Perth Amboy evening news., 1910-01-31
.CONGER BACKS
|. UP HIS CHARGE
New York Senator SWears
He Saw Colleague Take
$1,000 Bribe.
MONEY WAS "DEMANDED"

Albany, N. Y, Jan. 31.-That State
Senator Jotham p. Aids, president pro
TEN. of the state senate and Republic
an leader of that branch of the legis-
lature. received bribe of $1,000 while
a member of the assembly on April %,
| 1901, for not pressing to passage GER
/ tain legislation is the charge sworn to
I today by Senator Benn Conger, also a
Republican.
| In his affidavit filed here this morn
/ ing Senator Conger swears that the
bribery in question was initiated by
! Senator Aids and that he demanded
! the 81 600 instead of the bridge manu-
| featuring companies seeking ont Sen
ator Aids to buy him off from doing
! his duty. Senator Conger thus justi-
fies his position in this controversy in
that he would have 1t appear that the
bridge companies did not take the
initiative, but paid up because they
considered 1t "strike" legislation and
had to give up the money or suffer the
consequences.
Money Paid In His Presence.
Senator Conger declares that Sena-
tor Aids received and accepted the
81 200 in Senator Conger's presence
In the capitol building Senator Con-
ger has told his friends that he saw
man pay Senator Aids this $1,000
and that the man is living. Senator
Conger swears that he knows this
charge to be true of his own knowl-
edge.
At the outset some of the senator's
who heard Senator Conger discussing
the bribery charges were led to be-
lieve that 1t was Conger himself who
paid Aids the money. Senator Con-
ger, however, now makes it plain that
he saw a man pay Senator Aids this
money. This mans name has been
carefully withheld by Senator Conger.
1t cannot long be kept secret. 1t must
be brought out in the investigation. 1
Bribe Giver Must Appear.
If this man, whoever he is OF what
ever he Is, bridge builder, professional
lobbyist or politician of whatever
stripe, paid Aids money to suppress
certain ''strike" legislation he must ap-
pear before the state senate and swear
that he did so if Senator Conger wish
es to substantiate his bribery charge
against Senator Aids. He Is the most
important person in the controversy,
and on his testimony must hang the
fate of the majority leader of the state
senate.
The affidavit filed by Senator Conger
is as follows:
On the 4th day of January 1910, at a
conference Of certain senators held in a
room of the Hotel Ten Eyck, in the city
of Albany, l stated in the course of a
conversation my reasons for refusing to
support Senator Aids for the position of
president pro tenn Of the senate.
said that / knew him to be unfit for
the position because he had to my knowl-
edge while a member of the assembly
demanded and received and accepted
money as the consideration for action
which he had taken with regard to GER
tain proposed legislation pending before
that body, and that statement was, as l
am informed and believe, communicated
to Senator Aids on the following day.
About two weeks later the substance of
what ! said became public through the
press, and then Senator Aids demanded
effect by the resolution and rules adopted
by 1t required me to make and file def
mite statement of my charges.
In accordance herewith l do hereby
state and charge:
First-That Jotham p. Aids on or
about the 2Sd day of April. 1901, while a
member of the assembly of the state of
New York received and accepted the sum
of $1,000 in my presence at the capitol in
the city of Albany; and
Second.-That said sum was demanded
by him and was paid to and accepted by
him as the consideration for his having
refrained from pressing to passage a GER
tain bill pending before that house.
BENIN CONGER.
Aide Has Four Days to Reply.
Senator Conger had until tomorrow
to file his charges. Senator Aids has
until next Friday for to file his an