New-York tribune., 1919-04-15
Burke sometimes brought the page
proofs of these papers to u.s."

the Iubllc Service COMMISSION law.
Burke also brought those papers to
you, copies of them?"
yes, at times Sometimes we got
them there, som etimes we would meet
him there, see him there, but he was
not visitor to my office"
Met Burke in Albany
you say that after the commissions
report had been presented. which, as
you now think was some time in Feb
ruary, 1917, did you see Mr.. Burke
after that?'
"Yes, during the time that we were
discussing the amendments TO the
Public Service Commission law"
That was while the Legislature was
in session in that year."
Eyes"
what was the occasion of your in
terview with Mr.. Burke in regard to
this Public Service Commission law"
II don't want you to have the i'm
preston that l was having any inter
views with Mr.. Burke
"Did he tell you whom he represented
those times he came to see you?"
"No; it was my impre ssion in the be
ginning he was one Of the employees of
the committee"
-, Senator Black-"why did Senator
Thompson want your people to see the
page proof, if he did ?"
"He told me it was his purpose to
let the corporations interested see the
proofs"
when it came to drafting the bill
that grew out of this report, did you
see the proof of the bill?'
"Yes"
"Who sent that to you"
"Well, it came from Senator Thomp-
SON."
The Chairman."Did you talk with
Senator Thompson about that"
ooh. yes"
Burke Tells of His Labors
was recalled to enable him to make
some unimportant corrections in his
testimony of Saturday. After he did
this-he was on his feet-he insisted
on going into the history, or part of it,
of his life for nearly a quarter of a
century back.
While the members of the com
mittee were trying to silence Burke,
who insisted on continuing his story,
he cried
Gust a word more. My fourth of
fetal position was with the Thompson
committee which investigated the
traction situation in New York Citv."
Every one sat up. Burke was allowed
to continues:
II went to work with the committee
at the request of Senator Thompson.
! worked in conjunction with Senator
Thompson for a year and half and
he said that served him faithfully"
Senator knight asked, "Wh hat was the
arrangement about? | was on that com
mlttee and would like to know"
The arrangement was this: Thomp-
son said to me, Now, Burke, yours is
special account; you are not an ordi-
nary man in these Investigations, as
has been determined by your past rec
ord. | will put in a bill to the commit
tee and l would see you paid. I have
never asked him about it since"
"W as your bill ever submitted ~
mo, sir. it was not"
Did you ever submit any bill to
him ?"
mo, sir"
Brady Is Examined
The examination of Burke was sus-
pended that Mr.. Brady might be heard.
He said that he lived at All State
Street, Albany. and had New York
city home at $50 Fifth Avenue. He
said he was chairman of the Board of
Directors of the Brooklyn Rapid Tran
sit Company, and was president of the
New York Edison Company, the Brook
lyn Edison Company and held office
in the Consolidated Gas Company and
in other light and power companies.
He said that he met Thompson twice,
once at his Fifth Avenue home, and on
prior occasion at his office, at 81
Wall Street.
How were the interviews brought
about?" asked Mr.. Cheney.
AT Senator Thompsons request. He
requested one Of our attorneys, Judge
Beardsley, to bring him in"
What was the occasion of his
| visit ?'
"None that could see. He only
wanted to meet me"
"On any pending legislation ~
"No. He said he wanted me to see
painted We shook hands and spoke
two or three minutes and he left This
was some mo tbs ago"
When did you next see him ~
Traction Situation Discussed
"On March /, at the request Of
Bur ke- Senator Thompson came with
Burke to my home. Senator Thomp-
son started in on q general scheme
for the development of state water
power and so forth. Then there was
some talk Of the general traction sit
uation and told him that we couldn't
90 on indefinitely giving cents worth
VI SeINICe IOr Genus. tie asked me
for some figures. | sent some to him.
They were indicative figures-not con-
elusive"
Mr.. Burke was recelled to the stand.
The second tinterview the witness said
he arranged for Senator Thompson with
Mr. Stanchfleld was on February of
this year.
Senator Thompson" explained Burke.
told me that he wanted to destroy
some letters that were in part of the
records Of the committee, and he said
he did not want to destroy them in my
presence, and he did not want them
given to me, but he said ne would de-
stroy them If somebody could make the
arrangements whereby he was positive
that Mr. Shonts knew that the destruc-
tion Of the letters took place"
Did Senator Thompson tell you what
the general purpost of the letters was 2"
The witness said they related to tho
Shonts' family affairs.
When Burke was excused. Senator
thompson made voluntary statement
TO the committee. He said the letters
Burke referred to were memoranda
written by Perley Morse, who was ac-
countant to the committee, as the re-
suit of an interview with Mrs. Shonts
and the Duchess de Chaunes
The matter was one involving onlv
the domestic affairs Of Mr.. Shonts.r
said Senator Thompson, matters
known TO the counsel to the committee
"a md whtcb L.