorhees,. Re
publican, Of Philadelphia, who had been
made its secretary. had on the floor of
the house declared that investigating
committees were farce and that their
sole work was to whitewash. Tighe, of
Luzernc. Democrat, voted for the Nc
Carrell bill. and so did Captain Skinner,
of Fulton. The only man on the commit
tee who voted against the notorious jury
bill was Koontz himself. Captain Skin
ncr, of Fulton, declined to serve on the
committee because some of the news
papers attacked him in Il most vindictivc
manner.
After showing up the Quay committee
General Koontz offered a resolution, ad-
ding four more members to it, as follows:
/ Fow, Democrat, of Philadelphia; Dixon,
| Democrat of Elk; Kendall. anti-Quay
Republican, of Chester, and Young, anti
Quay Republican, of Tioga When the
committee convened on Tuesday night
with nine members instead of five,
Kreps, Republican,, declined to act as
chairman, and Fow, Democrat, was
elected in his stead. Mr.. Fow was also
directed to act as chief examiner of wit
tee is a Democratic committee.
WHAT WITNESSES SAID.
1t got right down to work by examin-
ing the men who wrote the story Of at
tempted bribery for the Philadelphia
l Press, George Nox Mccain. Harrisburg
correspondent for The Press, was put on
the stand and testified that in a talk with
! Hon. Peter j. Cristc. Democrat. of
Northumberland county, the latter had
told him that he had been offered 81 600
to move the reconsideration of the Me
Carrcl Quay jury bill. The man who
offered him the money, he said, was an
representative, Thomas NJ. Moyles, OF
LuZcrne county. EXX-SenatOr John j.
Coyle. Republican, of Schuylkill county.
had also approached him and told him to
vote for the McCarrcll bill and leave
the rest to him.
John F. Dwyer, also correspondent OF
The Press, testified that in converSa-
ton with Hon. John Englcr, of Lycom-
ing county, the latter had told him that
he had been taken over to the Lochicl
hotel. in Harrisburg. and introduced to
ex-senator Coyle. Coyle told him that
he ought to vote for the reconsideration
of the McCarrell bill because he lInglerl
was q Catholic. and Archbishop Ryan,
of Philadelphia. was interested in the
bill in seeing il pass. Engler told Coylc
that he did not believe that the arch.
bishop was interested at all, and then
Coyle dropped that sort of talk and told
Engler he would give him 5000 in cash
and $500 moro after he voted if he would
turn in for the McCarrell bill. Engler re-
fused the offer. and on the following
Sunday Michael !. Costello. of Williams
port, who had taken him to Coyle'S room
drove out II miles to Engler'S home in
Lycoming county, and there offered him
$500 cash if he would vote for the re
consideration Of the McCarrcll bill.
Both Representatives Criste and Eng
Ter were put under oath before the CON
mittee, and in the presence of an i'm
mense crowd corroborated all that hat
ents. They stated that they had beer
offered money and had refused it, Moylc!
had gone to Cristc and told him that h,
would give him 81 900 If he would mov,
to reconsider the McCarrell bill. and thn
Criste could give as an excuse that h,
was doing it for the benefit of an ex
member of the house who was under in
dictmcnt in Luzerne county. II is fac
that Moylcs is under indictment in I.u
zcrne county for conspiracy in sclln,
school books to school directors Illegally
AS TO COYLE AND SPATZ.
At the investigation on Wcdnesda,
night the three Democratic member
from Northampton county. Representa-
tives Miller. Johnson and Hell, went OF
the stand. They testified that they ha,
visited the Lochiel hotel and had beel
taken to ex-senator Coyle's room by Rep
Tescntative SpatZ, of Berks county
Coylc offered them money 'up in tn
: hundreds to sign paper agreeing tha
they would stand by Hon. George A
Jcnks, who they We're then voting for, t
the end. Coyle also told them that ther
| 10 IaF {,