The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-06-11

the trla1 Of the IlDol SQlbsDfOuSI4 King is the leader of the Repub- Iican party in Bridgeport Light in the last state campaign. joined the Proeress4ve party, and conducted a vigorous caznpadgn against the Re publican bosses
 During the progress of his anti-boss speeches Light frequently criticised King severely, finally reading in stratford. last October. an affidavit bv B. N. Beard of shelton, in which Beard alleged that King had once offered to collect a bill due Beard fHpm the highway department, for a commission Beard declared that he refused to pay the commission
 Beard also said that King asked him to vote against the Public Uf1l- 1tfes bi1l
 11beious, and, through Judge Elmer F. Banks, sued Light and Beard Tor damaxes Judge Light thereuPon en- tered demurrer, claiming that noun ing nbe4ous per SC was conta1ned n y,4aint King had not stated that he had suffered because Of the affidavit. The court sustained sthe demurrer upon these claims by Judge Light The news was received with a feel ing of disapointment in political cir cles. The case had been confidently looked forward to as likely to furnish, on a smaller scale, informa ton as 1n- teresting as that which came rom Boss Barnes suit against Col 1epose- welt.
 Judge Banks, counsel for MT. King, said today he had t decided wheth- CT to appeal from the decision MI. King is out of town Judge Lignt was not at home in Norwalk, this af- Here is the affldavlt that caused the. lawsuits
 BEARD,S AFFIDAVIT.
 I, B. N Beard of Shelton. Conn for the information of the public and to promote honesty and fair play in the transaction of the states business make the following statement
 am a contractor by occupa- tion In 1911 I had completed certain highway work under the direction of Highway Conrnis- sioner James H. Macdonald, up- on which his department then owed me about $15.ooo
 had constructed a road in Southbury and another in New town, and the commissioner had not paid me, although he had consumed IS days of my time on various occasions, without either saying he would or would not Eazfv ir 1912. despairing of justice from the commissioner, and knowing that John T. King of Bridgeport, Conn, was influ- en41al with him, I went to King in his office in the Newfie1d Building. Bridgeport. and asked him to ask the commissioner to treat me fairly
 handed King my bills. He looked at them and said. What will you pay me to get you this
 T replied didn't feel ought to pay anything as the state had got value received in the work had done, but said to keep peace in the family and to save interest [ would give him hum King was sitting on one side of table and on the other He threw the bills across the table toward me and said. TT wouldn't look at it for a hundred. If you want to give me ten per cent, I'll get it for you"
 I replied that before I'd give him ten per cent I would hire a lawyer and pay the money to him.
 After this time Commissioner Macdoraa1d made me- several small payments at wide intervals, but did not receive the sum due me until May 2, 1913, when Com missioner Bennett paid me $s,- 261.50 to close the Southbury transaction. and $2.oeo to close the Newtown transaction. The work had then been completed for more than three years and had been in daily use.
 I had done good deal of work for the commissioner prior to 1911 and had always been pronat- ly paid. In 1911 I was mem Der of the General Assembly from Huntington. The Judson bill to create a public utilities commission came before the House and also the Banks amendment to it. John T. King came to me and asked me to vote for the Banks amendment. could not do my duty and com ply with his request, and I voted for the Judson bill After this my relations with the commits sioner were not the same and I was unable to get what was due me.
 signed october 1, 1914, at
 B.N BEARD.