New-York tribune., 1919-05-10
Two Bribery Charges
Are Shot at Ex-Governor

! cept retainer, to accept some bust
ness for. the company. Mr.. Shonts ex
! pressed his very keen regret at the in
solvency of these companies, and
somewhat in detail, went into his owl
work during the last years. stated tt
understand l am not in a position OF
my Arm is not in position to ds
lobbying, to act as Il lobbyist, or to in.
fluence legislation" He said, II under
stand that"
.Q.-Was the pendency Of the bill in
Albany mentioned? Al think it was
Q.-Did YOU express your opinion as
to whether it was a good bill? Al
did. I told him thought it was a very
desirable bill, as told many people.
Q.-Was anything said Of your at
titude toward the Pratt bill, of the pre-.
vious session? A.--There was not.
Q--Did any one ask you how it was
you could favor the Carson-Martin
and oppose the Pratt bill when you
we're Governor? A.--You are assum-
ing that opposed the Pratt bill, Mr..
Moss.
Did Not Let 1t Die
Q.-I am assuming that you favored
it and let it die because. Al did
not let it die. Mr.. Moss.
Q-Well, you did not give it any
help. A.-These gentlemen were re-
sponsible for the bill. | was not in
favor Of it, that is true.
Q.-Did you leave that conference of
last March with Mr.. Shonts, with the
understanding that you had been re-
tanned, and it was merely q question
Of time and the making out Of a
check, and arranging Of terms, when
u.
Al expected to be retained, yes.
Q.-Well, weren't you retained that
day? A.-Well, it is a question what
you mean by. retainer, Mr.. Moss. They
would have been in a position not to
continue with US, think. He told me
that the retainer would be arranged.
Ihese long matters, as he expressed
1t, must be arranged with counsel. I
expected to be. had informed Senator
Thompson that we were working for
interborough, or expected to be, I
have forgotten the term I used.
V.-Are you sure you told Senator
thompson. you were retained, or ex-
pected to be retained, at the time you
had the conversation, March 2s? Al
did- AS he expressed it, as | under
stood it, that Mr.. Shonts sent US. I
told him Mr. Shonts sent me to him.
Did Not Mention Shonts
Q.-Yes, you told him Mr.. Shonts
sent you to him? Al did not saw
so, Mr.. Moss. '
9.-Did you not? Al did not.
Did you say that Mr.. Shonts had
retained you, or you expected to be re-
tanned by Mr.. Shonts? Al did not
mention Mr.. Shonts's name,
Y. Did you testify at the last hear
ing peiore this committee that YOU told
Mr. thompson you had been retained
az the time you saw him? A. think I
aid. l do not recall whether I did or
not, but 1 think / did. l told MIN Va
were not retained for the purpose of
advancing legislation.
q. refer to page 21s of your testi-
m,ony before this committee. A. I told
him that we had not been.
y. l refer you to the question which
was put to you by Mr.. Cheney. and
your answer-of course. speaking now
OF the time you talked with Mr.. Thomn-
son; Were you at that time in the
employ of the Interborough Railroad
Company, street railroad, or whatever
ITS name Is, popularity known as the
Peterborough? A. My firm, Whitman,
ottlnger q Ransome, l think at that
time we had not been retained. We
were the next week on some various
matters" A. That is the time the re-
talner came to us, the next week, Mr..
Moss.