The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-02-24
BRIDGE CONCERNS
IN ALLEGED FRAUD
Senator Aids Reply to Con-
ger Bribery Charges Is
an Attack.
CONSPIRACY HINTED AT
TOWNS IN EIGHT STATES WERE
TO HAVE BEEN ROBBED.

Albany n. Y, Feb. 23.-The first day
of Senator lothian P. Aids reply to the
COnger bribery charges was less a defense
than an attack.
The outline of Aids case laid before the
senate today by his attorney, Martin W.
LittletOn, was burst of denunCiatiOn, IN
vectiVe and an accusation that, If proved,
would lay the bridge companies, one Of
the important industries in the state, open
to prosecution for both conspiracy to de-
fraud, and for legislative corruption.
In striking the bridge companies, Lit
Teton hit also Senator Benn Conger, who,
with his brothers, once stood high in the
councils Of the bridge building combine,
and still, it is said retains an interest in
that business.
Will Attempt to Prove.
If Littleton carries out his promises, he
will prove:
First, that Congers charges, and their
support by Hyram G. Moe, are untrue.
Second, that Aids activity in suppress
ing legislation hostile to the bridge COM
panies in 1903, was due to orders of
United States Senator Plat, the Republic
can state leader.
Third, that COnger's statements are I'M
worthy of belief, and testimony of many
of his witnesses is quite as untrust-
worthy, because they represented corrupt
corporations, which, in Littleton's own
picturesque language, have laid trail
of slime over five states"
o suit Bridge interests.
The afternoon was devoted to the ex-
animation of the clerk OF the assembly OF
internal affairs committee of 1901, in an
effort to prove that Conger in that year
deliberately juggled certain highway leg
islatiOn until It came out Of the commit
tee in form that suited the bridge IN
terests
The basis Of Littleton's argument was
the Cleveland agreement" under which,
he alleged, 16 bridge concerns cOnspired in
1901 to rob the towns of New York, Penn
sylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, Ken
lucky, Ohio, Indiana and Michigan by
cOllusive bidding.
Much Evidence Given.
An immense mass of evidence, the de-
tense is believed to have collected against
these companies, was presented when Lit
Teton read from his private memorandum
statistics regarding bridge contracts in a
number of New York state towns, which,
he declared, were obtained by the COM
binatiOn under this agreement.
LittletOn mentioned a job at Harris
burg, Pa, for a bridge over PENIS creek
in February, 1905. Littleton declared the
contract price was $500, and the estl-
mated cost S44, 500. In this contract, Lit
tletons memorandum showed an item Of
$500 for engineering. He charged that
under this head the bridge companies set
down what it cost them to bride the local
authorities.
Aids Has Resigned.
Littleton said that the bribery Of town
officers was a regular custom of the
bridge companies, but that, charging 80
per cent profit, they had enough to divide
among all the bidders for a contract.
Aids attorney went even further, and
charged the bridge interests with DELHI
crate conspiracy against the defendant.
Just before today's close of the session
OF the bribery investigation the resigna-
ton of Senator lothian p, Aids, as tenn
M lryrr mt of v-a
by the clerk, and ordered spread on the
minutes.