Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1923-11-21

When the hearing started shortly
before noon today, Attorney New
corn was acting in place of Attorney
General Thomas j. Mccain, who
Is Ill. Assemblyman Walsh, was the
first member of the Investigation to
arrive and he was shortly Joined
by Senator Wallworth. Assembly,
man Evans wired that he could not
attend until early this afternoon.
and Senators Bright and Richards
and former Assemblyman Chamber
lin were not heard from.
Donnell, the only witness sched-
uled for the day, was sworn In and
informed the investigations that he
was president of the lumber COM
pany from 1914 until October OF last
year. He also said that he had not
taken an active part in the husiHe So
! OF the company during the nae,
TWO years In reply to a. ouesfion
as TO when he learned that the stata.
wanted to buy the bridge land he
sald he saw same in the newspapers
mr.. Donnell said that Evans and
mcdowell decided on $230,O00 as
talr price and that he was not con-
suited by Evans or Mcdowell in
me engagement of Isaac Alpern or
fraser Brothers to make an an
praisal. or for County Clerk Gan
non TO swing the deal.
me witness continued that he did
not o Know cannon had been employ
no u"'ll aller the sale had been
m1a, ana When the sale had been
Ihpleted, Evans fixed S25.001 &c
fair sum for the count. CLERK aa
agreed to the payment or this su,,.
because Cannon had done other "a.
Vors for the COMPANY.
Mr. Donnell gave no reason fo.
t Sle payment of the county clerk in
ponus ana admitted that thew had
not paid other debts In bonds Tben
Ine Tue agreement between Donnel Mo
DoWell q and Evans regarding the
my per cent payment in case of
Juu6nent against the company. The
e' "leIiess sdId the new officers of the
company wanted the agreement be-
cause the newspapers talked ne %,
investigation. "a
Asked how much he paid bael, m
me company for the return of the
SIoV,0oO to the state, he replied.
slIghtly more than $1O3,7OO. He dfd
loI Know what amounts were Maid
Dy Evans and Mcdowell, but the
company returned $23O,OO0. Mr.,
Donnell did not know of anv contri-
buttons receieved by the Company
towards this payment, from Gan
non or anyone else.
The investigators were told that
me dlIterence between the amount
PAID by Donnell and what he
should have paid. might he made m m
IN an income tax rebate to the
company. The witness said that
Evans and Mcdonnell told him IL
rebate was not paid he would have
to pay his balance.
The states preventative again
asked the witness how much Cannon
had paid towards the $4,000 and
again Mr.. Donnell replied, he did
not know. Attorney General New
corn then brought out that 1t is pc
culiar that the difference between
DonnelPs half of the $230,000 and
the amount paid back, was Just
about half of what Cannon received
MIR. Donnell made known that he
had never asked Messrs. Evans and
Mcdowell TO get the bonds paid TO
the county clerk, and in reply to a
question asked by the attorney gem
eral the witness said he was satis-
fled to leave Mr.. Cannon keen the
$25,00O regardless of the fact that
he had to pay over 100000 back to
the state.
The witness replied to another
question by saying. I'VE gave him
the money and I suppose he is en-
titled to it." The attorney general
asked the witness If he desired to
say anything without question be-
Ing asked, and the former lumber
company president said; "I do moi
feel that we did anything but what
we thought was perfectly right
1t was impossible to get hold OF
Sergeant Walter Coughlin, of Perth
Amboy, the state police officer who
summoned Donnell.
The Investigators again adjourned
10 meet at the call of the chair.