Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1913-11-20
CORROBOIlNTE TESTIMONY or
HOW STATE CONTRACTORS
HAD TO CONTRIBUTE.
INVOLVES The HIGHER UPS
"Ilad Heard" of "a Meeting Where
Fowler Was Instructed Ia col
lcct from I3 Contractors.


Mcclure, Of Syracuse, palo and often
weak of memory, whispered corrob-
Grafton of charges made by John A,
Hcnnessy against alleged grating
politicians in a relentless three hours
ordeal of examination this afternoon
ly District Attorney Charles 5. Whit
man Mcclure was the days sole
witness In the John Doe inquiry
through which Mr.. Whitman is seek
ing to bare corruption among dem
ocratic and republican collectors Of
campaign contributions from 900 or
more contractors on state canal and
highway work.
Hcnncsscy. investigator " graft for
Governor Sulzer sat I'm the Conrt
room as Mcclure testified and heard
the district attorney force the unwill-
ing witness TO confirm charges Of cor
ruptlou made by Hcunossy during the
mayor1lN campaign IN New York
city OF none Of these charges, how
over could the witness speak of his
own knoVlcdce They had come to
him In the gossip Of contractors and
the small talk Of political or, as Nc
Cures lawyers said. "by way Of the
one-liuc wireless telegraph route
Memory Na- Weak
Although McGuirc's memory ap-
parcnty had Weakened much since he
collapsed ON the witness stand last
week when forced to admit the falsity
of previous testimony, he recalled that
ne mad made mistakes when ON the
stand before. These he corrected by
reading into the record "a twcNo-pase
tyuewrittrn statement I'm this ne
fatty cuntradictod much Of his pre-
lio.s testimony, especially his dcnials
of having told Henncsscy anything
concerning the alleged "sandbaeging' W
of contractors
What Mcclure had heard included
charges that 49 contractors had been
forced to make campaign contribu-
lions TO politicians in 1912; and that
Everett Fowler of Kingston, now
under indictment on a charge of OK
tortng. had been approached at
meeting between G. Gordon Reel for
mcr superintendent Of highways, Nor
man H. Mack, democratic state chair
man. and John a. Dix, then governor
Of New York, to make some Of these
collections The meeting was held in
the executive mansion at Albany, he
said. qualifying the entire statement
that he had heard" It but had for
gotten who told him.
Commissions From State.
what Mcclure knew definitely was
that hc and his brother, James Is.
Mcclure, for six years mayor of SYRIA
cusc, had prorited by commissions on
the sale Of asphalt and oil to the state
and to the contractors in state work.
The commissions, he said, amounted
10 between $4,000 and $4,000, OF
which $1,000 had been paid.
The commissions, Mcclure testified,
were paid by the Barber Asphalt com
pany by which his brother had been
employed, and by the United states as
special commissioner.
Mr.. Whitman switched TO McG jire'S
corroborations to campaign contrihu-
tions to Sulzer when hc was cover
nor. The witness corroborated his
previous testimony that he gave GOV
crnor Sulzcr $3,50O. OF this sum, he
said. S2,5O0 was given 'out of SYM
pathy" last June when the governor
sent for him and told him ne needed
money.
isn't it the truth" demanded Mr..
Whitman, "that Governor SulZer sent
for YOU and told you that the Barber
Asphalt company was making money
out OF the sale of its asphalt TO the
state and that you had TO come across
to him with some of the profits
NO. sir" Mcclure answered quick
". the governor never told me any
thing like that"
'Why did you Give Mr.. Sulzer
SS.5OO
Evadcd the Question.
Mcclure cvaded the question sew
oral times. At length he said that it
was partly out of sympathy and part
~ because he felt that it might he to
his advantage to see that the state
got the Barber asphalt. thereby get
ting full value for every dollar 1t
spent"
When the hearing was concluded
10 be resumed Friday, Mcclure was
instructed to appear.
Mr.. Whitman said he probably
would send for Arthur Johnson, the
Barber Asphalt company's upstate
agent. to testify at the next hearing
and that former Governors Dix and
Sulzer. Mr.. Mack and Mr.. Reel might
be called. All witnesses would be
treated on the same basis. he said.
and would be required 20 sign a waiy
er of immunity in case they were
called to the stand.
Mr.. whitman questioned Mcclure
closely concerning his stock holdings
I'm the Barber Asphalt company. Nc
CURE was an unwilling witness. lie
finally admitted that he owned 100
shares Of stool; In the company. He
had not mentioned the fact to former
Governor Sulzer. but he did tell the
governor that the state was not get
%