The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1913-11-12
N GU|RE DRIVEN
TO CONFESS THAT
HE TOLD A LIE
Threatened With Perjury lndict.
ment, Charges Testimony
HENNEsSY is SUSTAINED
Syracuse Man at First Denied That
He Had Made Revelations
10 Graft Hunter

New York, Nov. l2.-Gcorge III.
Mcclure of Syracuse, who denied un-
der oath Thursday that he had sent
a telegram to John A. Hennessy, for
mer Gov. Suffers graft investigator.
relative to political contributions, at
New York yesterday admitted that
he was the author of the telegram. j
threat of indictment for perjury was
hanging over him when the admis-
sion fell from his lips, and he left
the witness stand almost in state of
collapse. A physician was called 10
attend him.
Mcclure was testifying for the sec
ond time in the John Doe inquiry in
stituted by District Attorney Whit
man into Hennessy's charges that
contractors On state work had been
"sandbagged' into making campaign
contributions to Tammany hail. Hen
messy had testified that he obtained
most CT his information from Me
Gure, and that the latter had sent
him a telegram from Syracuse. sign
ed M setting forth that William II.
Kelly, democratic leader OF Ononda.
ga county, had been helping Arthur
a. Mclean. treasurer of the demo
cratic state committee, TO shake
down state highway contractors.
Mcclure on Thursday uneduivocally
denied that he had anything to do
with the telegram.
Yesterday District Attorney Whit
man sent before the grand Jury three
Witnesses. who gave testimony to
show that Mcclure had told tho
truth. One of these was Miss Ollie
Collier. "A stenographer in McGulre's
office; another was a typewriter OK.
pert, who took with him a typewrit-
er which had been brought from Nc.
Cures office. The stenographer ties.
tiled, 1t is understood that the ma
chine was one which Mcclure him.
self frequently used, and the expert
declared that the letters on the orig.
inal of the telegram identically cor
responded in their pecuharitles with
the letters on the machine
McGuire was appraised of the con.
templated action of the district vt.
tcrney at his hotel and soon after
ward his friends telephoned TO Mr..
Whitman saying that he had collaps
ed. They wanted to know. Mr.. Whit
man said What a., ,,.r,,i1 ,,r,,,,;.. .ste
McGui'c told tho truth" The district
attorney replied that he would be in.
dictcd for PERJURY If he did not ten
he truth. Mcclure wOs shown the
original of the Telegram as soon as
he took the stand and asked if he
had written it,
Yes said the witness in scarcely
audible tones. 81 have refreshed my
memory; | wrote It,"
You wrote and composed II alone
in your ofTicc?" asked the district at.
torncy.
Il did" replied the witness.
Mr.. Whitman then began 10 ques-
ton Mcclure in regard to his CONVEX.
HoNiNh WIN iifuutnnN III lllcds al
which, according to the graft investi-
gator. Mcclure gave him list OF
contractors who has been "sandbagg
ed In his testimony Thursday, the
witness denied having given Henncs-
sy this information. Mcclure was
growing visioly nervous.
AS ! remember It," ne said. my
testimony as to that was correct" At
this point his lawyer. former Federal
District Attorney Henry A. Wise who
said he had been retained less than
half an hour before the hearing be.
gan yesterday, requested Magistrate
McAdcO for an adjournment until to.
morrow. lie explained that his client
had suffered IAN utter physical and
mental collapse" and was not in con
dition to 90 on with his testimony.
The request was granted after Mr..
Wise had obtained consent to take
the witness into an adjoining room.
There Mcclure became hysierical, n
vas said