The Newark star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1909, 1909-10-05
BRAY TAKES STAND
To EXPLAIN PLANS
ON NIGHT OF MAY 4
Haste to Finish Official Duties
Due to Date TO Address
Colonial Club.
HOOD BALKS ATTEMPT TO
BRING OUT GRAFT STORY
Objections Block Effort to Have
Witness Tell of Alleged
Offer to Him.

of going to the Broad Hotel to get a
hundred" for his vote in the committee
on stationery and printing, was con-
tributed last night by Alderman James
A. Bray. of the Fourteenth ward, who.
for the second time during the Com
mon Council committee investigation
of his official conduct, took the stand.
Bray said he had been in a hurry
to get through his official duties on
the afternoon of May 4 that he might
get to the Colonial Club at 354 Broad
street to deliver a speech at the formal
opening.
Martin II. Haussling, with whom
Bray spent the afternoon at the Krue-
ger ~Greisenheim, was not present last
night to testify, although it was said
he had promised members of the COM
mittee to be at the hearing.
Mr.. Hood told the committee that
Haussling was using every effort to
avoid service of a subpoena and that
repeated efforts had been made to
serve him in Newark and in other parts
of the State.
Mr.. Beers attempted to secure a
statement from Alderman Bray that he
had been Offered graft by another
Alderman. but that was blocked by
MI. Hood. who was sustained by the
committees absolute refusal to take UP
Mr.. Beers's invitation to vote to let
him pursue that line of questioning.
Mr.. Beers nae asked:
Now, Alderman, did anyone ever
suggest graft to your"
Yes" was the quick reply of his
client.
"Who?"
alderman Joseph A. Wright"
wait a minute! Wait a minute!
Do you consider that fair?" asked Mr..
Hood. He said that If the questioning
was to in any way elucidate the case,
or IL anything was to be developed on
that point as to Bray's conduct, he
favored giving Mr.. Beers very liberal
0
But" Mr.. Hood went on, 'unless
there is some connection there is no
reason for bringing in a brother Alder
man and besmirching his name. He Is
not under investigation and cannot
reply to this here. 1t is hardly fair TO
him, it seems to me-"
II haven't n desire to besmirch any
NAME" retorted Mr.. Beers. LET tha
be Known. But Alderman Wright APP
pears in this case as the prime mover
in a scheme to drag Alderman Bray
down in the mire. If BRAY tells me
that Wright offered him graft, he ought
to he allowed to tell 1t to the commit
tee. He has asked to be allowed to
tell it. and if the committee want to
hear it 1 propose to go ahead with my
questioning"
Mr.. Hood said that if when Alder
man Wright was on the stand he had
been questioned as to the alleged incl
dent in which he made some PROPOSE
ton to Bray, 1t might be fair to take
the matter up with Bray, but as the
matter stood he was opposed to pur-
suing such a line of questioning. After
some little debate Mr.. Hood said he
was perfectly willing to leave 1t to the
committee. Dead silence in the Coun-
ell Chamber for a minute or more indi-
Gated that the committee wasn't in
cllned to vote to admit the testimony,
and Mr.. Beers said:
II withdraw the question:"
The answer falls with the question,
then? ?" suggested Mr.. Hood.
THE answer falls with it," Mr.. Beers
said. land I move that it be stricken
out of the record"
James M. Seymour, jr., was the first
witness called, Dennis f. Olvaney, the
second. Alderman Bray the third, and
George Hubschmidt. who said he
had invited Bray to make a speech
May 4 was the last.
For the first time since the investi-
cation started there was not a full at
tendance of the investigating commit
tee, Aldermen Jerome II. Congleton and
Michael j. MCGOWAN, jr, being absent.
1t will be possible for them to keep in
touch by a study of the transcript of
Walter Ressland's stenographic notes.
Mr.. Seymour said that he had heard
rumors when the Block Lighting Com
pany, of which he is the head, had
been asking for a franchise to lay wires
In Market street, They did not affect
Alderman Bray particularly. He finally
told Mr.. Beers, under er-oss-examina-
ton, that he knew no possibility OF
verifying the foolish rumors.'
Dennis f. Olvaney, a carpenter, said
that the material he had used in build-
ing and repairing doors of Centre Mar
ket while Bray was a member of the
council market committee had been
purchased from the Glasby Lumber
Company, the firm with While Bray
is connected, He stated under uues-
tioning that there was nothing unusual
In tnat as tor the SIX years that he mas
been In business for himself he had
patronized the CLASSIFY company. Bray
was alleged to a displayed excep-
tional ntere In market doors and to
have been in favor of complete re-
newals.
With the Seymour testimony all the
witnesses called by Mr.. Hood except
ing the much desired Martin Haussling
have been examined. Mr., Olvaney was
subpoenaed in behalf of Alderman
Bray. Mr.. Hood having reserved the
right to call Haussling and allowed Mr..
Beers the privilege to contradict any
thing in his testimony If he so desired
later, Bray was called to tho stand, and
for a second time since the investiga-
tion started sworn by City Clerk James
F. Connolly.
Mr.. Beers asked his client what he
had said on the night of May 4 during
the trip from the Greisenheim to the
City Hall.
During the conversation, l said"
Alderman Bray replied, that I had to
come to the City Hall. as I had a
meeting of the printing and stationery
committee to attend and an important
engagement afterwards"
"Where was that engagement"
"At the Colonial Club. / was invited