New-York tribune., 1919-04-16
Bribe " illness Changes
Tes ii IN o II y: Says
Senator Told Him He
Was in Devil of FIX
Whitman and SI1onts
Also ON the Stand
Former Governor Says In
terview With Him Was
Sought by Upstate Man
.StGf Correspondence

NlLHtHN
Senate Judiciary Committee. which is
investigating The 100000 slush fund
that Senator George +. Thompson says
Is being used to pass the so-called
-.cent fare bill. Richard H. Burke re-
suned the stand tonight. Burke had
oeen named by Senator Thompson as
the man who first approached him with
the story that there was 'up to $780,,
600" for HIM If the Carson Martin bill
passed
He corrected his statement of yester-
day about the $4,000 he swore Thomp-
son sent hlm out to borrow from gas
ard traction company lawyers He
said it was not to float furniture
company. as previously testified
The purpose Of that loan" said
Burke, was not for furniture com
pany. Senator Thompson told me at
she Hotel Biltmore that he was short
$4,000 in church funds and that he
was in a devil Of fix. He said it was
school or church funds which ne had
collected from the sale of land, and
that he vas in the devil Of fix. That
is the truth about what the trouble was
then"
Senator Thompson later said he had
no knowledge of what Burke was talk
ing about. and that the whole affair
was out Of "Burke's Imagination"
Whitman Epfars Denial
Former Governor Whitman denied
all Of Thompson's charges and denied
that he had tried to persuade Thomp
son to vote for the Carson Martin bill.
which aims to confer power on the
Public Service Commission to increase
the rate Of fare of streetcar lines,
regardless OF existing contracts or
franchises.
The witness swore that when Thomp-
son called on him at the Hotel St
Regis on March %, Thompson sought
his aid 70 get into the law practice in
New York City.
Thompson, he said charged that
everybody in Albany was a crook, and
tina. he was going to get into the legal
business IN New York City if he had
to break IN with an axe
The former Governor swore that
Thompson had first tried TO get into
the Whitman law firm, and when told
there was no room suggested that
Whitman use his influence to get him
into the Office Of John B. Stanchheld,
o. counsel TO the marlborough.
Said Hughes WAS Sought"
Whitman declared that Thompson
had told him that former Governor
Charles t. Hughes chad been bought
with $4,000 fee" to argue for the
Carson Martin bill.
He denied that he had told Thomp-
son he had been asked by Theodore P.
Shonts, president Of the Interborough
Rapid Transit Company, to ask Thomp-
scn' 10 support the Carson Martin bill.
Thompson, he said, called on him Of
bis own accord.
Mr. Whitman testified that his firm
IS now under retainer by the Inter-
borough and by the Consolidated Gas
Company
Mr. Shonts. who followed him, volun-
teered the information that the Whit
man law firm had been suggested by
ore Of ire lnterborough directors, Cen
efal Cornelius Vanderbilt. Whitman,
ne SAID, suggested that the retainer be
.0pc5.
ss'r3s. H2e Whitman, made a ger
sfai -7a.al Of Thompson's charges
James L. Quackenbush, chief counsel
O The Marlborough, testified in sim
Tar vein, adding tnat Thompson's
charges we're the first ever made in
Yolylng any % the companies he rep
fssents IN any slush fund scandal.
Whitman Tells Of Luncheon
Ex-Governor Whitman, after recitinq
fis pedigree, vas asked 70 tell Of the
luncheon on Saturday, March %, when
senator Thompson charges, the former
Governor tried 30 influence him to vote
i'f the Martin bill.
About o'clock on Saturday after
nppn ! ~as IN my apartment" answered
mr. Whitman, Just about 10 20 dowr
y lunch With ny children The tele
psone rang. Ind ! was told that Sen
S'"f 7oompson was down stairs anc
wanted - sce me. I vent down and
ear nm In the corridor of the hotel
as<ed hin Z re would 70 n 10 lunch
syn ,1, Win ne. or if ne would Ike ~ n
I'm me >ut.ids. that IL was about ny
,thea@pn time, and I aaid 4 would be
fsah ~ havs sou come io If you would
.Ne to; J wouid he glad 10 have you.
mn ae DID.
He ~ent ia - what ~ known ~ tha
sS room ~ 2r,ii room There were
~ pr ffiy people, more or less, IN
q. ~ f'ote. We sat eown al table
1n1fe mere other tablcs WITHIN foni
~ SIRE hye feet u ~, and ne lonchcd. an,
"'tsr 'nDchson he left"
Isn yop tell the convcrsafior
"S."eeh tosi ~ taaf lunchcon2
p' lar as can remember it,
Crnt1nped m p0ge str