The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-10-29
HENNEY'S AID SOUGHT FOR
 RAILROAD GRAB
Letter to Hartford Lawyer Asked Him to Fight Op
 position Bill,
BRIDGEPORT NAMES
 BROUGHT INTO CASE
Proposition to Build Draw bridge Here Opposed
 By "Seeleyo

New York, Oct. 29-At the outset of today's session of the trial of the II former directorsNof the New York; New Haven & Hartford Railroad un- der the Sherman antitrust law, Chas. s. Mellen obtained permission. to make a statement in regard to the documentary testimony introduced. by the government yesterday relative to the political activities entered into in behalf of the road by John M. Hall, This was in the form of letters writ ten to Hall.
 ''I want it to, be known said MT. MeIlen, that I mostly identified the signatures to these letters. I had not the remotest idea of their exis- tence until yesterday. Ilwas par- alyzed to discover that had been for 10 years within reaching distance of these letter press copy books and w,ts not blown up. had no connection with these matters directly or indi- rectIy',
 ''And did you ever hear.' asked R. V. Lindaburysl of counsel for the de- fense, "of their coming to the 'know1- edge of any director ?''
 .I never had occasion to refer to them nor do I know of any. officer or director that did, MT MeI1eh re- piled when objection by the govern ment had been overruled.
 The alleged activities of Hall had to do with preventing trolley com petition with the New Haven through action by the legislatures of Connec- ucut and Rhode Island.
 MT. MelIen, who had been on the stand for seven days. was ther tern porarily excused, the defense an- nouncing that they would not cross examine him at this time He was asked, however, by the attorneys for the government to remain in the court P<-, A<5. -~T more documentary evidence.
 The government then proceeded to read more letters from Hall taken from copy book previously admit ted in evidence. In one, dated April 23, 1897, Hall wrote to Judge Will liam F. Henny, a Hartford attorney, asking him to oppose a proposition by the Connecticut Western Railroad to issue bonds. Hall wanted Henny to appear before a committee of the legislature where the application of the road was to be heard.
 '''I wish you'd undertake to appear against this scheme of building" the letter read. T desire to beat this bill if possd ble. Please confer with Robbins and concoct the best scheme possible"
 Hall advised that aenny get local witnesses to testify against the unde-- durability of the bond issue which was dO PFOV1Oe TOT the COnSJTucL1On or Q competitive branch line.
 'I don't desire to show our hand openly the letter added.
 In May. 1897, Hall wrote to Henry c. Robinson. then a. director of the New Haven, who according to letters introduced yesterday, had charge of matters around the capito1.''
 The letter revealed that Henuy's efforts had been fruit1ess.
 A letter written by Hall in March, 1901, to William D. Bishop, then sec retEry of the New Haven. in regard ts> the proposed erection of a draw bridge in Bridgeport harbor read in part as follows:
 'I have heard from several quar- ters that Mir. See1ey is against us on the proposition as well as everything else. I have been told that his sym patl1tes are all with the Connecticut Western in this matter. Of course I may be mistaken. Before his election he told me that we need have no fear of him in any of our matters and we should find that he would not do anything against the in terests of the New Haven. If I had supposed be would, another party could haveNhad the nomination easily and he would not have been in the position he is now.''
 It was not brought out what poll tical position was held by MT. SeeIey.