The Sentinel=record., 1910-02-16
ARE SENSATIONAL CHARGES
MADE BY SENATOR CoNGERS
IN LEGISLATIVE SCANDAL.
Bribery Charges of Sensational and
Unsavory Nature Are Introduced
Into the New York Leg
islature.

Albany, N. Y, Feb 15.-The lid
was pried off the legislative bribery
scandal today and the developments
disclosed justified suspicious regard
ing its unsayory nature. At the same
time plans were laid for wider inves-
tigation to follow the present inquiry
now being conducted by the senate
into Senator Benjamin Congers'
charges that Senator Jonathan P.
Aids took a 81 900 bribe from an
agent of the American Bridge Com
pany.
The days disclosures were import.
ant principally because they laid the
basis for future attempts to write the
history of legislative corruption in
New York state during the last de-
cade. When Senator Congers' attor-
news announced they were through
with his direct examination late this
afternoon. Aids accuser was taken in
hand by Senator Newcomb of New
York and forced to confess that the
combination Of bridge building con
Germs, known as the American Bridge
Company, had raised a corruption
fund in 1902, 1903 and 1905.
Congers refused to answer some Of
Newcombs questions until directed TO
by the presiding officer.
Under such compulsion the Groton
senator admitted that the bridge COM
Danies in 1903 turned their legislative
bribery fund over to the Groton COM
pany. in which the witness and his
brother Frank were interested. He
was not pressed to tell the uses TO
which this fund was put. but after
the grilling Congers had received by
his Republican colleagues grim
smile flashed across his harassed face
as he volunteered this information:
There was a contribution to the
chairman of the State Republican
Committee in 1902"
Congers was questioned no more On
this line. for Senator Newcomb de-
clared that the purpose of his inter-
rogation was not to carry the inves-
tigation outside the limits OF the
charges against Aids, but to get in
the record evidence for use when the
inquiry is carried further, after the
Aids charges are disposed of
This morning Senator Wainwright
introduced in the upper house reso-
luton providing for an investigation
practically without limit as to the
time or place, within the state.
For the present. at least, the meas
ure is likely to lie dormant.
Meanwhile the senate has before It
another proposition. After Senator
Newcomb had brought from Congers
his admissions regarding the further
use of a legislative corruption fund
he moved that the authority OF the
senate in committee Of the whole be
extended to embrace this new test-
inony and "all matter relating to cor
rupt practices to influence the course
of highway legislation between 1901
md 1905" as a separate specification
at the close of the investigation of
the charges against Aids. He asked
leave to have action on his PROPOSE
tion postponed until all the Aids tes-
timony nad been received.
Owing however, to an unsuccess-
full effort by Senator Grady, the minor.
ity leader. to secure consideration for
the Newcomb resolution tomorrow, a
debate followed and the senate adj
iourned with the question of its dis
position unsettled.
While much still depends upon fii-
ture revelations of the Aids investi-
cation, the plan of the Republican
party tonight seems to promise an ex.
tension of the present investigation
to cover allegations of corruption in
regard to highway legislation only.
The unlimited inquiry proposed by
Senator Wainwright is not regarded
seriously.