The San Francisco call., 1899-01-28
Testimony Of Green and Lamberson
Regarding the Affair.
One Viewed 1t as a Joke and the Other as Very
Serious Matter, and There Is Quite Story
Between the Lines

BY Mr.. La Baree-I would suggest that
you ask as few questions as possible.
BY Mr.. Melick-Was Thomas Nosler
present when Lamberson was talking to
you?
A. Nobody was present at all.
.. Was anybody else present?
A. l said nobody was present except Mr..
LamberSon and myself
.. Did you see Mr.. Lamberson to-day?
A. No, sir. | have not seen him since
he was in Sacramento two or three weeks
ago.
Q. Did Lamberson tell you from what
source he had heard that Cosper had
been offered money?
A. No, sir. He did not say.
Q. Did you send Lamberson Grants
money before this during the progress of
A Well. gentlemen, am going to stand
on that as 1 am on similar questions.
Q. That is, you refuse to answer?
A I decline to answer, as it has nothing
whatever to do with Mr.. Cosper at ali or
Mr.. Grant. don't do it out of disrespect
TO the committee. 1t has no bearing on
the question.
m, every member being present except
Mr.. Wade, to hear the report of the
subcommittee of three appointed to re-
ceive the deposition of Milton j. Green.
CThe reporter read from his notes the
statement of Milton J. Green.)
At the conclusion of the reading of
the report the following resolution was
offered by Mr.. Lardner:
Il move that the report of the sub
committee be accepted and adopted,
and that the subcommittee be dis
charged"
This motion was adopted, Chairman
COsper not voting.
after recess it went into executive ses-
sion for an hour. An open session was
then held and G. G. LamberSOn given
an opportunity to testify.
Following is a verbatim report of the
testimony of Lamberson:
Lamberson's Testimony.
c. G. Lamberson being sworn, testified
The chairmanII hereby nominate DR..
during the examination of Mr.. Lamber
son. | will not take part-for the present
at least.
Mr.. La Baree-NIr. Lamberson, you are
acquainted with Mr.. Cosper. the chairman
of this committee, L suppose?
q. You ii' are acquainted with Milton
Green?
A. 1 am.
Q. How long have you been acquainted
with Mr.. Green?
A Two or three years.
O. Did you go to Mr.. Green with a prop
osition in regard to Mr.. Lamberson selling
A. Mr.. Cosper you mean.
Q. Or Mr.. Cosper selling his vote to Mr..
Grant?
A did not.
Q. You never had any conversation with
him at all on the matter?
O. viii you state that to the committee
A. Yes. If 1 can.
Q. State it, please.
A. think perhaps / would have to
preface that a little with my relations
with Mr.. Cosper before l could state 1t
so that you could have it in an intelligent
Q. Well, just state the whole thing.
A. About what said to Mr.:
GreenP I was in Sacramento shortly
after the Legislature convened and in
conversation with Mr.. Cosper, whom
I had known for a long time, of
course-had been practitioner at the
bar of Tulare County with him for
many years-I told him that I
thought it would be only proper for
him to vote for Mr.. Grant for Sena-
tor. Mr.. Cosper said he thought very
favorably of Mr.. Grant and of his
chances, but there had been some talk
at that time about the Governor
throwing the patronage away from
any member who might vote for Mr..
Grant; that he would consider it a
personal aTront. And at that time
when was in Sacramento there was
a report to the effect that the Govern
or said that any one who voted for
Grant would get no favors from the
Governor. Mr.. Cosper would not per-
nit himself to vote for Mr.. Grant,
and among others he spoke to me
about Mr.. Bulla. told him that I
had met Mr. Bulla when he was in
the Assembly. I thought he was a
very nice man and would make a
good Senator, all right; still, my
preferences were for Grant. In a
conversation which had with Mr..
Green some time after that I detailed
to Mr.. Green substantially the state
ments that Mr.. Cosper had made to
me, and then, in a joking way, said
to him, We'll, Milt, amt you MAX
ing money tight on this PROPOSE
tionP" and he said, "No." Well, I
said, 81 dion't know, but if you were,
perhaps you might offer Cosper five
or six thousand dollars and he would
see it your way" And he said, "Well,
we. are not making any money fight.
I wouldn't give him six cents, nor
any other man." And SO the incident
closed. I had no serious thought in
the matter at all, and 1 am satisfied
that Mr.. Green did not, because
everything that was said in connec-
ton with the matter was said in
joking way, and I never thought
anything more Of it. went home
few days after that. That was all of
that incident
Q. When did this conversation with Mr..
Cosper take place in regard to that mat
ter?
A Well, / had several conversations
with Mr.. Cosper. I had a conversation
with him one evening in the billiard room
of the Golden Eagle. l had conversations
with him on the street and several times
wherever / met him. / cannot remember
all that was said at any one converse ton.
but what ] have told you is the general
purport and meaning of the whole. want
to say that Mr.. Cosper never by word
or deed, or in any manner intimated to
me, in any way, shape or manner, that
he was desirous of or expected any pc