The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1913-11-22
TELLS OF GRAFT PLAN
offered to Get Contracts for
Contributors to Demo-
cratic Fund.
REPl BLlCANS on STAND
Four Contractors Swear They
Sent Money to Mack. Just
as Hull Did.

District Attorney Whitman forced from
George II. Mcclure Of Syracuse yesterday
Nh. admission that he offered to get State
" business for contractors who would con.
,rbu,e TO the Democratic campaign fund
end pay him for his pains. lie said that
he asked them to give $1,000 each to
help the campaign along and to give him
and his brother. James X. Mcclure. a
commission on all material used in carry
ing out their contracts.
Mcclure. halting and fencing every b!'
u; the way, eluding many direct answers
by replying to questions that were moi
asked. was forced to admit also that hs
and his brothers are the partners OF
Charles r. Murphy. Jr., in the business
of bonding contractors. Mr.. Murphy is q
nephew OF the Tammany leader.
In explaining his scheme to get cam.
psign contributions and enrich himself
MCGUIRE swore that he proposed that con-
tractors deduct the amount OF their con-
iributions from his commission fees When
De was asked II this scheme would not
operate TO make the State itself pay the
campaign contributions he avoided an an.
sver by declaring that the plan proposed
by him did not 60 through, because he
finally came to doubt his ability to pu,
over scheme OF alternate specifications
which would have been necessary II he
were to make good on his bargain.
These surprising admissions seem TO fx
once and for all the Jurisdiction of the
New York authorities over the scandal in
highway contracts. McGuires converse
tons with the contractors were held In
this city or over the telephone with con.
tractors in this city.
Whatever the Investigation to be con
du-ted by Special Deputy Attorney Gen.
ersl James W. Osborne may develop there
t apparently nothing left for Mr. Whit.
man 10 do but go TO the bottom of tn,
Nretched sa're as il was played here
Mcclure testified at the first Of the
Som Doe hearings before Chief MaGis-
rate McAdoo that he and his brothers
ppsralnH under the name of Mcclure
Co.. did more bonding Of contractors
nan all other bordsmen in the State
Yesterday lie swore tina; they and Charles
J. Murphy. Jr,. did not do more than
- per cent. OF this business. They
snare in II equally. he said. They
.epfesent the same company. the United
states Fidelity and Guarantee Company,
ana every bond the McGuires write means
q commission for Murphy and every one
lat Murphy writes means money in the
Mcclure pockets.
Denies sulHer Conference,
Tie witness began by denying that lie
ever saw Gov. Sulzer or Highway Com
missioner John. n. Carlisle in Coopers-
Town He said again that lie did not
'ecall that he ever had talked with Gov.
SuIzer about the Barber Asphalt Com.
lsny
He was asked then to tell what were
re differences between natural. solid
'>'halt' and n liquid asphalt. He de.
bed how one was dug up with pick
and shovel after 1t had come out Of the
earth and dried hard under the SUM- while
the other was scooped up as it bubbled
ol' Of the earth.
, Mr. Whitman asked him IL he didn't
Know that the only difference between
them was that one was dried under the
slh and the other was not. He was
asked il he did not know that the courts
have decided that there IL no difference
IN quality between them. In answer he
said he knew that experts had testified
mat the liquid asphalt does not conform
10 the specification calling for a solid
asphalt. He said he did not know the
sSphalts were the same.
We're YOU responsible for the term
so'.d being used in the specifca tions 2"
lie was asked.
No, | was not
DO YOU know that in the city OF
New York only the word natural ap-
pears in the specifications and that the
Same asphalt Is used here whether II 10
solid or liquid?"
don't know that"
bid you ask that tine words natural,
's'.Id' be put in the specifications?
don't recall. I may have said nat
nfaD but don't think ] suggested solid"
Why did YOU suggest natural" You
"'rr not contractor. You didn't have
ANYTHING to do with it,
No. but had commissions"
Yes, and your purpose was to exclude
~ uther asphalts except that of the
Harbcr company?"
Not TO exclude all others. There were
'u'rS who produced solid asphalt"
bid YOU know that the Warner -Quln-
"O 'ompany was supplying asphalt?
knew they were doing some work"
Asks Abost MstIve.
wasn't II your purpose to exclude the
"srner'Cunlan Company because they
wouldn't pay you?'
30"