New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-11-12
GRAND JURY TAKES UP CASE
Perjury Indictment Found, 1t
Is Said-Counsel for Wit
ness Tells Him to Bare
Whole Story of Contrac-
tors Contributions.
FAST IN GRIP OF WHITMAN
Details of Collection Hold-Up Ex.
pected When "Bagman Returns
to Stand-Typewriter Proves
Authorship-Wood Makes
Nervous Denial.

Nervous Denial.
George II. Mcclure, Of Syracuse, with
a perjury indictment hanging just over
his head. went on the witness stand
i'm the John Doe inquiry before Chief
Magistrate McAdoo yesterday and ad-
mitted that he had written and sent
the telegram to John A. Hennessy
which was signed M" and which
Hennessy produced at the last session
of the inquiry. Mcclure at that time
denied all knowledge of the telegram.
Mcclure was in bad physical condi-
ton, on the verge Of collapse ana
he had to be excused from the stand
after a brief session there, because It
seemed that he could not stand the
ordeal. McGuire's friends took him In
charge when he left the courtroom, ana
will guard him carefully until they
bring him back TO Mr.. Whitman's office
this morning.
He was due in the courtroom at 2:3O
o'clock, and 1t was $3.50 before he ap-
peared. His absence started the widest
rumors that have circulated in the corr
ridors of the Criminal Courts Building
since the days Of the Rosenthal murder
cases. Stories of suicide, Of skipping
the country and Of every other conS
ceivable kind were repeated on everH
hand.
Case Before Grand jury
It was known that the grand Jury, at
a morning session. took UP the Mo-
Grire case. and 1t was said that per-
fury indictment was prepared. These
things all lent strength to the rumora
that floated around.
Mcclure was In the hands Of l. physis,
clan yesterday and last night. Wheu
he left the witness stand he was IN
such a broken condition that he COLI
lapsed in the judges antechamber. 10
was not until after restoratves were
resorted to that he was able TO leave
the building. and then his friends ar
ranged to keep him under the watch-
full eye of his physician.
He will be brought back to the Dis
trict Attorneys Office for conferences
with Mr.. Whitman this morning, ana
will be put on the witness stand II his
condition permits It on Thursday after
noon.
District Attorney Whitman put Eu-
gene d. Wood on the stand while waite
ing for McGuire's appearance, and the
tense situation did not help the former
noted lobbyist to any apparent extent
I'm his effort to master his extreme ner-
yousness and put his staccato deniais
os tbe Hennessy statements involving
him on the record.
Mcclure came into the courtroom
finally, accompanied by Henry A. Wisss
former United States Attorney, whom
he had retained as his counsel on :he
strength Of the rumors about his prob
able indictment.
Wise had his face set with grim de.
termination. MCGUIRE, by contrast.
seemed pitifully weak. not only IN Will
mower but physically. To those who
had seen Lin on the stand week ago,
when he set forth insistent denials OF
every statement testified to by Hen
messy. he seemed a different man.
It developed that MCGUIRE, feeling the
steel of Whitman's grip closing on him,
had gone to engage Mr.. Wise at just
about the time he was due In court.
Wise. after obtaining the briefest pos
sible outline of the case from his cli-
ent. Immediately advised him TO tell
Whitman everything he knew, hold
hack nothing and tell the whole trutn'
and Whitman lost not minute in get
ting after the real story, in which Nc
cuire fatty reversed himself as COM
nared to his sworn testimony of last
week
Quickly Admits Authorship.
cince that session John kirkland
clark and William ID. Emhree' AS
sistant District Attorneys, had been to
syracuse. where they subpenaed Miss
Hattie Mathison, the telegraph opera
tor who received the Mcclure message
70 Hennessy; Miss ottie Collier. a
stenographer in McGuire's office, and J.
Frank Allard, an expert on typewrit-
ing. Also they brought back with
them the original of the telegram from
the files of the Western Union office in
Syracuse and the typewriter from Nc
Cures Office on which the telegram
was written. Facing this array in the
courtroom. Mcclure made short work
of admitting authorship of the tele-
gram.
Whitman read the original, which, he
called to the attention of the court. Is
now a grand jury exhibit. In 1t Nc
Guire asked Hennessy to denounce