Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-08-17
Abraham Burnstine, Pawn
broker, Knows of No Money
Paid to McDerm0tt.
ONCE CASHED HIS CHECK
AS AN ACCOMMODATION
Witness Admits He Aided in Paying
Attorneys to Fight Loan Shark
Bill Amendment.


ton into the alleged lobby in Washington
to influence legislation, the House special
committee led Abraham Burnstine. pawn
broker. of 364 Pennsylvania avenue north
west. through a cloud of questions yes
terday afternoon regarding his relations
with Representative McDermott of Chi
cago, but about all the committee OBJ
tanned from him was that three local
pawnbrokers had engaged Henry E
Davis and Charles C. Tucker to present
their side Of the loan shark bilr' at the
White House and before the committees
Of Congress.
Mr.. BurnStine went on the stand at 3
O'Clock. and, beginning at the right hand
end of the committee table where Rep
resentative Scott Ferris sat. all the way
down to Representative Nolan on the left
hand end, the committee bombarded
Burnstine with questions concerning the
$500 which McMichael had said Nc
Dermott claimed to have received from
pawnbrokers for endeavoring to kill the
bill.
The only transaction with which Nc
Dermott was identified was when Mr..
Burnstine. according to his testimony.
cashed check for McDermott nine
IiOHluS ago. explained tnat
three pawnbrokers in this city--namely,
George d. Horning, l. Heidenheimer and
himself-had paid rather generous sums
to Mr.. Davis and Mr.. Tucker. and that
no other broker would pay a cent for
the services of attorneys in the effort
to defeat the amendment in the loan
shark bill which included pawnbrokers.
Line of Questioning.
Burnstine was the first witna,s ~
the session yesterday afternoon and
Representative Scott Ferris began the
inquiry. He asked Mr.. Burnstine many
questions about his recollection as to
the legislation pending before the
House affecting loan offices. Burn
stine evidently believed that more than
one bill had been introduced, but he
said he had distinct recollections Of the
Dyer bill of 1912" He was not clear
as to when this bill was introduced.
did George ID. Horning ever go tC
You to solicit funds to combat thai
biIl?" asked Mr.. Ferris.
The pawnbrokers were not classed
as loan sharks in the first BILL" said
Burnstine.
Mr.. Burnstine said he had no con-
versations with Horning prior to May.
1911. regarding a fund that was being
collected to kill the Dyer bill. Mr..
was TcluCtdHl u MAKE a
definite statement at this point about
dates. He said:
Il do not recall the Dyer bill in 1911.
So I would not like to say 1 had talked
to Mr.. Horning about it. 1 was under
the impression that the Dyer bill had
been presented at the last session of
the Sixty second Congress"
did not you and Horning and others,
continued Representative Ferris, get
up a fund to send Representative Nc
% vnrlx fo fnh NIT h
Representative Rothermel or some
other member of the committee on this
loan bill?"
Did you ever contribute money for
"Oh, yes. We employed Henry E.
Davis to appear before President Taft
to argue against the BILL" explained
Mr.. Burnstine.
Contributes Pro Rata Share.
Mr.. Ferris asked the witness what he
gave to this fund.
Il gave a pro rata share We had
several expenses. You see We had print
ing to be paid for; We issued pamphlets
during the discussions about the bill
which would reduce the interest collected.
and we sent the pamphlets to members
of the House and Senate The witness
said he had contributed 500 in two
years.
"How much of the fund went to Horn
,ne2" asked Representative Ferris.
..Oh. all of it, said the witness.
was he the business or fiscal agent
for you?" . ). ,s. 10.
one man should represent us and do the
business for US.
Have you any books to show your
payments to Horning
Yes, sir.
his hooks recently and that the amount
of 500 was given from memory Inc
first pay1nent. he said. was niue more
than $500. and he could not tell the date
without looking it up.
An effort was made to get the witness
tn tell what Horning had said TO him
when he came to collect, or what use
the money had been put to, but the VIII
ness gave little light.
"He said he had laid out SO much
money', explained Burnstine and !
rnaw what he had been doing. He needed
10 uwers He had Davis. a high-priced
man. and during the time the loan snare x
hill was in the House We had Tucker.
Kenyon & Macfarland TO appear peiore
.ITos lanes Easby-Smith employed by
you?" asked Mr.. Ferris
II don't think SO.
Fails to Recall Detailed Statement.
M Rurnstine was asked IL Horning
..a ,;ven a detailed statement showing
how the money was spent; but the wit
nass after a long explanation, failed to
throw any light
.Then Horning did the business for
,,ono, said Mr.. Ferris, land you people
aid not know what he was doing"
"Oh. we knew he was doing the right
thing"
Mr Ferris and other members Of the
committee were bent on finding out
whether this fund which had been
snoken Of was started in 1911. when the
loan shark bill first made it's appearance,
h,t the witness refused to be
Grawn into a positive statement. The
naorast he came to a definite answer
was to say that at flrst the Dyer bill had
no reference to pawnbrokers-or did not
include northumberland his recollection
no wnhroking business was threatened
The records show this was In Angus;
1910 He said, in reply to queries, that
1Uhen the matter was IN the House Dis
trict committee, Mr.. Tucker OF Tucker,
KENYON & Macfarland presented the side
of the pawnbrokers to the committee-
..How many people contributed to make
nm the fund.-" Mr. Ferris asked.
The witness said that ]. Heidenheimer.
George Horning and himself were the
lCoodnued on SscenA 1agNA