Los Angeles herald., 1910-12-06
BELMONT DENIES
BRIBERY STORIES
Chairman Of Jockey Club Takes
Pen in Hand to Let Public
Know His Side

NEW YORK. Dec. ST cannot
make too emphatic the statement that
| I have never, directly or Indirectly in
person or through any Incorporation
| or individuals, contributed, authorized
| or advised the expenditure of single
dollar improperly to influence legisla-
tive action, nor have l been asked to
| do So
August Belmont, chairman of the
! Jockey club, makes this statement in a
| letter to M. Lynn Bruce, chief counsel
| for the legislative investigating COM
mittee, before which he was witness
last week. -
The letter was made public tonight
with a brief letter from +. X. Sturgls'
treasurer of the Jockey club, saying
| that he himself was in error when ne
| testified recently that James w. Wads-
| ,gcrth, jr., speaker of the state assem-
| bly. recommended as counsel for the
racing interests E. I. Coyne of Liv-
| ingston county. This recommends
ton, he adds, came from the elder
Wadsworth, state commissioner OF
racing.
Belmont's letter says, in part:
'The great bulk of my time is de-
voted to the management of my bank
| ing and railroad interests, and | now
repeat what l stated TO your commit
Zee, the sweeping allegation of corrupt
Use of money to influence legislation
was matter of which it ought to be
presumed 1 was ignorant.
ONLY GENERAL SUPERVISION
1.-THE claim is made, as l understand
it, that money was used to bribe MEM
Lers of the Legislature of 1908 to vote
against the Hart-Agnew law. On this
assumption let us look at the facts.
The evidence before your committee
shows the existence of some eight rae
ing associations in the territory OF
Greater New York and vicinity, with
but one of which, the Westchester
Racing association, have ! any con-
nection.
II also have been chairman of the
hoard of stewards of the Jockey club
since its organization fifteen years
ago. For some fourteen years, run
ning back to the time of the passage
of the Percy Gray law, the racing in
te: ests have always been involved in
numerous and expensive litigat1ons,
calling for the expenditure of very
large sums of money and the retention
of a small army of lawyers
MY interest in racing as sport has
prompted me to maintain general
and not a special supervision of the
AT .ount of money being expended by
the association. 1t would seem that in
1907 upward of $4,000 was paid to
Judge Coyne for services rendered by
him before the legislature and else
where in behalf of racing interests.
This money was paid him before
the legislature of 1908, which passed
the law Gripping racing, came into ex-
| istence To this, most, If not all, of the
associations contributed.
mo suggestion was ever made to me
that his bills covered any other i'm
proper disbursements, or that our
10 In
other year, used in improperly influ-
encing the legislature.
ASSUMES FULL SHARE
I'm 1908 the Hart-Agnew law having
been passed while 1 was in Europe,
undertook on my return, after con-
sultation with my associates, the dis
b1rsement of such portion of the $4O,-
900. testified to before your committee
in publicity and legal services as l
might be able to arrange, ana the
;ter1s of moneys paid out from sucn
fund have been correctly given you;
"I in no way shirk my share OF the
responsibility, but that the public
should be persuaded into belief by
Juggling with figures that have soiled
my name by STOPPING to cover up under
the guise of lawyers bills and news
paper expenditures the bribing or
members of the legislature is a posi-
llOn IdlT~lllhOSA tileAh "OhAN "t1'A
to place me in.
"No1 shall 1 ever consent to believe
until the proof is overwhelming to the
contrary that any of my associates
were party to or cognizant of any OPP
II s;tion to anti-racing legislation
which was not. under the circum-
stances. perfectly defensible and under
legal advice.
1.-THE warfare waged against racing
melted volume of litigation almost
incredible in character and extent
going back many years. The life of
The sport was at stake. We did every
thing in our power through our pub
licity agents to create and maintain
senti,aent among the people that
would prevent destructive legislation.
We employed the best legal talent that
could ie had to represent us in the
courts and in this way disbursed largo
Sums of money!
Mr.. Belmont ends his letter by Of
fering to aid the committee in any
way in his power, to appear before it
again # wanted, to preclude any op-
rortunitY for a misunderstanding as
TO his acts in regard to racing.