The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1885-04-02
OF THE TEXAS sENATE-ALEX.
SAMPSON IGN0MlNIOUsLY
EXPELLED
For Corrupt Practices. and
Joe Tryon, Clerk of
the House,
Likely to Share the Same
Fate Both III o
Bod Box.
dow q Sleek cheme to De-
feat the .cket-shOp
Bill Pa ed Out.

Inc Teau6rS OIL 1HE STATESMAH
will remember the account given il
yesterdays issue of the stabbing Of
Tobias Mitchell, a st. Louis man, by
Alex. Sampson, calendar clerk Of the
Senate. The sequel came yesterday
The revelations OF yesterday, however
had no direct connection with the
cutting affray. They merely followed
close on the heels of that bloody en-
counter.
1t will be remembered that the
cause of Simpsons anger was an ar
ticle in the Globe-Democrat (re-pub-
lished yesterday intimating that
SIMPSONS integrity was not above
suspicion. The sketch, though
on the surface of a burlesque
nature conveyed deeper meaning, in
the light of subsequent developments.
How true the insinuations were may
be judged by the action of the Senate
yesterday. That body bya
UNANIMOUS VOTE
passed a resolution to expel Alex
Sampson, its calendar clerk, for the
part he had taken, in a most d1srepu-
table attempt, to defeat a certain bill.
TO fully explain how the denoue-
ment came about, it will be necessary
torefer to bill of which Mr.. Tank
ersley, the member from Harris county
was the author. That bill was direct
ed against what is known as "bucket-
shops, FOR exchanges dealing in futures.
Everybody knows that future" are
simply form of gambling in the
guiSe of mercantile transactions.
Simply this and nothing more. Tank
erley, it appears, wanted to suppress
these institutions. His friends be-
lieve him sincere; his opponents have
time and again intimated the reverse.
. BE that as 1t may, the greatest sensa-
ton of the session was produced in
the House yesterday when
HON. L. O. FISHER,
the member from Galveston rose to
speak on the bill. He was opposed to
it, saying, the bill was Conceived in
sin and brought forth in iniquity."
He was especially hard on Tank
ersley, accusing him Of an Gin
sane desire for notoriety, and of
going out of his way to villity the
deople of Galveston. "Tankersley pre-
ferred to make war on Floyd Ga Gal
weston dealer in futures) because 1t
was his nature to war on the weak
and defenseless, rather than the strong
and powerful" He had said that the
bill was conceived in sin and
brought forth in inequity
and now he would prove it."
Up TO this time there had been the
utmost attention on the part Of the
Senate. A death, like stiffness now
reigned. Even the lobby, usually
So boisterous was hushed, and
every member and every
spectator sat listening with
"erect ears" The situation was al
most dramatic. Here were two men,
one champicning bill, one opposing.
Its advocate was Tankersley, the
young member from the Bayou city,
who seemingly was laboring for no
other purpose than the public good,
Col. Fisher, while making no defense
of the "bucket-shops" was against the
measure to suppress them, because
the bill didn't include the big cotton
exchanges that dealt in futures too
yet on a much grander scale. The
opponent of the bill formed
COMPLETE CONTRAST TO
its author, Tankersley has an al
most boyish expression and is under
thirty. The other has gray
locks, and as usual thing
wears most placid and benign ex.
preston, not so on this occasion
His voice, looks and gesture showed
that he was terribly in earnest, and
when he announced that he had the
proofs, the House knew something
was going to drop" 1t surely did
and in way to cause every body tt
open wide their eyes.
Before proceeding further, 1t will
be well enough to explain few facts
that may help to elucidate what at
terwarLs occurred. 1t is known tc
great many people that s. S. Floyd
Il Co., of Galveston, are at the head Of
the "bucket-shop" system of Texas
1t seems that between Floyd and Alex
Sampson, there has existed a feeling Of
close friendship, also considerable bust
ness transaction. AS matter of course
he wanted to defeat a bill that would
cause his friend Floyd to lose his occu
patton. And if in helping Floyd tt
keep on dealing in futures, he could
help himself to few dollars, where
was the harm? This is perhaps tn,
fine scheme Sampson sought to work
Some one will ask, "how could he, {
mere clerk-a very insignificant fac
tor-do aught in the way of shaping
legislation? Very little, perhap;
But sometimes the humblest agencie
under certain circumstances ma,
prove potent enough.
But there Is an old adage which
says ''two heads are better than one
1t was so in the present case
Sampson needed confederate to hel
him, and in looking around for on
hit upon one
JOE N. TRYoN,
who occupied the position of clerk t
Judiciary Committee No. 2, in tn
House. This was the same committe
that had charge of the bill relating
the bucket-shops. 1t might be inferre
from reading further that while Nj
Tryon was also mere clerk, still b
could be OF considerable utility. jus
how he was to operate is not know
but it is common to hear of bills bein
s'pigeon-holed," "lost," or got out {
the way in some mysterious name
There is no intention to state tn;
Tryon did this, or in an
way contemplated so doing.
fact all of his connection with tt
dirty business appears on the perus
of the following letter that Col. Fish,
read while the house sat hushed az
still as the school room is sometime
when. the teacher PAGES to and fro Il
aisles with an angry brow and stol
switch that he is ready to let fall {
the first offender against disciplin
Here is Simpsons letter to Floyd
dead give way" of the nefariol
scheme. The original was marked
the top, "answer Immediately" and
the bottom was the word "confide
fial
AUSTIN, February 9, 1885.
S. s. FLoYD-Dear Sir: Yo
letters of 81 inst, duly recei
ed, and contents noted. In reply
will state that if the Tankersley b
should pass the House and come
the Senate / will do all in my pow
for you, for feel under many oblie
tions to you for many past favors.
would make this suggestion to 70
Mr.. j. NJ. Tryon, Clerk of the Judi
airy Committee, to whom the bill "