The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-11-18
FOWLER WILL
NOT TELL
Indicted Tammany bag
man" Held in $4,000
Bail
REFUSES TO
SEE WHITMAN
Enters Plea of Not Guilty,
with Proviso That He
May Change It

New York, Nov ls.--Everett ?. Fow-
Ter of Kingston, the alleged "bagman''
indicted for extorton in connection with
the shaking down of state highway and
barge canal contractors for campaign
contributions, threw down the gauntlet
yesterday to District Attorney Whit
man. In answer to the District Attor-
news ultinatum Of "See me ~or Judge
Grain" Fowler appeared in Part ] Of the
court Of general sessions, entered plea
of not guilty and was admitted to $4,000
bail.
Martin w. Littleton accompanied Fow-
Ter to the criminal courts building, where
they arrived shortly before noon. Mr.
Littleton announced to reporters as
soon as he entered the outer portal Of
the district attorneys office that Fowler
would not talk" to Whitman.
Significance is attached to the fact
that the United States Fidelity &
Guarantee company of Baltimore had
representative, M. A. Leake, on hand to
furnish Fowler's bail bond in any
amount. George II. Mcclure, who con-
fessed the authorship of the now fam
GUS IN" telegram, charging that Fowler
had made the Office of William III. Kelly
in Syracuse his headquarters during 1911
and 1912 for the purpose of sandbagging
state contractors, testified in the John
Doe Hearings that he was the Syracuse
agent for the United States Fidelity Il
Guaranty company and that as such
he had obtained about rs per cent. of
the business of bonding contractors who
landed contracts for work on highways
and barge canals.
Norman Il. Mack of Buffalo said Sun
day night that only $4,000 was col
lected for campaign purposes in 1911 and
that it, as has been alleged, S750,000 was
collected he would not blame the people
for wondering, what became of the
money. Mr.. Mack said that the amount
collected in 1911 was accounted for by
Treasurer Mclean in the report filed
with the secretary of state. The records
in the office of the secretary Of state
show that Seneca r. Hull's $3.50 was not
accounted for. George II. Mcclure has
testified that he made seven collections
in that year. Only one of these was ac-
counted for. The theory of the present
John Doe proceedings is that much
money was not accounted for.
No Immunity for Sulzer.
Ex-Governor William sulzer will not be
allowed to testify in the John Doe"
graft investigation which District Attor
ney Whitman is conducting unless he
signs a waiver of immunity. This was
decided yesterday after Mr.. Whitman
learned that the details of conspiracy
to bleed contractors on state work were
discussed in the Hotel 0nondaga in SYRIA
euse on the day after William Sulzer
was nominated for governor by the Dem
ocratic State Convention. Mr.. Whit
man wants to know all that Sulzer
knows about the alleged conspiracy, and
if Sulger tells everything it is expected
that the most sensational chapter in the
graft investigation will be unfolded. At
least six men were present at the SYRIA
cuse hotel when Everett p. Fowler was
designated to continue to collect graft
from the contractors on state roads.
These men, it is said, approved the selee-
ton of George H. Mcclure as "bagman"
among the canal contractors. If Sulzer
testifes he win be asked whether .he was
one of these six men and whether he
took prominent part in the delibera
TONS Sulzer denied last night all
knowledge of this meeting at the 0non
daga hotel.
Report Murphy Is to Quit.
Tammany hall is to have a new leader,
Thomas f. Smith, now its secretary,
some of its district leaders declared yes
terday. He will be leader ad interim
in the absence of Charles f. Murphy, who
is to take long vacation, they said.
Mr. Smith will not represent Mr.. Muir
ply as the head of the county Democrat
ic organization, according to their story
He will be lieutenant of United States
Senator James J. O'Gorman, who will be
the actual head and director of the
broader policies of Tammany. while Mr..
Smith win look after the local end of its