The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-11-22
Other COMPANIES Excluded

l.
Other Companies Excluded
Did you ask Commissioner Carlisle
to put the words natural solid into the
asphalt specifications so as to exclude
everybody but the Barber company"
asked Mr. Whitman.
II don't recall using the word solid,'
said Mcclure.
why did you ask that the term ma
tural be put in?'
Because otherwise it would not de-
scribe an asphalt of the concern in
which | was getting a commission"
the witness conceded.
WASN'T it to exclude the Warner
Quinlan company because they wouldn t
pay you a commission
Mcclure then admitted having "sug-
gested' to representative of the con-
cern that it make a $4,000 contribution
to the democratic state committee in
return for getting a state contract. He
said he had held similar conversations
with Fillmore Condit, New York agent
of the Union Oil company.
Did you know 1t was a crime to
solicit these contributions? asked Mr..
Whitman.
Il never knew 1t was crime to
solicit these commissions replied Mr.
| Guire. He denied that the Barber COM
| pany had made seven payments OF
| COlllHllSSlOnS 10 Hlln OUTING Inc .1dSl
year, although Mr.. Whitman Informed
him that the company's sales agent
Johnson, had so asserted.
In regard to his association with
| Charles f. Murphy Jf., in the bonding
business, MCGUIRE said he had an agree
ment with the Tammany leaders
nephew which embraced a division OF
expenses and commissions on the bond
ing of all barge canal, state highway,
an11adnpt
both represented the United States
Fidelity and Guaranty company, he
said, and last year they had together
obtained about % per cent of state
highway bonding business.
Contractors Testify
MCGUIRE was preceded on the stand
by Edward p Burgard, Buffalo con-
tractor and chairman of the democratic
general committee of Erie county Bur-
gard testified he had a $4,000 state
barge canal contract and two smaller
road contracts. He had contributed
$1,000 personally to the democratic state
committee in 1911 and in 1912 had
turned over $4,000 as contributions from
other contractors which he said had
been given to him by Reeves Smith OF
Fulton, N. Y, consulting engineer
The checks therefor were drawn to the
| order of Norman E. Mack, he said.
Three more state contractors testified to-
day to having given campaign contribu-
tions to Everett p. Fowler the alleged
Tammany "bagman" now under indict-
| ment on charges of extortion. They We're
| John II. Weidman, Charles o. McComt
and Guy B. Dickson, all of Syracuse, and
enrolled republicans. They had each
given $500 apiece to Fowler, they testified
after William H.. Kelley, democratic
leader of Onondaga county, had written
asking them to meet Fowler at the coun-
ty democratic headquarters. They pro-
duced their checks, all payable to the or
der of Norman e. Mack The contribu-
| tions We're made about the same day or
which Seneca P. Hull, another upstate
contractor, on whose testimony Fowler
indictment was based, made his contri-
button of $3.50. All declared they would
not have given the money if it had not
been for their state contracts.
II told him I was republican," saio
| Guy B. Dickson in describing his inter
view with Fowler. HE only smiled ano
said I'd think it over. Later l gave him
| the check for $500"
| William j. Burns, another Syracuse
contractor, said he also had been asked
| by Fowler for a contribution, but thai
the latter had seemed satisfied when hi
told him he already had contributed tc
the local organization.
The inquiry will be resumed Monday
when Mr.. Whitman expects to hear tes-
| timony from other contractors. He also
expects to place further evidence before
the grand jury