Evening journal., 1903-06-23
S STARTLING TESTIMONY
IN SCRANTON SCANDAL
Railway Promoters Tell Of
Bold HollRp by Eleven
CounsilQen

Scranton. Pa, June 23.-Flat-footed
contradictions of accuser and accused
marked every step Of the opening days
sessions Of the councilmanic committee
engaged in investigating the alleged
boodling in connection with the Dalton
Street Railway franchise. George e.
Stevenson and w. p. Boland, the two
local promoters OF tile road, who claim
they were solicited for bribes, swore
positively that Select Councilman Da-
vid b. Evans came TO Boland's Office
on June 8 and made demand for $500
apiece for himself and the other coun-
cilmen. Mr.. Evans stoutly maintained
that Boland sent for him, asked him
to work for the ordinance and promised
to give him "S4O0 or $500" for his
trouble He agreed to help Boland for
friendships sake, he said, but spurned
the money, and on another occasion,
when Boland told him he would make
good the promise to pay, Evans for
bade him TO ever again mention money
to him. Evans formerly was employed
by Boland as a mine foreman It Is
said several arrests will follow.
The story detailed by Stevenson and
Boland was that Evans came TO them
representing himself as the agent Of
Selectmen B. H. Morgans, ]. E. Fegan,
]. ]. Maloney, T. c. Melvin. John Ma
geli, Thomas Cosgrove, y. ]. Coleman,
Thomas O'Boyle, J. ]. McAndrew and
Malachi Coyne. He demanded $4400
for their votes, and said II It was not
forthcoming before the following night
when the ordinance would be up for
final passage they would break the
quorum, and then II would cost SILL
900 to get the ordinance through He
demanded the money in gold, as they
didn't want to run the risk of marked
bills. The demand was refused. and
the next night. as threatened, the
quorum was broken. The following
meeting night, when Selectman John
p. Quinnan publicly demanded an in
vestigation of the rumored boodling,
the ordinance was lost on tie vote
Of 10 to 10.
Mr.. Boland also testified that Sc
lectmen O'Boyle and Regan individu-
ally made demands on him. the one
asking for the regular market price"
and the other for whatever was go
ing"
The announcement of Boland that
Evans included Selectman Coyne in
the Doodle list created a sensation.
Mr. Coync is one Of the investigating
o,v,,,,ftto, VrI,oD Il, .,soc t,,nptfouad
in this connection he jumped to his
feet and declared: 81 don't believe
Mr.. Evans ever made such state.
ment to yorJ Mr. Boland." The wit
ness reiterated that Evans told him
Coyne was one of the II.
"Well see about that later" said
Chairman Clemons. When Mr.. Rvans
was on the stand he emphatically de-
MED having mentioned the name OF
Coyne or any other councilman to
Boland and Stevenson. and protested
most earnestly that the only mention
Of money was by Boland. He would
have exposed Boland in the council at
the time. he said. II It was not that
he owed a debt of gratitude to him.
He helped break the quorum. he ad-
mitted. but it was only for the pur-
pose of securing a delay until ma
jority could be marshalled for an
amendment he wanted to make. None
OF the select couneilmen except those
on the committee and three subpoen-
ed as witnesses attended the hearing
At the conclusion of the hearing in
the council chamber Selectman Evans
was arraigned before Magistrate Mil
lor on the charge Of soliciting brlbes
preferred by the Municipal League.
The witnesses in both cases were the
same