Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-06-21
CANNON TELLS STORY
AT BRIDGE INVESTIGATION
1Cnntinnen from Page Il

Several times during the course of
the hearing both Attorney General
McCran and State Senator Emerson
L. Richards, OF Atlantic, a member
of the probe committee, apparently
tried to hook the bridge deal up with
the Democratic organization in Hud-
son county.
Mr.. Cannon declared that he had
never talked to anyone other than
Chairman George l.. Burton, of the
former commission, Of the proposed
sale of the lands to the state.
Former HighU ay Commissioner
John Ferris, of Jersey City, was also
emphatic, when he testified, in his
denial that he had eve talked to
anyone with regard to the land sale.
The committee mentioned particu-
larry anyone in Jersey City" Mr..
Ferris said he had never discussed
the matter with anyone.
Cannon denied giving any of the
bonds either to Burton or to any
other of the commissioners.
He explained tne fact that $255 of
upo had been found in Burton's
possession by saying that he had
paid a political debt with it. He said
that during his campaign for county
clerk of Middlesex in 1919 Burton
had advanced him $3.50 for cam
paign purposes which Cannon re-
garded as a loan.
He gave the coupons to Burton
in of this debt, he said
He admitted that at the time he paid
the none to Burton, he had $500 III
hia pocket and a checking account in
three banks. He said, however, that
-f.a4A he nnfDhf lOGa the
sslips. of paper" so he gave them to
Chairman Burton.
He did not tell Burton where the
oupon came from until a week
before the investigation opened in
MAY. He said he knew the bond
transaction would be revealed by an
examination OF the company's books
and he met Burton in New Bruins
wick and told him where the bono
came from. Cannon said
hat Burton" flew up in the air,
when he was told of the bono deal.
When Burton received the cou-
pons. said Cannon, Burton did not
ask where they had come from. His
only remark, according to Cannon,
was that the latter was becoming in
the class of "bloated bond holders
There was no agreement before
the land deal, said Cannon, as to
what compensation he was to re-
ceiye for his services to the com
pany. He denied the testimony Of
Evans, when the latter said at Q
Perth Amboy hearing that cannon
had fixed the price he was to re-
ceive for conserving the interests OF
the company in the deal. The wit
ness declared there never had been
an agreement as to the compensation
he was to get.
When the probe was first started
said Cannon, Evans telephoned him
and said the company's books had
been subpoenaed. Secretary Evans
declared that the bond deal woule
come out and TT would look bad"
Cannon laughed away Evans
fears and said that the deal was
legitimate.
Attorney General McCran asked II
the deal was legitimate as claimed,
why Cannon had stayed away from
the investigation so long.
g Cannon parted this question by
asking Mr.. McCran whether anyone
had come to him during the probe
to ask a postponement. McCran a
he had refused a postponement'
Sometime ago, Cannon wished a
postponement of the hearings, and
said that he would appear to tes-
tify after his daughter had been
graduated from a finishing school.
Cannon said the bonds were not