Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-02-17
RENEW CHILLING
Of FOELkER IN
BRIBERY TRIAL
Counsel for Gardner, the AC.
cused, Again Attack Wit
ness's Record.
CORRUPTION OFFER
MADE UPON TRAIN
No Report of Alleged Attempt
to Bribe Made to
Senate.

Otto G. Foelker was again called to the
stand when the trial of his bribery
charges against his former colleague in
the State Senate, Frank j. Gardner,
was resumed today, and the attack on
his credibility as a witness was re-
sumed
Foelkers account of how the alleged
bribe of $4,000 was offered him, while
returning to New York from Albany.
was then attacked again from a new
angle.
"On the train Gardner said to you:
I will give you $1,000 more than the
other senators are getting didn't hep
he was asked.
Yes" answered Foellker
And while you were alone with him
in a stateroom you didn't ask him who
the other senators getting the money
were?"
ut didn't interest me- declared the
witness.
Under repeated proddings Foelker ad-
mitted that although he was a men,
Der of the Legislature, he had not con-
sidered It his sworn duty to report an
attempt to bribe him to the Senate or
to the district attorney, for the reason
that he lacked corroboration." After
wards when he met Gardner on the
street in Albany he greeted him as
usual.
Denies Getting Funds.
Right after the vote on the race
track bill" resumed Mr.. Steuer, didn't
you come into funds?"
"No!T shouted Foelker.
The witness identified a mortgage
showing that on May IA, 1908, he had
made a loan of $4,000 to the Finney
Godfrey Company, but on redirect ex-
animation later, he explained, that al
though his name appeared on the mort
gage, the money came out of the estate
of his wife's aunt, Mrs. William H.
! Watson. The bond to secure the mort
! gage, he said, is in the hands of the
| Watson estate. and, like the mortgage.
/ is made out in the name of Otto G..
Foelker. .z
Further testimony brought out that
/ Foelker had given SIS to James Radi-
gam partner of Max Sosinsky, who
coached him for his regents examina-
tion. because Radgan told me his
Office furniture was mortgaged and he
owed his stenographer a months
salary
Denies Defending Vote.
The witness denied that a man
named James Ray had ever reproached
him with voting for the Hart-Agnew
bill after he had been literally paid.
by the other side, or that he had de-
Tended his vote with statement that
the late Senator Patrick McCarren, the
Democratic leader of Brooklyn. had
promised him support he didn't get.
Foelker is a Republican.
On redirect examination Koelker
swore that Sosinsky, who is now IN
prison for impersonating others at Re-
gents examinations, had not imper-
sonated him at his Regents, but had
merely coached him. He accounted for
the fact that Sosinsky had written III
for his (Foelker's) certificate under his
name, by the natural anxiety of q
coach to know his pupils had passed
The redirect examination ended with
rFoelker's assertion that the check from
Hildebrand was merely campaign
celebration, and had not affected his
action on the sprinkling bill hostile TO
Hildebrand's business interests.
The court room was crowded. and the
defendants pretty wife, with his aged
mother, was on hand early. The
Brooklyn congressman had a most un-
pleasant time of It on ss-examina-
ton yesterday. He swore that he him
self took the regents certificate prelimi-
nary to examination for admission to
the bar.
Then 1t was brought out that letter
J signed with his name rsking the office
Of the regents TO forward the certificate
was written by Max Sosinsky, now
penitentiary prisoner convicted of i'm
personating candidates at such examin-
ations, and that at that time Foelker
had temporarily given up his residence
in Brooklyn and was living with So
sinsky In Rutgers street tenement.
Makes Admission.
Congressman Foelker also admitted
that In 1906, while he was a member
of the Assembly and after he had been
nominated for the Senate, he got
check for $3.50 drawn by ]. S. Hide
brand, who had a contract for sprink-
ling the streets of Manhattan, the
Bronx and Brooklyn. This, he said,
was a campaign contribution.
Gardner is accused of Offering Foelk-
er a bribe Of $4,000 to vote against the
anti-race track betting bills when those
measures were pending in 1908 at AL
bany, where Foelker was then serving
as a member of the State Senate
Foelker testified yesterday that Gardner
had offered the bribe, which was re-
fused,
Probe FOelker's Record.
Cross examining the congressman.
Gardner's counsel, M. ID. Steuer, went
minutely into Foelker's record and drew
from the witness that while he was
preparing for and taking his regents
examinations preliminary to applying
for admission to the bar he lived with
Max Sosinsky, man who has since
been convicted and imprisoned for i'm
personating others in taking regents
examinations. Question after question
was directed at the congressman in an
apparent attempt to lay the gorund-
work, at least for proof that Foelker
had never taken his regents examina-
tions, but had had Sosinsky take them
for him.