The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-09-29

Former Mayor James q. Bailey made
some startling admissions last night
at the hearing in Alderman Fuller's
Office in the case against Select Council
man r. c. Melvin and Com
mon Councilman James J. Grier,
charged with soliciting and giving
bribes, and Carl w. Mckinney, charged
with bribing city officials. The may
or's admissions were as follows:
That he received from Select Coun-
Gilman Wade M. Finn the sum of
81 900 for signing an ordinance CIV
ing the Barber Asphalt company the
contract for repairing the asphalt
paved streets of the city for term of
ten years.
That he asked $1,000 for his sig
nature to the annual appropriation
ordinance which among other things
appropriated $17,50O fer the pay
ment of the first year of the Barber
contract. This demand was made of
Carl w. Mckinney, but when the lat
ter finally produced that amount MI.
Bailey had changed his mind about
| signing it.
That at hearing held several
weeks ago when he testified he had
not received money or other valuable
consideration for signing the con-
tract ordinance he perjured himself
to cover his misdeeds.
That Select Councilman Wade M.
! Finn while fighting the asphalt re-
pair contract ordinance on the floor
of the councils was endeavoring to
induce the mayor to sign it for
$1,000 in the event that it passed.
That Mr.. Finn was anxious to have
him sign the appropriation ordinance
containing the item of $17,50O to
pay the first year of the asphalt re-
pair contract, until the morning the
mayor was to retire from Office when
he urged him to veto it. On the day
before MI. Finn wanted Carl w. Nc
Kinney to give Mayor Bailey $1,000
to sign this appropriation ordinance,
but MI. Mckinney said the amount
was too high.
THE MAYORS STORY.
Former Mayor Bailey was the only
witness examined last night. There
was a great crowd in the alderman's
office when the hearing began at I.45.
The examination in chief was con-
Quoted by Attorney f. c. Newcomb,
of the Mems union, and the cross-eX-
animation in chief was conducted by
| Joseph O'Bren, of counsel for the ac-
cused.
In substance. Mr.. Bailey said that
in the late winter or spring of 1899.
while the ordinance was before coun-
ellis, granting to the Barber Asphalt
company a ten-year contract for the
lvpair of the asphalt paved streets OF
the city, Select Councilman Finn told
him that 1t would be worth $1,000 to
him CBailey) If he would sign the or
dinance that was then pending, in the
event Of council passing ii. The wit
ness told Finn he would sign the or
dinance for that amount He had no
talks of any kind, so far as he could
remember, with Carl w. Mckinney
about that ordinance.
Finn gave me to understand the
witness explained, that the money
was to come from Mckinney for the
Barber people"
The attention of the witness was
then called to the fact that Mr.. Finn
fought the ordinance on the floor of
the council.
II don't recall whether he fought
Il or not" replied Mr. Bailey, but
do not sea why he should, for he talked
| 10 me as II ut WAS N'lN lHuNl III ittNbl
of it and was constantly urging me
to sign the ordinance"
FINN PAID MONEY.
After the ordinance was passed and
was in his hands, Mr., Bailey said
, that Mr.. Finn urged him repeatedly
to sign it and he eventually did. A
few days after n received $3.50 from
Mr.. Finn and at intervals installments
. on the balance until all was paid. Mr.
Finn told the witness it would be bet
! ter for all of them if the money was
paid in nstallmcnts and the witness
agreed to this.
5 The witness was then questioned
1 about the matter testified to by Mr.
. Finn a week ago. who said that before
| the ordinance passed, Mr.. Bailey came
OF him and asked for part of the ST.,
l OOO, saying he had a carload of flour III
+ wanted to pay for Mr.. Bailey denied
r having made such a request He salC