New Britain herald., 1915-10-28
To Block Bills Before State LegiS- lature Authorizing Construction
 of Competitive Trolley Lines
SENSATION SPRUNG BY
 GOVERNMENT AT TRIAL

Suit Brought by Goldsmith Heirs
 Against Gordon, Original Instgator
 Of Action Against New England
 Road Which Caused Foreclosure
 of Latter.
 New York, Oct 2S.-Testimo disclosing that the late General Charles R. Brayton, "The blind boss of Rhode Island," was employed by the New York, New Haven and Hart ford railroad to block the passage of bills before the Rhode Island legis- lature authorizing the construction Of trolley lines which would compete with the New Haven, created sem sation at the trial of the eleven for mer directors of the New Haven to- day.
 It developed that the governments evidence in regard to General Bray tons activities had been discovered after the filing of the indictment and when the morning session adjourned counsel were in the midst of heat ed wrangle over the admission of letter intended to show how much Brayton was paid for his services as the New Haven's legislative agent. The testimony obviously came as a surprise to the defense. who raised the objection that neither the indict- ments nor the governments bill of particulars specified the acts which the government were trying to prove.
 Letters in Record.
 With Charles &. Mellen as the identifying witness the government put into the record the following letter, dated April Is, 1895, from John M. Hall vice president of the New Haven to General Brayton:
 'l notice passage of a bill through the legislature last week chartering an electric railway running between Pawtucket and Attleboro. containing a provision that the company may carry express matter. We should have urged strong objection to this bill if We had had an opportunity.
 "Please do not let any more of that kind go through. and if possible would like to get that express clause stricken out, either by general law or some other way, as it seriously interiors with our revenue from the Adams Express company.
 "1 notice also a bill pending for an electric street railway from East Greenwich, through the Pawtucket Valley with power to carry freight, coal, etc, in carload lots. Please nip this project in the bud if possible, and kill it. Our interests are utterly op- posed to granting any electric rail- road company power to parallel our lines, and are especially opposed to granting them the privilege of car rying freight or express matter
 Defense Objects.
 When the government came to pre- scnting its letter to show the con- pensation received by General Bray ton, five attorneys for the defense, who had been in confrence, put in their objections and argued the mat | ter successively.
 R. L. Batts, attorney for the gov ernment, conceded that the matter l had not been before the grand jury, | but that nevertheless constituted Q ! concrete case of the New Ravens pur- | rOSe to monopollze.
 Paid Large Sum.
 We are going to show" he said. | that General Brayton was paid l | large sum to accomplish the New | Havens ends in this matter. Not | only was General Brayton paid, but ! other legislative agents were paid l large sums to prevent the proper de- l velopment of ths properties. We have l gotten hold of additional facts"
 When the morning session adjourn | ed Judge Hunt still had the question | under consideration, although he had | remrked that he thought the govern ment ought to confine itself TO the | specific instances cited in the indict- ment and bill of particulars
 Settled Goldsmith Suit.
 How the New Haven was troubled by the heirs of M. F.. Goldsmith. the man who brought the suit against the company and caused it's foreclosure, was brought out in testimony.
 Prior testimony had indicated that the suit was brought at the behest Of the New Haven, which then acquired the New York and New England in the foreclosure proceedings.
 The government alleges that the New Haven finally settled with the Goldsmith heirs in the suit for dam ages brought by them against Corbin. the original instigator of the suit against the New England This the government expects to show through apother witness