New-York tribune., 1910-09-06
READY FOR GRAFT HUNT.
legislative Committee to Hold
First Meeting Tomorrow.
SWEEPING PROBE EXPECTED
Unfinished Leads" III Old Scan
dals May Produce Evidence of
Sensational Transactions.

The delayed first hearing II the general
graft hunt authorized bv the last Legls-
lRtEre VIII he held Io-morTow at i a III.
In The Aldermanic Chamber. Cl1y hail
E,x-Justice III Linn Bruce counsel 10 thf
JOINT legislative committee. which Is to q"
the probing. and Assemblynan Edwin A
Merritt. ir lis chairman. VIII reach town
to-day They wiII mold a conference with
other members of the committee 10 map
out che line Of examination for the hrst
day
Il Is likely that the frs- thing taken Up
VIII be material IN the books of the de
fl1nct brokerage firm 81 EllinSwood n
Curninsham. Il Was brought out in the
Investigation Of insurance affairs made last
winter nv Superintendent Hotchkiss that
several LEGISLATORS had speculative ac-
colrrs with that firm. one Of them was
Assem- blv-7an Louis Bedeu, OF Orange
County. who handled legislation giving 10
-re New York Transportation COMPANY
certain valuable rights and privileges The
ar-c-r- IN his name showed that he came
f--o rossesSlon - stock II that concern
about that time and drew considerable
suns u money. apparently against that
credit
T--5er the direction Of Isidor kreSei.
assistant counsel TO the committee. corps
books for several weeks They ar in the
committees office in Nassau street nov.
guarded ard diEestS Of certain information
o. --.srR interest are in q strong safe
James y Cunningham. one OF The part
re-s fn the firm. was the first witness sub
pr-aed ny the committee. Tracy Rogers.
a special partner who was regarded as
re--ese-tative Of street railway interests
- Albany. has not been suhpgnaed- but
Hzz told representatives Of the committee
-rar he would appear Al a moments notice
S-1-r-5r-rndent Hotchkiss had much dit-
F-ulrv in getting on RoEerS.s track. be
cause whe- the superintendent's people
went after the railway man II BinChamton
- was said u ho in New York, and when
hunted for here was said 10 be IN Yer
mont.
The unfinished leads" in the Aids bribery
sandal VIII ne followed by the committee
early in SIS work. The beet sugar bounty
scandal. which netted Senator John Raines
$ So and Asserblyman Jean Burnett $.502.
according 70 the legislative agent for one
O. the beet sugar refineries. j. likely to pro-
,zuCe much material for the committees
consideration. Il Is known that counsel t.
-re committee have been working hard
along one or TWO other lines which may in
1oTve LEGISLATORS OF recent service. not
dead. certain SellSa aTlDlHt tIdii~1C lit'LlS
TINS committee Is charged ny the resolu-
-ion creating It with the investigation OF
matters developed by the Aids bribery IN
curry and tha Fotchkiss Investigation. as
wei as the management and business
methods Of all insurance companies other
-har life companies i may not now re
ceire arv charge of official misconduct
against any candidate for nomination or
election 10 an elective state Office for
limit of September was set for the reoep-
1ion Of sucn charges
None was presented at that time. It is
SAID thar the committee VIII be able and
v-iIinz 70 receive information concerning
any such individual ana make an lnNesJlsa-
non of Il just The same
Members q the committee say that The
investigation. despite assertions OF Chair
man Merritt last winter that there was
nothing 70 investigate will be complete
and sweeping. The delay. including the
rosrponerneut Of the first hearing even
after q date was set for il, they deem IN
avoidaae NJ. Merritt the chairman,
-ound SOM OF the persons desired as Wit
resSes out of town on vacations. and was
corsidera1e enough not 10 want 70 disturb
them