The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-11-12
Under Threat of Indictment
for Perjury, the Witness
Admits Truth
DENIED ACT UNDER
OATH THURSDAY
Man Implicated by John Hennessy
Breaks Down Under lnvestiga-
ton and Admits Previous
Testimony Untrue

New York, November II.--GeorRe II.
Mcclure of Syracuse, who denied un-
der oath last Thnrsaas shnt he hnd sent
q telegram 20 John A. Bennessy. for
mer Governor suIzer's graft inyesti-
gator, relative to political coDtribu-
tions, today admitted he was the nu-
thor Of the telegram.
The threat of indictment for perjury
was hanging over him when this admis-
sion fell from his lips. and he left the
witness stand almost in state of col
lapse. A physician was called 10 attend
him.
Mcclure was testifying for the second
time in the John Doe inquiry instituted
by District Attorney Whitman, into Hen
nessys charges that contractors on state
work had been 'sandbagged'' into max
ing campaign contributions to Tammany
hall Hennessy had testified that he OBJ
tanned most OF his information from Nc
Guire, and that the latter had sent him
a telegram from Syracuse signed M
setting forth that William IL. Kelly,
democratic leader of Onondaga county,
had been helping Arthur a. Mclean.
treasurer of the democratic state COM
mittee. TO shake down. state highway
contractors. Mcclure last Thursday un-
equivocally denied that he had anything
to do with the telegram.
Show He Had Not Told Truth
Today = District Attorney Whitman sent
before the grand jury three witnesses
who gave testimony to show that AIc-
CURE had not told the truth. One OF
these witnesses was Miss Ollie Collier,
a stenograpner in McGuire's office; an
other was a typewriter expert, who took
with him a typewriter brought from Nc
Cures office The stenographer testi-
fled, ii is understood, that tho machine
was one which Mcclure himself fire.
quently used, and the expert declared
the letters the original of the tele-
gram corresponded with the letters on
the machine
Mcclure was informed at his hotel OF
the contemplated action of the district
attorney against him, and soon afterward
his friends telephoned Mr.. Whitman say
ing he had collapsed. They asked MIR.
Whitman what he would promise 'if
Mcclure told the truth" The district
attorney replied he would promise noth-
ing but that Mcclure would be indicted
for perjury IL he did not tell the truth
Shown Original Telegram
Mcclure was shown the original Of
the telegram when he took the stand and
was asked II he had written it.
Yes" said the witness. ~ have re-
freshed my memory; / worte it."
Mr.. Whitman then questioned Nc
Gulre regarding converse tion with
Hennessy in Utica, at which, according
to the graft investigator Mcclure gave
him a list of contractors who had been
'sandbagged." In his testimony Thurs
day the witness denied having given
Hennessy this information.
Mcclure was growing visibly nervous.
'As | remember it, SO said, my tes-
timony as to that was correct"
At this point his attorney. former Fed
eral District Attorney Henry A. Wise,
who said he had been retained less than
half an hour before the hearing began
today, requested Magistrate McAdoo for
an adjournment until Thursday He ex-
planned that his client had suffered ian
utter physical and mental collapse" and
was not in condition to go on with his
testimony. The request was granted ar
ter Mr.. Wise had taken the witness into
an adjoining room, where McGuiie be-
came hysterical II was said.
Preceded by Wood
He was preceded on the stand by Eu-
gene d. Wood, the Albany lobbyist, from
whom Hennessy said he got his alleged
information that Edward Il. Mccall. de-
| feated Tammany candidate for mayor,
paid for. his nomination as supreme
court justice in 1902 Wood denied every
essential part OF Hennessy's story. and
swore that all the things Hennessy had
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