South Bend news-times., 1913-11-22
Charles F. Murphy, a Nephew
of the New York Leader,
Gets Half Share in Bonds
Paid by Contractors.
GRAND JURY TAKES A
HAND IN THE PROBE
Syracuse Man COnfeSSeS to
Having Tried to Hold Up
Three Asphalt Companies
For Contributions. :.

NEW YORK. Nov. %. - John H.
Mcclure, the Syracuse bonding agent
| for state highway and barge canal
contractors. is a partner of Chas. F.
/ Murphy. jr., nephew OF the leader OF
! Tammany hall. He so testified Friday
at the John Doe inquiry into highway
graft and said he had an agreement
with Murphy to divide all the bond
! ing business they obtained
Further MCGUIRE confessed TO hav-
ing attempted 10 hold up at least three
asphalt companies for $4,000 contri-
buttons for the democratic state com
mittee in return for getting them con-
tracts from the state highway depart
ment.
Mcguire was to get a commission
Of one cent a gallon for all the asphalt
the companies sold TO the state or
contractors, he said. and the -compa-
nies were 10 charge the contributions
against the commission.
Two of the companies. the Warner
QuiElan company and the Union oil
company Of California did not con-
tribute, he said. Whether the taird.
the Barber Asphalt company contrib
uted Mcguire said he did not know
but the Barber company got the con-
tract. He said ne had received a to-
! tai of S1,250 from Arthur 5. Johnson,
sales agent Of the Barber company.
but insisted that these were not COM
missions but money given him as a
campaign contribution TO Gov. Sulzer.
After Another Company.
Mcguire said il was possible he
sought a contribution from the United
States Asphalt company under the
same terms That company paid him
$691 I'm commissions on materials
which the company had sold TO the re-
pair department of the state highway
commission and still owed him money.
he said SO did the Wadsworth Stone
& Paving company and the Barber
company. Last year he received COM
missions on sales made 20 the state
by the Alsten Cement company the
Dryden Cement company, The Ken
tucky Rock Asphalt company and the
KnickerbOcker Cement company, he
testified These admissions were
drawn out of the witness only after
insistent repetition of questions by the
prosecution
Before he took the stand. MCGUIRE
went before the grand jury and among
many other things was questioned. IL
was understood. as 10 the part his
brother James X. Mcclure played In
the sharine OF commissions. James
X, the witness explained, sailed for
South America several days ago but
he thought he would be able 10 have
him return.
Denies Meeting Sulzer.
Mcclure again denied that in COM
panv with his brother he had seen
Gov. Sulzer and John W. Carlisle,
commissioner of highways at Coopers-
town. y. Y, on July 3. last. and dis
cussed specifications under which the
Barber Asphalt company would OBJ
tain state contracts 10 the exclusion
Of all other companies. He was not
sure, however. but that he might have
talked with Sulzer AT "A later date, but
not in Cooperstown.
Did YOU ask Commissioner Carlisle
TO put the words natural solid into
the asphalt specifications SO as 20 ex-
clude everybody but the Barber COM /
pary2" asked Mr.. Whitman.
IT don't recall using the word
solid" said Mcclure.
why did YOU ask that the term
natural be put in -
because otherwise IL would not
describe an asphalt OF the concern IN
which 7 was getting a commission"
the witness conceded.
In regard 10 his association with
Chas. +. Murphy. jr-, i'm the bonding
business. Mcguire said ne had an
agreement with the Tammany leaders
nephew which embraced a division OF
EXPENSES and commissions on the
way. subway and aqueduct contracts.
They both represented the United
states Fidelity & Guarantee company.
he said and last year they had to-
gether obtained about , ; per cent Of
the highway bonding business.
Gave ST 900 Personally.
Mcclure was preceded on the stand
hv Edward =. Burgard a Buffalo
contractor and chairman or the dem
Ocratic general committee OF Eric
county. Burgard testified that he had
a $500 600 state barge canal con
tract and two smaller road contracts
He had contributed $1,000 personally
10 the democratic state committee IN
1911 and In 1912 had turned over
$4,000 as contributions from other
contractors which ne said. had been
given 10 him bv Reeves smith ~ Ful
ton. y. Y. a consulting engineer. The
checks therefor were drawn % the or
der of Norman F. Mack
Three more state contractors tes-
titled Friday 20 having given up cam
Daign contributions 10 Everett r.
Fowler the alleged Tammany bag
man" now under Indictment on
charges OF extortion. They were Johr
II Weidman. Chas. o.. McComb and
Guv B. Dickson all Of Syracuse ans
enrolled republicans. They had eacf
given $500 apiece 10 Fowler, they said
after Wm. II. Kelley. democratic lead
or of C'nondaga county had written
asking them 20 meet Fowler az coun
~ democratic headquarters They
Qroduccd their checks all payable q
the order OF Norman z. Mack.