Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1910-10-20
ANTI.RACE TRACK BILL
WAS FOUGHT BITTERLY
BY Prominent PEOPLE
Bv Associated Press.

New York, N. Y, Oct. 19.-Repre-
sentative Otto G. Foelker, the man
who was carried from his sick bed
into the state senate chamber to cast
the deciding vote for anti-racing bills
urged by Governor Hughes, todays
told the Merritt joint legislative COM
mittee the details of an alleged at
tempt in 1908 by former State Senator
Frank J. Gardner, who is now under
arrest, to buy his vote.
Robert Elder, first assistant district
attorney of Kings county (Brrklyn),
repeated a conversation which ne says
he had with Gardner, in March last,
and which previously had been re-
ferred to as confession" Mr.. Ed
err did not vouch for the truth of what
he repeated, but he gave for what 1t
might be worth testimony that involv-
ed more names of men now living and
names of men higher in social bust
ness and political life, coupled with
the distribution of bigger sums OF
money than anything yet heard IN
either the Aids hearing or any OF the
previous sessions of the present COM
mittee of inquiry.
The narrative created a sensation
Briefly, it told of a dinner alta Del
monico's of prominent men friendly
to the race tracks, of 100000 sub.
scribed to a corruption fund, of the
distribution of this fund to politicians
and to we'll known political cores
pondents at Albany, of the New York
newspapers, and of the secret griev-
ance of the late Senator Patrick Nc
Carren that worked for the passage
of the bill against his own wishes and
his own associates.
In the month of March," testified
Mr.. Elder, 81 sent for Gardner through
his lawyer, who wanted to know what
for. told him for personal chat,
and shortly afterwards Gardner came
to my private office. l told him
wanted to know about the efforts
made at Albany to defeat the race
track bills. l told him that l had in
dictments against certain men and
that his information might help.
| FINALLY Gardner said, I don't mind
telling you that there was meeting
at Delmonico's at which money was
subs cribed.'
HE mentioned the names of several
men who were there, including mem
bers of the Metropolitan Turf associa-
Ition and the bookmakers. He said
that among the men there-that l re-
member-were James R. Keene, David
Mitchell, Mr.. Parsons, Harry Payne
Whitney and Charles H. Hyde.
"Charles H. Hyde is now chamber
lain of New York city and was for.
lmerly law partner Of Mayor Gaynor
James R. Keene is the we'll known
racing man and millionaire stock op'
orator.
"Mr. Parsons was not further iden
titled. it
"He (Gardner)," continued Mr. Ed
err, "said there was a dispute about
who should handle the money. Fin
ally, he said, $125,OO0 was given tc
James Gaffney to take care Of three
or four members of the legislature
lTammany men, he said"
James c. Gaffney is president of the
Gaffney Construction Co., which has
handled many municipal contracts.
II asked him the total amount Of
this fund.-" the witness resumed, "and
he said, oh, considerable told him
that I had heard $3O0,0OO. He sale
that if l had guessed $4,000 I would
have been nearer the mark. OF this
sum, he said, Senator Greedy got only
$4,000, and l might imagine what the
others go.
Senator McCarren, he said, wa!
angry because he didn't have thu
handling of the fund and because of {
strange man was going up there ex
pecting to get away with such prop
osition. He attributed the passage o
the bill to McCarren's displeasure
McCarren was secretly in favor of tn
bill, he said, and wanted to be avene
ed because he had not been concult
ed"