The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-10-18


the main court room Of the court
house yesterday to listen tt the testi-
inony Of the commonwealth in the case
against common councilman James
,.Irier, Of the Third ward, who is en-
trial for soliciting and accepting bribes
for his vote.
There were a number CT clergymen
in the audience all day and various
prominent residents OF tine city dropped
into the court room during the day,
and watched the proceedings for Il
time. No criminal case of recent
years in Scranton has attra cted as
much general attention as the one
now on trial.
All Of yesterday morning and part
Of the afternoon was consumed with
the cross-examination of joel s. Har-
ris. the detective. During this eXami.
nation Mr.. o'Brien, OF counsel fer the
defendant. produced two $50 bills
which Detective Harris admitted We're
the identical bills he gave Grier in
the Hotel Rudolph. This indicates
that the defense will try to prove that
Grier knew that Harris was de-
tective and as soon as he received
them he had them marked for identi-
fication by his attorney and then laid
aside for use against Harris.
The other witnesses on the stand
yesterday We're r.. 4. Whitney and
A. L. Anderson, the detectives who
worked in connection with Harris and
under his directions.
THE ss-EXAMINATION.
Though Judge Edwards was on the
bench promptly at 0 o'clock it was $40
before the motions and other business
to come before the court were dis
posed of and court was free to again
take up the Grier case. Detective Joel
S. Harris again went on the stand and
his cross-eXamination was begun by
Attorney Joseph O'Brien. He said he
is "a years of age and has been a de-
tective since he was 16. He was sent
on from New York to take up this
case and the next day along with an
other detective named Wood he called
on Il. B. Sturges at his home. F. II.
Beers was present at the time. He
had no conversation with any of the
Mems Union in New York.
Sturges told him it was reported that
councilmen were accepting bribes for
their votes and that it would be his
business to try to catch them.
Mr. Sturges told you to bribe these
men, did he?" asked Mr.. O'Brien.
mo one tried to bribe the council
men. They were out looking for
money and they got it," replied Mr..
Harris.
"Oh, that's your way Of putting it.
is it," commented Mr.. O'Brien with
fine sarcasm.
Harris said he does not know wheth.
er Mr.. Wood is here now or not. Wit
ness is employed regularly by Captain
Sowyer at a salary of $21 a week and
expenses. Whitney and Anderson were
not with him in the work but they
We're under his directions. During the
time he was investigating the council
men he frequently met Mr.. Beers and
had several interviews with MI, Stur-
ges.
RELATIONS WITH GRIER.
Then passing on to his relations with
Mr., Grier the detective said he was
made desirous to meet the defendant
by Il. j. Colemans statement that
Grier was the man who handled mat
ters in common council.
Can he do anything for me-" asked
thC uttCClNt.
Sure" replied Coleman, chats the
reason I mentioned him Ato YOU"
AT the first meeting with Grier in
Rohrwasser's he was very sure that
Councilman p. +. Calpin was not pres.
ent. He was equally positive that prior
to that first meeting on April "a he had
not at least dozen times attempted
to bribe Calpin.
Mr. O'Brien tried to get from the
witness the admission that he had cor
ruptly given Grier money to influence
his official action but the witness
stated that did not express his mission
IF he wanted to be bribed
was there to prove his guilt" said the
detective.
You told Grier that you were very
green. didn't you?" asked Mr.. O'Brien.
HE knows now how green I was"
replied the Witness whereat there was
a general laugh.
During the conversation he had on