The sun., 1910-02-17
CONGER NAMES JEAN BUREETF
&AYSASSEMBLYMAN. NOW DEAN,
SHARED IN BRIBERY MONEY.

COnger Declined 70 Give His Name Ulmtil
tho Chairman Said He must Answer
-Newcomb's Resomficn Ter FuIlss
Inquiry Tabled On Motion ef GrAAy.
ALBANx. Feb. Ex-senator Benin ConGsr
testified to-day to the name Of seoopd
Assemblyman to whom one OF the three
boodle envelopes distributed by psanon
Moe was given. It was that OF the lats
Jean l.. Burnett. who entered the Asssm-
bly, from Ontario county In 1883 and
served until he died during tho ssssion
In February. 1907. M
Mr.. Burnett had become ono OF the
most influential members OF tho HOUSE
OF Commons presided over by the lnfs
Speaker s. Fred Nixon and ~as CHAIR
man Of the Assembly Cities Comnfttse
when he died. At the time OF tho bribery
Mr.. Burnett was chairman OF the Assembly
General Laws Committee. Whether Mr..
Burnett got any Of this money for him.
self or whether he acted as n sort Of ward.
man has not yet been developed.
In discussing the history Of the bridge
legislation OF 1901 Senator Conger brousht
in the name OF ex-Assemblyman Louis
Bedell OF Orange county. who was ;
member OF the Assembly COMMITTEES ON
Rules in 1901. and the names OF several
members OF the Internal Affairs Com
mittee. but there was no suggestions of
the use Of money by Senator Conger
in this connection. -
Senator Conger was on the stand al
day under crosse xamination OF Lewis
E. Carr. one OF the counsel for senator
Aids. Senator conger was being auex-
toned about the action Of the Assembly
Internal Affairs Committee on the Malby-
Stevens bill aimed at the bridge Interests.
and bad got 10 the point where the bills
had been amended 30 as to provide that
they should not apply to the construcskon
OF bridges costing less than $4,000. The
bill originally provided that where
bridge was to cost more than $1,000 ths
question should be voted upon by the t&x-
payers. Then the Assembly Internal
Affairs Committee amended the biEE ~
providing that the people should VOTE
on all bridge expenditures OF over 36Cos
1t was here that the bridge intsresta
made their influence felt and ohsnesd
the limitation to $4,000. thus Rendering
the bill useless. Mr.. Carr had ashEed X
Senator Conger II he could rsmenpbtr
who suggested the s1O.0 600 amendmene,
: -Ithink / can.' replied Senator Cons
q. Now who? A 1t was not Q Tsamher
of the Internal AHAirs Oommittss
q. My question was who 1t wasf A. H.
was ths man whose mama appears npOn orAs
Of those envelopes. -t8 n Va VIZ
: MFR. Carr-NowI II the chairman plas2e.
you viii see the mischief Of that eng&cf
IL IL is left In the record. They have eaidf
We do not propose to give the name sr
names Of the other persons that were
written on those envelopes" There yse
not anything in my question that would
indicate the name OF the person or would
connect the name Of the person with thoes
envelopes, as the witness has interpolated \
in his answer. move to strifs it out. and
insist on an answer to my question.
The presiding oficer-Strfke out The
answer as not responsive.
@. Now i repeat my question. A. I eAsI
refuse to answer.
Mr.. Carl ask the chairman to reouire
the witness to answer the question. Y 2
The presiding ofYicer-The Witness muaf
a answer the question.
The witnees-The m me was Jean Hurnstt. X
Q. Then a member OF Assembly, Az
Member OF Assembly. a.
Q. Is he now living or deadi A. Dead. 4
think.
Q. And you say you had a converse ton
with him yourself7 A. Yes, did.
o. And when was that-I mean how IonR
before this sth OF April when these bilIh
were reported amended? A. I think mat
ter OF ten days to two weeks.
II is. - 80
Q. Well, did he suggest to You the fora
Of amendment to make to those biilsf Al
Not to me- sir. -'--,,.- -. : : .--N :.
Q. Well, he made some suggsseion -
you. did he not? A. He did.
Q. Well, how did you ever happen to-Kb
10 himf A. didn't so to him.
Q. Did he como to your A. He did.
q. And where did this conversation taxa.
place between you and him? A. think
N the Assembly lobby. sfsf
Q. Well, did he come 10 you at that tfms
" did you go to himf A. Came TO ms
Q. Now I am speaking OF the first tiinB
hat anything took place between you ana
him. You say that he came to your Al
Yes, sir. --s,.ssssT =, - e
~ @rhA0 yOu AAAu ~ w uAhg n. ny 0lxs
Q. Well after that talk with him, then the
,ills were amsndcd. were they mott A.
Zee. sir.
Q. And do you.lrnow now who prsparsd
he amendment A. I think do. I am
lot sure. sir. -
Q. Is that your recollection abcut NJ I,
/. Yes. SIR.
Q. Well. how did he amend the bili er shs
MIST A. By extending the amount frurn
wo thousand to ten thousand.
Q. know; but IN some way, some tan&f-
We form. Il was put On paper. wasn't 10
/. think he had . msmorandum
Q. Well, did you discuss that mattar wffh 4
nybody connected with the committesg
mean aftsr you had talked with BurNaftf
l. I may have dons 90. don't reoSlf.
Q. ON asking for your raeollec<lon
lave you any recollection that y0u didf
|. think 7 did: zee. sir.
Q. Well. do you remember whof A. Yss.
iT.
q. whoP 4. The chairman. ~
Q. anybody siss7 A. Not that feunsm.
or o.