New-York tribune., 1919-04-15
Charles C.. nj. Thomas, of
Consolidated Gas, Says
He Made No Offer of
100000 to Thompson
Burke Says Senator
Asked $4,000 Loan
Shonts's Family Affairs
Discussed i'm Testimony
in Burlingame Inquiry

ALBANY, April Il. - Nicholas T.
Brady, lighting and traction magnate,
and Charles G. NJ. Thomas, treasurer Of
the Consolidated Gas Company, denied
under oath to-day in the Burlingame
Investigation all knowledge Of ary at
tempt to hribc Senator George F.
Thompson with the promise of the
nomination for Governor, or the exis-
tence, real or contemplated, of cam
paign fund of $5O0,O0O for the Niagara
legislator.
Thomas denied emphatically he ever
had offered 100000 to Senator Thomp-
son, as the latter testified, to start
trust company in Senator Thompson's
home town Of Middleport.
Brady said Thompson came to inter
est him in water power scheme, and
to show him that he was Irregular
fellow" as we'll as to talk about trac-
tion matters.
The talk on traction matters, Brady
safd, took place on March !, shortly
after the Introduction of the Carson
Martin bill, which seeks to confer
power on the public service corpora
tt rs to Increase street car rates re-
gardless of existing contracts.
Burke Springs Sensation
The sensation of the day was fur
nished by Richard II. Burke, the seller
OF street car supplies. who was named
by Thompson as the man who came to
him originally with the bribe offer.
Burke, who denied this story under
oath last Friday, made the following
allegations tonight under oath on be-
ing recalled as witness before the
Senate judiciary Committee:
I That Thompson asked him to bor-
80 row $4,000 so that the Niagara
Senator could float furniture COM
pany, and that in search of this sum
he went to counsel for the INTERIOR
ough and the Consolidated Gas Com
pany.
= That Thompson, following an in
s terview with Mayor Hylan, pre-
pared an attack on the strcetcar lines
of New York City.
Z That Thompson sought the aid
~sof John d. Rockefeller in further
ance OF the water power project pre-
viously testified to by Brady
4. That Thompson destroyed docu-
ments containing charges made
against Theodore P Shonts, presl
dent Of the lnterborough, by Mrs.
Shonts and her daughter, the Duchess
de Chaulnes.
Thompson Denies Seeking Loan
Following Burke's testimony Sena-
tor Thompson made the following
statement:
THE statement Of the witness Burke
that I sought to finance furniture
company through him and Judge
Beardsley has no foundation in fact.
1t is made out of whole cloth and will
be emphatically denied when the
proper time comes, as will other por-
tions of the testimony that do not
Jlhe with the facts"
Former Governor Charles S. Whit
man, who, Thompson charged, dangled
the governorship before him as the
price Of his support of the Carson ar
tin bill, telegraphed that he could not
be here tonight, but would be able to
appear when the committee summoned
him. He was invited to attend to-
morrow's session Governor Whitman
has also denied Thompson's charges
rIi
says Thompson asked him to help raise
a loan, Burke testified as follows:
"This was in 1917 (when the Thomp-
son committee was investigating the
traction interests in New York City)
and Senator Thompson was with three
gentlemen at the Bitmore organizing
a furniture company.
Senator Thompson said to me that
he wanted to borrow $4,000. l said:
why can't you ask your bank?' He
said: You can't get that much from a
small bank He said he was president
Of the Middleport Gas and Electric
Lighting Company and he could offer
the stock as collateral.
IL went to the Office of Judge Boards
ley tchief counsel to the Consolidated
Gas Company and said: 4 have got q
perfectly legitimate offer. THOMPSON
wants to borrow $4,000 Beardsley
said: I would not lend Thompson nf-
teen cents One day | went down to
Mr.. Stanchfcld's office and think |
talked to him about the $4,000. | am