Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1913-12-10
James E, Gaffney Brother-in-
Law of Charles F,Muprhy
and Former Tammany Of
ficiaI, Split Commission,
CASH CONTRIBUTIONS
NOT ACCOUNTED FOR
District ATTORNEY Whitman Is
Close on Trail of Men Who
Speculated in Political In
fIuenCe,

New York, Dec. 9.-Iames y. Gaff-
ney. brother-ln-law of Charles +. Muir.
ply. and Joseph j. Carroll. former
treasurer of Tammany Han, split Stl.-
600 In commissions with the agent Of
q paving company under nn oral
agreement, by which they were to use
their political influence To obtain con
tracts for the company with the state
highway department, according to tes-
timony adduced today at District At
torney Whitmans John Doe inquiry
into state highway graft
Two thousand dollars more of the
commissions went in cash. according
To the testimony 90 George NJ. Palmer.
chairman of the democratic state COM
mittee IN response 10 "a request for a
campaign contribution made hv G.
Gordon Reel. deputy highway COM
missioner through whom the con-
tracts were obtained The contrlbu-
,ion the district attorney learned. was
never reported
The agent was John NJ. Murphy
representing the firm 0f Warren Bros.
of Boston. manufacturers of biullthic
and other paving material, and it was
he who gave the testimony. II Is
known District Attorney Whitman
considers this the most important tes-
timony he has thus far brought to
light AT cc early date be viii place
IL before the grand jury and seek an
Indictment for conspiracy
Before taking ~ the case, however
Mr.. Whitman VIII place before the
jury evidence that state Chairman
Palmer received a political contribu-
tinn from a corporation. an offense
for which Arthur A. Mclean treas
urer of the democratic state commit
tee, now stands indicted such evil
dence was given today by Dudley z.
Van Writ, vice president OF the Flood
& Van Writ Engineering q Construc-
tlon Co, of Hudson Fails, y. Y. Mr.
Van Writ is expected TO go before the
grand jury tomorrow.
Van Wirts testimony was that he
sent a contribution of $500 IN behalf
Of his corporation 20 George NJ Pal
mer in 1912, at the solicitation Of Ev-
erett =. Fowler, to be used in paying
party expenses at the Baltimore con-
vention. The check endorsed by Pal
mer. and also by Arthur A. Mclean,
was produced in evidence. Van Writ
said he had made three other contri- I
.WiOns 10 the democratic state com
nttce. one in 1911, for $500. TO Nor
man Z. Mack and two others TO Pal .
ner in 1912. one Of $4,000 and one
IF $500. Those three were, however, I
MS individual checks, he said. al I.
hough he was later reimbursed by i
MS company. None Of them was ever
reported.
Thomas j. Martin. Of Beacon, am
jther contractor, testified that ne had
ent a $500 contribution TO Philip /
)onahue, treasurer of Tammany Hall I
n 1912, but that he had given It vol 1
Intarily." He did not know whether
{ had been reported
Murphy testified that he dld not
lnow what Gaffney and Carroll had
lone to help him obtain the contracts
,ut that he had taken them into what
ne termed "an oral partnership" be-
.ause they could have helped me
With Mr.. Reel" Through his contract
With Warren Brothers, he was to re-
Give a commission Of IL ~ cents
quare yard on all pavement material
hat he could induce the state high
gay department to purchase.
In March of 1912, he saw Reel, he
estified, and obtained through him,
ontracts which netted him a commits
ion Of $4,000 This he had agreed to
wide equally with Gaffney and Car
oil, but Reel asked him If ne was
ot going to do anything for the dem
cratic party" IN response to this re-
uest, Murphy said he gave $1,000 in
ash TO George NJ Palmer, as con
receiving from him an un-
ated receipt which he produced
Murphy was loath 70 concede that
e had taken Gaffney and Carroll in
) partnership with him because OF .
heir political influence, but when
ressed to tell how thcy had aided TO
ct contracts replied
"Not a single thing"
Didn't you agree to divide this
ioney with them because they had
oitica influence he was asked
Yes, Murphy replied, after some ;
AIS TO REMEMBER GETTING
CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION !