The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1910-03-16
ALLss WANTED PROTECTION
Accused Senator Didn't Enjoy His
Cross Examination.

Albany. March Ex-senator 10Th
am p Aids of Chenango, on trial be-
fore the Senate on $1,000 bribery
charge preferred by Senator Benn
COnger, left the witness stand yester-
day, his crOss-examination completed.
after James w. Osborne, counsel for
Senator Conger. had drawn from him
some significant admissions with ref
erence to a cash deposit of $4,000
made by the accused Senator on May
% last year.
Martin W. Littleton of counsel for
Senator Aids objected at every step
and az one stage of the proceedings
Senator Aids himself appealed to
Senator Davis of Erie, the presiding
officer, and his brother Senators for
protection against the gruelling to
which he was being subjected by Mr..
Osborne. AS a result of the eross-ex-
animation regarding the origin of
this large sum of money, deposited in
bills, Mr., Aids was compelled to make
these admissions:
That the $4,000 was part of fee Of
from $4,000 to $1,000 which Senator
Aids received as counsel for The Ar
gus Publishing Company in suit
brought against the State of New
York in the Court of Claims for the
recovery of SS4,7O5 for State Print
ing.
That the name of Senator Aids did
not appear anywhere in the record of
the case as attorney, nor did he at
any time appear in court the suit be-
ing settled by pro confesso" result
ing in a compromise.
That Senator Aids received his fee
in cash instead of a check. that he
gave 20 receipt. and that as far as he
knew there was not a line in writing
to show that he had. been connected
with the case or why he got the
money.
That at this time there was legisla.
ton pending before the Senate which
had vital bearing on The Argus
Company's claim, and that Senator
Aids had suggested to his associate
counsel that he do something to nave
such legislation passed
That the attorney of recrod in The
Argus Company suit was George e. T.
Kelly VINO was a member of the AS
sembly Committee on Rules in 1901,
the year when the highway bill Sena.
tor Conger swore he paid Aids 81 900
to help defeat, was killed there.
After Senator Aids had left the
witness stand his place was taken by
Albert II. Hamilton of Auburn, who
! Described biucoIf nc Z, u,ho,..-. IT.
scropisI,' and qualified as hand.
writing expert Mr. Hamilton testin
ed that acids had been used in max
ing changes on the stub of the $4,000
check, with the proceeds of which
Hiram G. Moe of Groton has sworn
that he bribed three legislators. in
Guiding Senator Aids, on the last day
of the 1901 session.
The handwriting expert also testi
fed that changes had been made il
the draft bought account of the FRS
National Bank in Groton, which con
tains the record of the transaction
testified to by Hi" Moe, who said he
received two $4,000 drafts on New
York and $500 in cash when he de
posted Frank. Conger's check fo
$500.
The expert testified that tn,
amount recorded on the stub ha,
been raised from $4,000 to $6.5O0 an,
that the words Albany matter
which were made so much of by MI
Osborne when Hi Moe was on tn
stand, had been written in with dif
ferent ink and within the last ST
months.
Counsel for Senator Aids hope Il
prove to the satisfaction of the Ser
ate that those works were writer
after Senator Conger brought hi
charge AGAINST their client.