The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-02-18
GRAF TER.s' TRAIL
IS NOW REVEALED.
Name Of S. Fred Nixon
Completes Trio of
Bribe-Takers.
DEAD SPEAKER
is BESMIRCHED
Senator Aids Tells Of Campaign
Of Blackmail Waged Against
Bird c Companies Till
They Refused to Submit
Longer ~ More Dis
closures to Come.

Albany. N. Y. February lis. Fred
Nixon was the third name that Senator
Benn Conger says Hiram G. Moe wrote
on one of the envelopes in which they
carried $4,000 to the State Capitol
nine years ago to buy protection for
the bridge companies. The name Of
the former Speaker of the Assembly.
announced to-day by Conger on the
stand, completes the trio. Speaker
Nixons envelope, according to conger,
like that of Senator lothian P. Aids.
held $1,000. The remainder OF the
fund. $4,000. was in the envelope given
to Nixons lieutenant. Assembly ma n
Jean Larue Burnett.
These were the revelations that
marked the cIos;ng minutes of the
States investigation of the bribery
charges this afternoon. But such dis
closures had been SO far discounted by
rumor and expectation that the an
nouncement of Nixon's name and the
thrilling legal skirmishes leading up to
1T were only an incident in an after
noon full of surprises. Nixon Is dead
Burnett Is dead, and of Aids, the only
living member of the trio. his accuser
probably has told the worst he can
have to say. Bu. there are other graft
Investigations to come. and to-days
proceedings yielded a rich harvest Of
evidence on which to base them.
Campaign Of BlackmaiI.
According to Conger, from 1901 to
1905, systematic campaign was con-
Quoted at Albany against the treas.
ury OF the bridge companies. For
three years the companies paid tribute.
In 1905 notice came from Albany that
it would be TO their interests to for
ward to the capitol $4,000 Then the
men who controlled the bridge COM
panies met in Syracuse and agreed not
to pay. AS Conger expressed it. 1--WE
decided we would nor he blackma He'd
any longer
During the four preceding years,
measures hostile 10 the bridge inter
ests had been introduced regularly,
but they always failed to pass. But In
1905 the Legislature passed a high
way act, which placed on the statute
books a provision against which the
bridge combination had long contend
ed. As a result of this law SO per
cent. of the bridge companies were
forced out OF business in New York
State
Allds's accuser was on the stand all
day. and this was his story. He told
1t under cross-examination. and Allds's
attorneys seemed quite ready to lot
MIN tell 1T. Thor purpose. apparently,
was TO brand Conger as siver OF
bribes as representative OF the
bridge interests in the Legislature. and
10 show that he was actuated In bring
Ing against Aids the charges the Sen
ate is now investigating by desire
for revenge for Allds's hostility to the
business interests where Conrer had
invested money
Conger followed their lead with a
readiness that can be explained by a
desire to convince his colleagues that
he would not have handled bribe
money unless he and his business as.
sociates had been held up by 1esis-
lators, and that the bridge interests
in the past had to choose between
blackmail and ruin.
Powerful in Assembly,.
S. Fred Nixon probably held more
power than any other member of the
assembly who occupied the Speakers
chair. He first entered the lower house
In 1887. and was elected Speaker in
1899. He ruled the assembly continu
ously up to the time of his death in
the fall of 1905.
The name of Colonel George "
Dunn, chairman of the Ren,,h,ican
State Committee in 1902 was broupht
definitely into the evidence to-davi
thus making him available as a wit,
ness at future Investigations. conper
said that he called on Dunn at Bis
OFFICE here and made contributions
for both himself and the bridge com.
panies' he did not say how much it