The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-03-22
CASE NEAR END.
Lewis r. Carr Starts Argument In
Senator's Defense.

Albany, N. Y, March 22.@The sem
ate settled itself for a long session to-
day In the hope of closing the bribery
investigation 50 far as it concerned the
defense of Senator lothian P. Aids.
Continuation of testimony today was
provided for last Thursday when Sena-
tor Conger's attorneys insisted upon in
Producing the letter of the Acme Road
Machinery company, indicating that
this concern participated in co11usive
bidding. Aids acted as counsel when
the company was organized and still
holds some of its stock, so that its OPP
ponents contend that he was in g.
measure responsible for any improper
business methods they may be able to
prove against the corporation. The
defense opposed the admission of this
evidence when it was presented earlier
in the investigation and the chair sus-
tanned them; but last week Chairman
Davis said he would put the question
to the whole senate for a ruling.
Lewis e. Carr of Albany, who had
been selected to start the argument
self to an exposition of the various
points brought out by the defensive
evidence, leaving the conclusions and
the peroration to Martin w. Littleton.
When the investigation reopened at
10 o'clock Chairman Davis ruled that
the Acme Road Machinery company
letter should be admitted It developed
that during recess counsel had agreed
Aids was not recalled. Both sides
rested and Mr.. Carr then began to sum
for Aids.
w. B. Noble. cashier of the Nassau
National bank, testified that he had
searched for the records of Elijah r.
Kennedy's transactions with the bank
in 1901, the year in which Kennedy
says he got $13.311 for putting through
the bill exempting reinsurance re
serves from taxation but he found
nothing which would shed any light on
Kennedy's transactions.
e. H. A. Correa, vice president of the
Home Insurance company, was brought
back to complete his testimony. He
produced a cancelled check for 500,
which had been paid on October 25,
1902 to the late George p Sheldon
who was president of the Phoenix Fire
Insurance company of Brooklyn. The
money was paid to Mr.. Sheldon as
travelling expenses" in connection with
his work at Albany. Mr.. Correa could
not tell precisely in what way this 800
had been spent.
Mr.. Hotchkiss forced Mr. Correa to
admit that his company had made an
erroneous statement in its annual re-
port for 1904 to the state insurance
department. 1t was brought out by
Fire Insurance company paid $4,000
for Mr.. Sheldon on September 81,
1904. Today the books of the Home
company were produced and it was
as having been made for "state tax"
whereas, in fact. it went to Mr.. Shell
don for influencing legislation. Mr.
Hotchkill tried to get Mr.. Correa to
admit that this was an attempt to con-
ceal from the insurance department
the expenditure of money to influence
legislation, but the witness declared
the classification of the item as taxes
George F. Seward, president of the
Fidelity and Casualty company, testi-
fed. For years." he said. 'the insur-
ance and casualty companies have
country by insurance departments and
by strike bills, and by bills introduced
by LEGISLATORS who were not well in
formed"
force him to pay $4,000 for killing a
bill adversely affecting casualty COM
panies.
"a man named Brown" he said,
photographed to me from Sing Sing
that he wanted to see me. 1 don't
know who he was and never had seen
him before. I went in response to the
telegram and saw Brown at Sing Sing
prison. I had dinner with him in one
of the rooms in the warden's apart
ments, but I am sure he was not War
den Brown.
'This man Brown said to me at
dinner: Tim Sullivan will put this bill
off for 100000"
What did you reply?"
ct told him I would give my reply
as telegram to Mr.. Sullivan. My re-
ply was: Mr.. Seward says you can
go to -"
who was this Tim Sullivan" Mr..
Hotchkiss asked. 1.-THE present Sem
ator Sullivan?'
81 don't know"
How long ago?"
II don't know. A long time; per
haps 10 or 15 years."
Mr.. Seward said he beat the bill by
rallying the honest members of the
legislature to his support and defeat
ing the black horse cavalry.
The black horse cava1ary' Mr.. Sc |
ward said, was a combination of mem
berS of both the majority and min |
GRITTY parties, which introduced bills
through which 1t was intended to |
raise money corruptly fro mthe person |
or companies affected.
Strike bills on the other hand, |
were often introduced by individual |
members in the hope OF getting q |
competence to retire on" |