New-York tribune., 1913-11-19
Whitman Confident Wit
ness Will Be Forced to Ad-
nit Hennessy Conference.
BURGARD ALSO MAY
BE PUT ON STAND
Erie Leaders Story Likely to
Involve Fowler Deeper-To
Call 800 Contractors.

District Attorney Whitman said yester-
day that the first or the contractor wit
nesses-the first OF the three hundred
would be called to the witness stand In
the John Doe inquiry next Monday
After the Thanksgiving Day holiday the
contractors will be taken care of. begin
ring On the following Monday and there
after until all of them have had chance
TO testify
John Kirkland Clark. Assistant District
Attorney, who has been directing the ac-
tivities Of a group OF process servers
working from Albany. sent in word yes
terday that the subppnas would reach
practically all OF the three hundred con-
tractors whose names have so far oeeh
brought into the inquiry, as "sandbaggeu
contributors" within the present week
George H. Mcclure, the Syracuse bond
ing agent, who acted as little bag
man" in 1911 and 1912, this afternoon VIII
resume the witness stand, which he left
last week in a state oil utter collapse.
after having admitted authorship Of he
M" telegram to John A. Hennessy. which
lilNOlNcu tNtTtll EO"lci tiiN W imam
II. Kelley
Henry A. Wise former United States
District Attorney, McGuire's counsel, said
his client would be ready 10 resume the
stand to-day and Whitman is confident
that MCGUIRE will oe forced TO, admit the
all-important conference with Hennessy
at which the list of the "sandbagged"
was made out. How much more Mcclure
will admit remains a matter OF doubt, un-
til he is actually on the stand.
The District Attorney is under no ap-
prehension as to McGuire's desire to pro-
tect himself as much as possible. and he
believes also that Mcclure will go as far
as he safely can in the endeavor to with
hold any information involving the Bar
ber Asphalt Company, for which his
brother, James X. Mcguire, formerly the
boy Mayor" of Syracuse, was a general
legislative agent.
At the same time Mr.. Whitman knows
that on account OF the information which
has come to his Office since McGuire's
last session on the stand he is now in a
much better position to make Mcclure
admit the whole truth as to his relations
as a eO-bSA"ttll lOl DOHllCldIs ana COll-
tractors. and he is not disposed TO let the
Syracuse man have any further leeway.
On the "M' kilograms Whitman forced
Mcclure into the unpleasant position OF
| taking his choice between a frank admis-
sion on the witness stand of the whole
truth and a possible indictment for per-
jury, and with the information now in
| his possession II is believed the District
! Attorney will go to the same limit imme-
| diately il Mcguire trifes with the oppor-
tunity he will have to-day.
II McGuire's testimony is completed i'm
time Henry p. Burgard, Democratic lead
er Of Erie County. will be called 10 the
stand. and after him will come James
Stewart, the heaviest contributor"
among the canal contractors. Represent
atives OF the Bradley Gaffney- Steers
contracting company are also among the
prospective witnesses.
Burgards evidence, II is believed. may
be used to involve Everett =. Fowler
deeper in the campaign fund graft inquiry
than he has been so far by the indict-
ment found against him on the testimony
| of Seneca p. Hull the Cortland County
contractor.
Along this same line Mr.. Whitman
talked yesterday with Alexander r.
Blessing, District Attorney of Schenec-
tady' and two other witnesses from up
| state, who supplied names and corrobo-
rating details to the accusations now
pending against Fowler.
1t is expected that Mr. Whltman's re-
sponse TO Fowler's sudden change OF
| heart as TO giving what information he
had to the prosecutor will be other In
dictments. based on the evidence of the
| eight other contractors who were seen by
HUI in Kelley's political headquarters
| when he presented himself for the sand
| bagging."
Hull has supplied Whitman with the
names of these contractors, and they will
be honored with the first of the grand
jury subpenas that are now being dis
tributed upstate by Clark. II Fowler
found II necessary to threaten each one
Of them, as Hull swore he was threat
ened, with the assertion that their work
would not be passed unless they "came
across" each separate threat by Fowler
may be used as the basis for separate
indictment.
Martin W. Littleton. Fowlers lawyer,
said yesterday he intended to be present
at to-day's session of the John Doe In
quiry Lttleton added he meant to ask
District Attorney Whitman for permis-
sion 10 inspect the grand jury minutes
with regard to Fowler's indictment, his
idea being that the testimony before the
grand jury will tend TO substantiate his
! claim that the crime of extortion, IL II
was committed by Fowler, was consum-
mated In Cortland or Onondaga counties.
Mr.. Whitman has already announced
| however. that he would oppose Mr.. Lit
| tleton's motion before Judge Grain for
permission to examine the grand jury
minutes so there is little likelihood Of
the defending lawyers request beng
granted.
FOURTEEN DEAD I'M MINE