Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-06-20
Cannon Says That He Saw
Burton Only To Get
DonneIICoodPrice
DENIES AGREEMENT 7

$4,000 appraisals as did all ths
other members of the commission
and when asked why he did not mova
to condemn the property, he said he
was not consulted on the mattel
and that he never gave any real es~
tate recommendation to the board.
TRENTON, June 20.-Bernard IL.
Cannon county clerk of Middlesex
and Democratic political boss in that
county, arrived in the senate cham-
bers at about 1880 o'clock this
morning presumably to give his
testimony in connection with thsN
receipt of s25.000 from the DonnelfI
lumber company of Perth Amboy to
use his influence in obtaining a good
price from the state for the water
front land of the company. This
state purchased this land from the
Perth Amboy company for a price +
said 10 be S230,000 and was planned
TO build the new state bridge on
that site. There has been a holdup
in the special investigation into the
] purchase OF the bridge land, due to
the inability of anyone to reach
/ Cannon with a subpoena. /
i John Ferris, one OF the ousted
/ highway commissioners, who test1-I
/ fed once before, will testify agair|
today at the request OF Senator En-
| erson Richards, a mepa Ter of the
| investigation committee. FEmez
State Highway Engineer Thomas. 4
Wasser is in attendance and prob-|
ably will testify. Thomas J.. Evans.
+ secretary of the Donnell company,I
! also is present. 1t is not knowrI
whether the latter was subpoenaedI
1t was believed that Mr.. Cannon
would appear voluntarily, he wishinTI
! 10 come this way rather than he
i it said that he had to be summo
! 10 appear by the process of subpo
/ which the committee recently IS
/ for him. Cannon had several NJ
/ bers Of his family who were TO
! ticlpate in school graduation ex
! cises within the last week or so a
! 1t is stated on reliable authority ths
/ he did not want to embarrass then
/ by appearing before the committe =
until after the commencement exer-
/ Cises. Up until late yesterday after
i noon the state police had failed 10
/ discover his Whereabouts for the
I purpose of serving the subpoena
which was issued by the Wallworth
i committee recently.
What Cannon would have to SayE
/ in answer 10 the charge of AIonzo
/ Mcdowell, president of the Donneli
/ Lumber Company. that that concern
gave him $4,000 in bonds for his i
i services in landing the company a /
good price for its land and to the
I statenNent made by George L. Bur-
ton, fogmer chairman Of the high
! way commission, that, three days be- I
fore it was developed by Attorney
/ General McCran, the AIiddlesexk
+ Democratic leader and county Off
cial told him that he had received
the amount mentioned, was awaited
with interest today. Burton said
Cannon received this amount for
this and other services rendered byE
/ the county clerk 10 the Donnen cofn-
pauy, according To his information.
Senator Emerson l.. Richards. OF /
Atlantic, will likely take a hand IN
the questioning today TO find outf
who all Cannon saw in behalf OF thsi
lumber companys obtaining a good5
price for its land. Former Chair
man Burton testified Cannon asked
him to do what he could to see thaSH
the officers of the company. constitu1H
ents and political friends Of his, wersI
taken care Of properly in the pur-2
chase of the property. Cannon saida
he would see other" people too, ac>
cOrding to the Burton testimony. ~
Is expected that Richards and prob
ably McCran too will quizz forynsr
/ Engineer Wasser and former Com
missioner Ferris as to whether their
influence was sought in behalf OF tbs
lumber company. Mr. Ferris has al
ready testified, stating that he voted
for the price of $3.50. eco when it was
Recommended by Chairman Burton,
who was commissioner in the Perth
Am boy district.