New-York tribune., 1919-05-16
Whitman Was a S'Lobbyiss,'' s,a
Asserts Senator THOMPSON

ing from Thompson.s TESTIMONY 80 :,
day before. sis this what Won sa:s ny
Burke could not get anywhere 80
me. He did not nave anv Cit @,.a
Ihere wasn't any danger Of anrs.
talking with me at ali. But the - ~s
one was more dangerous ?"
Yes, that is what he (Cheaev, >.
iers TO-" answered Thompson.
And the first time Burke snoto =.
you about the proposition was af .so ~
Republican Club ?" '"s
II guess So"
And the only proposition he m.a.
vas the governorship and the s5o0Hoo
"Yes, that is the only one ro,,
ber." 'e'aeiu-
Senator Thompson's testimo,y
gardlng the Fowler bill was devclonss
after he had about completed his solss ,opsa
mony and he was asked if he had am
o'ner testimony or suggestion to OFF,
Il have got copies of the Fowl.
municipal ownership bill. before V".sl saI
aIter amendment, showing the seva,
cent fare provisions in that If wa. W.
want them" answered Thompson .Sa sga
appeared before the COMMITTEE ~
Public Service that this hin W.. W
drafted by committee appointed bs
Guided Mr.. Ransom, the law mar. ne,
the Mayors Conference, which in
OF Governor Whitman, and also Mr.
Travis Whitney, of the Public serv;e.
Commission in this district ''S'
What Was Called Joker
eve found in that legislation wb..
some of us termed a Joker. which ,r~
vided an increased fare which wo ss;s CO.,,
was q 10-cent fare for the civ ~
New York" VI
Chairman Burlingame asked him -
leave the matter with the committee "
There is only one other thinr 7
have" said Thompson. THAT ;s =
letter sent out apparently on Fehrusr@ ~
2I, 1919, and headed Association On
posed TO National Prohibition / q.
Fifth Avenue, James Wood. chairms n :,
This is copy of communication 70.
ceived by a saloon keeper and signed
by John NICE. Bowman, B. B. McAin;n
F. A. Muschenheim, j. B. Regan and
Fred Sterry."
The letter, published at the tim.
asked New York City liquor dealers N
contribute 5 per cent of their gross
the city to give 2 per cent to fieht
prohibition.
"Is there any way you could suggest
to the committee a connection between
this letter and anything that would bs
worth while for The committee to TAXA
up?" asked Chairman Burlingame.
Would Call Saloonkcepcrs
Il would call the saloonkcepcrs and
see what they have, and if they said
they paid any money | would bring
up. the man they paid it to, and if he
said he did not send it up to Albany
| would quit" Thompson replied
why couldn't the committee call
on the saloonkeepers and find out?D
suggested Senator James L. Whitley
amid general laughter
Answering question of Senator
Black, who jocosely suggested the
sa'oonkepers had not tried to bribe the
witness, Thompson said:
"They evidently knew whom not to
approach, which is more than some
folks knew"
Clark Jordan. counsel for Burke.
again brought up the Biltmore Hotel
affair. which, was investigated by Dis
trlct Attorney Swami in 1916. At that
time it was said that Thompson had
entertained two women at the Bilt-
more at the states expense Nothing
came of the investigation. Yesterday
Jordan used the names Of two women
and asked Thompson if he had paid
their bills at the hotel and charged
them to the state. This was denied by
thompson, who said that no one before
had "a mind Degenerate enough" 10
mehtlon the names iii public.
Last Witness Called
Schuyler Beattic, who was employed
ty The Thompson committee when
burke formed the acquaintance o.
thompson. was the next witness called
by Frank Moss. counsel for Thompson.
Burke. he testified told him he worked
for "Mr. Brady" Burke, he said, told
nm that his employer was capitalist
with large railroad properties in Japan.
When Beattic finished Moss said that
ended their case, with the exception
of the submission to the committee
of a number of letters, some of them
anonymous, which the committee could
examine and determine if she leads
suggested therein were worth follow
ing up.
Moss, in saying that all were worth
lnquirlng into, volunteered the infor
nation that the four gunner who shot
Herman Rosenthal, the gambler, were
found through an anonymous letter.
which he ran down.
The committee then adjourned sub
ject to the call of the chair. Unless
something develops before the life Of
the committee ends on June 10, there
viii be no other public hearings.
The testimony and evidence adductd
Will be submitted to District Attornsy
Swami, and to District Attorney Alex
ander of Albany County. where the
first hearings Of the committee were
held.