New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-01-08
briggs FOUND GUILTY..
JURY ADVISES MERCY.
Sentence Mast Include Imprison.
ment-Payments to Bearers.

Ex-Congressman Edmund H. briggs was found
guilty yesterday of violating Section l. TS2 OF the
Revised Statutes in accepting a commission for
obtaining for the Brandt-Dent company con-
tracts with the PostofTice Department while he
was Consressrnan-eJect lie admitted that he
received $4,000 for pushing the sale OF auto
matte cashiers manufactured by the Brandt
Dent company. and that he had induced the
Postofice Department TO purchase go of them.
he confessed. in statement made TO Inspector
Little prior to his indictment.
He admitted yesterday that he had paid to
George W. Beavers former chief of the Division
of Salaries and Allowances OF The POstoffce De-
partment. several checks for large amounts
Asked if the amount paid was $500. he re-
Piled Perhaps" This money, he declared, was
paid to Mr.. Beavers for the Republican national
campaign fund. and that Beavers. who was MS
friend might make good showing in campaign
collections.
The case went 70 the jury at O'clock a
verdict of guilty was returned IN thirty minutes
1t was accompanied by recommendation lor
| mercy. Judge Thomas said:
Your recommendation IS enllnently fitting gentle,
men; Mr. briggs has e9nduGIeo % conviEced tSat
| although he violated the statute he anu so uils
| M Iag He is not lawyer and only guilty
| in technical sense.
| Hugo Hirsh counsel for MIR. briggs, then made
/ a for a
asked for a stay OF execution Of sentence. Judge
| Thomas said that he would extend the term OF
court. which ordinarily would be ended next
| Tuesday for ninety days that Mr.. Hirsh
might review the case and prepare an appeal.
| and that he would delay passing sentence untl
| such time as should be mutually agreed on
| by Mr.. Hirsh and District Attorney Youngs- At
| that time he promised he would grant stay
of execution. Meantime. Mr.. briggs will be al
| lowed his freedom under his old bond.
The sentence may be Imprisonment for not
more than two years and fine Of not moro
than 100000 The penalty also bars briggs from
holding any elective Office in the United States
government. Judge Thomas said the law would
not allow him TO impose a sentence without i'm
prisonment. The sentence would be as light as
possible under the circumstances.
Neithe- the defendant nor his counsel would
make any formal statement. The latter said
that when everybody connected with the case
had got rested the date for the sentence would
be mutually agreed a stay of execution
would then be granted and he would appeal
from the sentence to the Circuit Court of APP
peals. This means that it will be long tims
before the case is finally decided.
In summing up Mr.. Hirsh declared that Mr..
Driggs's services to the Brandt-Dent Company
were rendered before he had been sworn in and
that the law did not recognize the position Of
. technical violation OF Section 1,7S2.
: District Attorney YoUngs said that all ths
: facts charged in the Indictment had been ad-
: mitted and that under Section ]. .7S2 u was not
| necessary for man 70 nave been sworn in as
, a Congressman; that it covered all periods after
, a mans election to office. Mr. Youngs declared
that it was preposterous to think that ex-Speak-
er Thomas B. Reed for instance. would have
thought he could go into the business of getting
contracts with the government in the periods
| that elapsed between his reelection 10 Congress
and his being sworn in again. The District At
tOrney tried to show that briggs was employed
by the Brandt-Dent Company because he was a
friend of Mr.. Beavers who the only man
who could certify 70 purchases by the POstof11ce
Department
Tbs Judge in charging the jury. said that the
defendant had right 20 render service in con-
Eection with this contract # he did II without
compensation. He had admitted that he re-
= ceived compensation. and the notes he received
from the Brandt-Dent Company distinctly said
for services" 1t remained with the jury to de-
eide whether Mr.. briggs as a member elect Of
Congress violated section 1,IS2-
Perry 5. Heath. ex-Assistant Postmaster Gen.
eral. was brought into the case when several
letters written by him regarding the contract
for automatic cashiers We're read. Inspector
, | Little placed in evidence a statement that he
had obtained from Mr.. briggs in May. 1898. in
| which the latter admitted receiving a note for
| $4,000 from the Brandt-Dent Company. It was
made TO him for services in developing the sale
| of the cash registers. which services extended
over a period of two years He denied that he
had paid any money to Mr.. Beavers or Perry
| >. HEATH Ihe aQdfJOTEll S@1 which the gov
!. | ernment paid for each machine was. he said.
| not To help cover the $4,000 paid to him. but
| for certain improvements over the ordinary ma
| chine Mr. briggs admitted that George f.
! Miller the special agent Of the Brandt-Dent
| Company who had made the contract with him,
had contributed $1,000 to his Clr- Driggss)
campaign expenses in 1900 and 1901
| Mr. briggs comes of prominent Long Island
family. Prior to his election TO Congress he
was manager of the Williams Fire Insurance.
Company He is the vice-president and
| mana ger Of the Empire Surety Company. He
| lives az No 9-4O Ocean-ave.. and has been PROM
| inent in social and church circles In 1901 he
was candidate for Borough President and was
( dafaatad bv II Edward SWanStrOm.