The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-11-21
Mcclure Tells the Full Story
of "Sandbagging"
Contractors
REFUSES TO GIVE
INFORMANTS' NAMES
A Big Step Forward in the
Prison Graft In
quiry

! New York, Nov. 2l.-Flfty contractors
and others in Albany interested in state
highway contracts knew, it was testi-
fed, that Norman +, Mack, G. Gordon
Reel and Everett p. Fowler arranged to
obtain Democratic campaign eontribu-
tions from contractors on state work.
George H. Mcclure, hesitating and evad-
ing for hours Wednesday, was forced
to admit this. Mr.. Mcclure admitted
in the John Doe proceedings before Chief
Magistrate McAdoo that he had testified
falsely in many particulars in his first
hearing. He sought to explain by de-
claring that his physical health last
week was very poor. He said he was
overweight and without counsel He
presented copy OF the stenographie
notes of his previous testimony in which
he had made corrections. "A score of
them were substitutions of 81 did" for
his testimony of 81 did not" He adj
mitted at last that he had given John
A. Hennessy in the Utica hotel list
of contractors who had been sand
bagged" by Everett p Fowler for cam
paign contributions.
Mr.. Mcclure admitted under most
tedious crosse examination that he is the
owner of a small amount of stock of
the Barber Asphalt Paving company and
that he had an arrangement with its
sales agent, Arthur S. johnson Of syria
euse, to receive a commission OF one half
cent gallon on all his sales of its road
making oils or liquid asphalt, another
agreement with the United States As
phalt Refining company whereuuder he
for sales of its products. He admitted
collection of such commissions on sales
to contractors for state highways con
struction and for sales to the state.
Hennessy testified that Mcclure did
not tell him in Utica on the night OF
Aug. Is whether or not Governor Dix
attended this meeting of Mack, Reel
and Fowler, and Hennessy's recollection
was that the meeting took place in the
governors office at the capitol. Mcclure
said Wednesday that he had heard that
Governor Dix was at the meeting and
that it was held in his office at the ex-
ecutive mansion. As to the sources of
the information which he gave to Hem
messy, Mcclure suffered lapse OF mem.
ory. He admitted that he had given !
Hennessy information that was TO be
used in a court proceeding, but he de-
MED that he could remember how he
came TO have that information.
Tells Of Wire Tapping Graft.
The most important disclosure made
since District Attorney Whitman re-
newed his fight on the police graft ring
came through the confession Wednesday
of al Cohen, former detective and the
reputed go between in the deals between
the police Of this city and the wire |
tappers. In his confession Cohen named |
a former police captain and two officials !
high in the police department as sharers |
in the $500 a month and Is per cent |
profits paid by the wire tappers for pro-
lection. From the beginning OF the in |
vestigation Assistant District Attorney |
Frederick j. Groehl has been comforting |
with Cohen, who has supplied many de- |
tails in the graft story, 1t was not I'M
til Wednesday that the graft collector !
became communicative and uncovered |
fully the system whereby the police kept |
their hands off the swindlers in return /
for large payments.
McCombs Not Anti Tammany Leader.
William r. McCombs said before his
departure for Washington that on ac-
count of his position as chairman Of the |
Democratic national committee he should 1
not be called on to lead factinnal fight |
within the Democratic party in New |
York City and that lie would not do SO.
This was his answer to a persistent re-
port that he would take charge of a
to reorganize Tammany hall
and put out Charles +. Murphy.