Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-01-22
SULZER TAKES HIS
GRAFT STORY TO
THE GRAND Jury
Whitman Wants to Have ex.
Governors Testimony Cor
rObOrated Today.

NEW YORK, Jan. 22.-William Sui
zer's story Of graft. graft, graft
everywhere as sketched by him at
the John Doe inquiry yesterday. as
sumed the grand jury phase today.
Having sworn yesterday that United
States Senator O'Gorman described
James E. Gaffney as Murphy's chief
man. who tried 10 hold up my friend
Stewart for sl00,000, the ex- governor
was invited to go over these charges
IN more detail before the jury. Later.
IL was thought. Senator O'Gorman
might be called.
The senator declined TO make any
statement today about the testimony
given by the deposed governor yes
terday at the John Doe hearing in
view of the fact that he anticipated
being called to the stand.
District Attorney Whitman. who
conducted the hearing yesterday and
questioned sulzer, said today that the
former governor. now an assembly
man from the lower East Side. had
proved a valuable witness Il think
he told the TRUTH said the district
attorney today Much he said must
be corroborated if It is to have legal
value, and that will be our next ef-
fort.
The Stewart mentioned is James
Stewart a State highway contractor
Gaftney is a prominent politician. con-
tractor Gaffney is a prominent poll
tician, contractor and business associ-
ate Of tho leader of Tammany Hall.
On the stand Sulzer said Senator
OGorman had said to him:
Don't you know Gaffney is the man
that held up my client. James z.
Stewart, for over 500. 600. and he could
have got away with it if Stewart had
not come to me, and l went to Murphy
and read the riot act, telling him I
would not stand for that kind of poll
tics.
Reviews Clash with Murphy.
Sulzer reviewed the clash with Muir
ply which led to his tSulzer's) inn
peachment, describing -Murphy's al
legged threats to wreck his administra-
ton If Gaffney was not appointed
State commissioner of highways. The
John Doe inquiry. with Sulzer again
on the stand, will be resumed tomor-
row.
Sulzer appeared under subpoena and
previous to giving testimony signed d
waiver Of immunity, as have all other
witnesses called by tie district at
torney
The story which Sulzer told was
typical of Sulzer Throughout the
hour and a quarter which he spent
on the witness stand he was calm,
comparatively, but at times he lent
dramatic fervor to his testimony. In
some ways his story was reminiscent
of lectures delivered on his recent
Western tour
There was laughter as Sulzer told
of the domineering "Chief" in Tam
J,1l lraH= 2lraT- q
governor breaker. as he called him.
Even District Attorney Whitman and
Assistant District Attorneys Clark
and Embree smiled. Sulzer never
seemed more in earnest in his life.
His story from beginning to end was
a recital of graft, graft, graft" as
Sulzer himself called it.
Mr. Whitman at once asked SulzeT
about the telegram which he sent to
the canal board ON December lS, 1912.
This was before he was inaugurated
as governor In this telegram Sui
ger asked the canal board to defer ac-
ton on the barge canal bids of James
C. Stewart g. Co. until I confer with
you." Stewart was the lowest bidder
for contracts TIA and 72A taken to-
gether. His bid was about $4,000. 900.
At Suffers request the canal board.
by a vote of to 2, deferred action on
the bid. It was at this time, approx
imately, that a man who represented
himself TO be James Z. Ciaffney, c. F.
Murphy's warm friend, asked Stewart
for five per cent. of the amount of
the bid. The "bagman" was sent
away empty-handed. Stewards joint
bid was not accepted.
why did you send that telegram %
asked Mr.. Whitman.
Because I had been informed by
George H. Mcguire on that day, De
cember is, that a great injustice was
about to be done to Stewart and TO