The sun., 1910-02-18

MI 'NdTE ndu Decu krbtluK uCbAAtS hCAO
and there in the course OF the day from
Mr.. ConEer regarding the corruption
funds raised from and including 1901 un-
til the anti-bridge legislation was passed
in 1908, when he asked. about an hour
before the trial was closed for the day:
Q. Now. are you able to say whether
any fund was collected wholly or in part
to affect this legislation in 1905? A. There
was a meeting at the Yates Hotel in SYRIA
cuse OF the representatives OF the bridge
companies There was a fund talked about
at that meeting.
Q. Talked about by the representatives
of the bridge company? A. Yes.
Mr.. Carr-Very well. say what was said.
A. There was a demand by people here
for a fund Of so, 900 to protect certain leg
panies, and they decided they would not
be blsckmailed any more and We would
not pay IL.
Q. Now. what knowledge had you OF
any demand having been made in Albany
A. | had q personal knowledge.
Q. Personal knowledge by talking with
some person? A. BY certain word that
came to me and came TO others.
o. Word that came to you how? A. BY
word Of mouth and by telephone.
o. Well. II IL was word OF mouth, then
II was in conversation between you and
somebody A. Yes.
O. And il it was over the telephone II
was somebody talking over the telephone.
wasn't II? A. Yes.
O. Now. was that before you had this
meeting? A, Yes.
Q Can you tell when tha, meeting was
held? A. The latter part OF the session
OF 1903
q. You say nothing was done? A. Moth
| ing was done at that meeting.
Mr. Carr recalled to the mind Of the
/ witness that the new highway law drafted
in 1908 was prepared by a committee OF
which Senator Aids was chairman. and
| that il contained the 1905 provision of
the law which hurt the bridge companies.
only more drastic. Senator Conger ad-
mitted that under this new highway law
fewer bridges then ever would be built
and that even under the 1905 law a good
many bridge companies went out OF
4 business.
AFTER CoSoERs MOTIVE.
With view Of showing motive on the
part Of Senator Conger in bringing the
bribery charge against Senator Aids
Mr., Carr asked:
O. Did you know whether MIR Aids was
( chairman Of that COMMITTEES that drafted
the new highway law Of 1905? A Yes
| O. Well. they revised the highway law
and it became the law Of the State? A. II
| did.
Q And il was a Law Of the State in what
year; A. II became effective in January.
1900.
Q You were elected in 1905. Senator3
A Yes, I came here in 1909
Q That was the beginning Of your Sena-
torial term? A Yes
Mr.. Carr called to Senator Conger 4
attention a bill introduced by Senator
Heacock last year which rendered less
drastic the provision in the Aids new
highway law against the bridge COM
panies. Senator Conger said that this
bill had been drafted at his suggestion
after consultation with Percy Hooker,
chairman Of the new State Highway
Commission, and that il had passed the
Senate and was killed in the Assembly
Committee on Rules. The bill had been
reported favorably by the Senate Commit
tee on Internal Affairs, Of which Senator
lConger was a member and Senator Hea-
cock chairman, at q meeting when Senator
Aids was not present. and Il was passed
In the Senate during the closing days
of the session when Senator Aids was
at his home in Norwich with his mother
CoNoER DOESN'T REMEMBER.
Mr. Carr intimated that Senator Conger
did not introduce the bill, because Of his
connection with bridge interests. and
continued:
Q. Did you introduce the bill in the Sen
ate? A. | did not. sir.
O. Did you give it to anybody to intro
duce? A. don't remember whether
gave IL to anybody or not
Q. How did IL happen 60 be introduced
then? A. MT Heacock. chairman Of the
Committee on Internal Affairs. introduced IL
Q. Did you ask him to do IL? A. I dom
RENE mber.
Q. Don't you remember that YOU did
, A might have done so: don't remember
Senator Heacock interrupted the cross.
examination and asked Senator Conger
several questions, indicating that the
. Heacock bill would have passed the
Assembly had IL not been for the enor.
nous power welded by the Assembly
Committee on Rules. and that the bill
, was a just one TO all concerned.
SENATOR HEACoCK ASKS QUESTIONS.
Senator Heacock-What | wanted q
bring out Ia this, and think that som,
, good will come to this Investigation OF It
Don't you know that when a bill IL passed
by the Senate and one Of the standing com
mittees Of the House appointed for tn,
purpose passes on that legislation unani
mousiy, that three men assume the powe
OF denying the Assembly and the Governo
! the right to pass on il whether IL Ia goot
legislation or not2 A. Yes
Q. You know that that was done will
this measure? A. l do not know wha
happened to II. sir.
r Q. Well. IL was not reported? A. know
;. 1t was not reported out Of Rules.
Speaker James w Wadsworth Jr
occupied the seat Of one Of the SENATOR
. within a few seats Of Senator Heacocl
when these questions were asked.
Mr.. Carr then brought out the fact tha
1 Senator Conger had asked various mem
bers Of the Rules Committee to repor
out the Heacook bill and had friend.
> to bring pressure upon that committe,
t to take favorable action on it. and asked
O. Did Mr.. Hooker ask the Rules Com
8 mittee to report the bill? A. Yes
Q. Don't you know as a matter OF fac
that Mr.. Hooker asked the Rules Committe,
= not to report the bill? A. No.
: Q. You were interested in having thL
AgII al.