The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-03-24


amined by the grand jury in the city
hall I.exow up to adjourning time last
night. and still it's members have not
had their thirst for knowledge of the
inner workings Of municipal govern
ment fully satiated. A dozen more are
subpoenaed for today and the jury has
no thought of adjourning till Wednes-
day at the earliest.
Number Ga" to go THE Only Way"
was Common Councilman NJ. J. Cusick,
Of the Twentieth ward. II was his Sec
ond appearance and when "Uncle
Jake" Ritter called out his name along
towards 4 o'clock he was far from pre-
senting that cool, calm and collected
cartOonic appearance so artistically
simulated by Henry Miller. Mr.. Cusick
rather suggested Number 49," whose
approach to the guillotine was worked
up solely for an extreme contrast for
the cartoon character. In other words.
Mr.. Cusick was very much agitated
man.
1t was different. though, when he
came out. He was all smiles and at
times worked up a laugh.
TERRIBLE ACCUSATION.
w eli, i IL Dc udsIl Sdlu tuc
gentleman from the Twentieth, when
he had recovered his equipose. "Coun-
cilmen have been accused of pretty
nearly everything, but / want the
medal. I'm the limit hope never to
vote another honest vote If they didn't
drag me over here a second time to
accuse me Of refusing a bribe."
"'Pon my soul, ask them when they
l~.s til 49,
the crowd had finished giving him the
laugh. That's the only thing they
asked me. Wanted to know IL hadn't
refused to accept $500 to vote against
the new telephone ordinance. I thought
they were joking, but when I saw they
really wanted to know, I told them I
hadn't and that. Furthermore. it hadn't
been offered me-
Inquiry later corroborated Mr..
Cusick's seemingly ridiculous story.
The only question the jury put to him
was whether or not he had refused to
accept an offer of $500 to vote against
the new telephone 1t developed that
the jury's purpose in this was to test
the value of sweeping allegations made
by DR.. William Haggerty. One Of his
statements was that a party opposed
to the new telephone ordinance had
| offered $500 to Mr.. Cusick in Durr's
hotel, on Lackawanna avenue, If he
would vote against the measure, and
that Mr.. Cusick refused the offer. The
jury felt they ought to secure some
confederation to the doctors testi-
mony. and knowing it to be futile to
attempt to get any councilman to ad-
init that he accepted bribe, it seized
upon this one disclosure Of council
man rejecting bribe as the incident
upon which to rest the test of the doc
tors veracity, feeling fully sure that II
councilman had rejected a proffered
bribe he would not hesitate to admit It
WAS IN THE HOTEL.
Mr.. Cusick admitted having been In
Dun's saloon on the date in question
in company with DR.. Haggerty and the
third party mentioned in the doctora
testimony, but he swore positively
there was no money offered or ever
spoken off. He told the third party
in question that he would vote for the
new telephone ordinance and could not
be convinced by any argument thai
he ought to do otherwise. Out Of jus.
tice to Mr.. Cusick it ought to be men.
toned here that he voted for the new
telephone consistently from first Il
last
What other obligations the doctor
made are not divulged, but they ar;
said to be equally as sensational If no
exactly of the.same character.
Number 56," the second witness o.
the day, was a woman. the first ant
only female so far summoned in tn,
LeXoW. She is Mrs. George Knierim
proprietress Of hotel or North Mail
avenue. Mrs. Knierim. it Is said, ad
mitted, as have many other hotel
keepers, that she paid s. to insure pro
lection against police interference will
! the maintaining of a slot machine Il
her bar-room.
Other witnesses of the day wer
George Smith, Richard r. Walsh. hote
keepers; John J. Brennan, bar tender
NJ. j. Reynolds, novelty puzzle Ven
der: Select Councilmen p. F. Mccain
and John ]. Shea and H. c. Pease. on
of the proprietors of the slot machines
The latter was on the rack for fOu
hours. but ii Is said he disclosed moth
ing that would incriminate anyone
His account books Were also secure
and inspected. but the entries wer
made in such manner that they tol,
nothing.
The statement that Judge Edward
had consented to draw up the indict
ments which the jury propose to pre-
sent is technically incorrect. This vii
be done by the district attorney. Wha
Judge Edwards did was to advise tn
jury. on the request of the foreman
| aS tO thair duty in proceadnp IN thi