New-York tribune., 1910-09-09
DENIES He COT MONEY
FROM MET OFFICIALS
Ex-AssembIyman Bedell Star
Witness at Graft Hunting
investigation.
Cash GIVEN FOR CAMPAIGNS
Saws Sums Which Books Show
He Drew from Brokers Were
Not Ali for Personal
Expenses.


tee heard ex-Assemblyrnan LOUIS r BE-
dell swear yesterday that he never sot
one cent from officials of the Metropoh-
tan Street Railway. It was mere CO.
Incidence. he said that items appeared
on the books of Ellingwood & Cunning
ham bearing the names of H. II. Nree-
land and II. 4. Robinson on the same
dates and for the same amounts as
credit entries or his account He in
sisted. suavely at first. later with an
angry srari in his voice. that the items
were not the same-merely similar
Mr.. Linn Bruce. counsel for the graft
hunters. apparently is singularly obtuse
almost pullheaded Though Mr. Bedei
iabored long and earnestly. first almost
in conciliatorv fashion then later ne-
family. 10 make the inqusitor see it ms
,vav. Judge Bruce remained painfuilT
F. dense
Il think the conclusion from the rec
, o-6s in these books is irresistible, ne
. announced. and let it go at that
According to the brokers books Mr..
Bedel1 drew considera BILE sums in money
from time to time. From May :. 1901.
20 August 2S. 1903 he obtained S2l.43o
tn this fashion His memory was poor
eho,t this. Some of it. he imagined,
went for his personal expenses
Other sums. he was quite sure. repre-
scented campaign contributions. and
again the trail Of the street railway IN
relitics was disclosed. Mr. Bedell
seemed 70 recall-not very distinctly and
defnitelv. but still with a general knoWl-
oage-that the street railway interests
. used to get money into his account some
how. which he withdrew and handed TO
the state committee or the Republican
County Committee in Orange. or used
Tor his Own campaign expenses.
Pepers Lost in a Hotel Fire.
When this happened and in what
amounts. he really couldn't recall 1t
was distinctly unfortunate. really deplor-
able. that all his personal papers and
hooks Of record perished in the Hotel
t4ramatan fire a couple Of years ago
Why. really. to show how impossible 1t
; would have been for anything there to
escape being burned. the very head OF
his golf clubs fused into a solid mass
AT the committees work Yesterday
hinged on BedelTs account with the
Legislative clearing house'-two &C
counts. in fact. for he kept a specula-
i've account and 3 draft or checking.
pccount His speculation. he admitted.
was singularly unlucky- But then. the
@rrn vas very kind to him. Q. Tracy
Trlt z moral obligation" to carry him
along and let him make up his specula-
tive losses by speculative gains. He
never made the gains. and so when the
frm failed he happened to be some
Sa0e0 in debt ~ It.
Meantime he had received these large
sums in cash. hut they we're used-why,
7u,lch of the money for campaign CON
tributions. some for his personal ex-
renses doubtless. for he recognized one
SIG item as being the amount of an in
su-ance premium which he had paid for
Years
Redell. chairman Of the Committee on
Railroads from 1899 through 1905 and a
member Of the all-powerful Rules Com
rnittee for the same period, easily held
7re centre Of the stage yesterday. A
neat. dapper individual. with low toned
voice ana s1ave manner. he presented a.
great contrast TO the big bulk and ag-
Eressive demeanor of Judge Bruce. his
inquisitor. ard the equally big bodied
Merritt. chairman of the committee. who
souched over the clerks desk in the
Aldermsnic Chamber and grinned quiz
zioaIiy at his friend under fire
BedeII Gives His Albany Record.
Bedell was the first witness called
fwhen TIL committee came to work after
luncheon. The former Assemblyman-
''OdelIs Assemblyman.'' as he was
Known during his later years Of service
told Of his years in the Legislature
and his committee places. He said he
had known Tracy Rogers very init
rnstely for fifteen or sixteen years. and
had been introduced by Rogers TO James
x. Cunningham. the broker. Then
Judge Bruce said the committee was
wiling TO let him make any statement
Re chose regarding the testimony of
Carpenter on Wednesday and yesterday
morning and the facts set forth IN the
LlIugwood and Cunningham books
TIE witness had a transcript OF his
account. but as he said he didn't know
whether II was accurate Judge Bruce
got the original loose leaf ledger sheets
for him. Then he began a long dis
course. giving his position. His specu-
larions had been very unfortunate. he
said The original joint account with
Rogers and Senator George Green had
ended disastrously in the market slump
following the death Of Governor Flower
His Individual account opened with d
debit balance ocCasioned by that loss
and 2 loss in the Manhattan pool"
also called the dinner pool"
This was rather z sac memory. Sew
eral congeniaI spirits. foregathered in
the brokers' Office. were about to go to
Delmonico's for luncheon. Someb body
suggested buying enough stock TO pay
the check for the party The stock was
bought but promptly slumped. and con
tnued its downward path. Net result
was loss OF about s., 800 for BedelI.
7 had the luncheon, anyhow" he
said with = sad. reminiscent smile.
Luckily 7 had II before I knew about
the stock. or I'd have lad indigestion
he1ly'
Were Sorry for His Losses.
Lots Of operations on his account, he