Daily Kennebec journal., 1913-12-26
CRAFT TRAIL TO
LEAD TO ALBANY.
District Attorney Whitman
Blazing Emphatic Way in
His Pursuit of Graft in
New York State--Conspi-
racy to "Loot the State.

|
New York, Dec. 25.-District Attor-
ney Whitman had an important con-
| ference yesterday with John A. Hen
messy, Ex-Governor Sullizer's former
graft investigator, and an ex-inspec-
tor of highways whose identity could
not be learned. Mr.. Hennessy had
| hardly left the criminal courts build
| ing before subpoena servers were on
/ their way to take trains to various
cities upstate.
The harvest will be at least 20 i'm
| portant witnesses for the John Doe
| hearing that opens again on Monday
before Magistrate McAdeo. Moreover.
there will be seven or eight new wit
nesses to appear on Tuesday at the
grand jury inquiry into the highway
and barge canal graft.
Under these auspices Mr.. Whitman
/ expects to blaze the graft trail direct
! to Albany without the aid of Cover
nor Glynn's appointment as special
deputy attorney general According to
rumors last evening in the corridors
of the criminal courts building the
will bring to a close his first term as
prosecuting attorney of New York
county by obtaining the indictment of
a former state official in the office of
John A. Bensel and a prominent AL
bany contractor known as the "fiXer,"
because, it is alleged, he accepted
bribes on 10 per cent. basis for set
Ting up final payments on highway
contracts.
The name of another Albany "fixer'
was injected into the investigation late
yesterday afternoon, but John X. Clark,
assistant district attorney in charge of
the inquiry, hadn't had time to look him
up.
Samuel Beskin, who was a partner with
Samuel X. Hamilton and Thomas Has
sett in the Hamilton Engineering Co.,
which obtained 100000 contract on
highway work after Thomas Hassett got
out as secretary for State Engineer Ben
sci. has waived immunity and will be a
grand jury witness next week.
Through Beskin District Attorney
Whitman expects to reveal the pull
which the Hamilton Engineering Co. had
with the state highway department
through Hassett. These witnesses, it is
said, will lay the foundation for Mr.
Whitman's plan to show that there was a
statewide conspiracy during the last two
administrations to loot the state"
1t may be that blanket indictment
will be voted if the vexatious question
of jurisdiction doesn't prevent. The ex-
inspector of highways who saw the dis
trict attorney is said to have told Assist
ant District Attorneys Clark and Embree
that he was called on to pass work that
was simply rotten He said when he
refused 10 do it the work was approved
by men higher up" a3zas-Hfs
The first evidence of any witnesses
who will testify for James w. Os-
borne, Governor Glynn's investigator,
came yesterday when John A. Hen
messy announced that he had been
subpoenaed to appear before Osborne
tomorrow in Albany. Hennessy said
he got WORD that he was wanted last
Friday.
According to Hennessy, he had
talk with Osborne right after his ap-
pointment, and was told that he
would probably be Osborne's star wit
ness. The next time he met Osborne,
Hennessy says. he got the cold shoul-
der The militant graft investigator
gave as his opinion that Osborne had
been called off,"
At any rate, he said, Osborne first
welcomed him, saying that he would
be only too glad to get any help that
he could, and a little later he practic-
ally told him that his help wouldn't
be needed Hennessy called attention
to the fact that Governor Glynn gave
out an interview soon after the court
of appeals had passed on the legality
Of his accession to the Governorship,
| in which he said he didn't believe in
government by investigation.
A rumor came down from Albany
Wednesday afternoon that Mr.. Osborne
had written his resignation and that
the letter was already in the Cover
nor's hands.
"I can't say anything about it," said
MI. Osborne
Docs that mean that you deny it?''
was asked.
See here" he cried in high pitch,
II said I could not say anything what
ever about it,
When the commissioner had cooled
down little he asked where the news
came from. He was told that an AS
sociated Press report had it that he
had written the Governor that he
would conclude his Investigations al
ready under way, but would go no fur
ther.
You'll have to get your information
from Governor Glynn,' he replied.