Omaha daily bee., 1888-11-04
HASCALL CLIMBED ATRANSOM
An Interesting Chapter of Nebraska
History.
BUYING
FORGED
LETTERS
A Great Plot Concocted by a Brace OF
Rascals Knocked Into q
Cooked Hat and Tx.
ploded.
Bogus Affidavit Making.

The senatorial contest of 1876 was, as ev-
erybody remembers, one of the most exciting
political struggles that has ever taken place
in Nebraska. The state was torn up by two
republican Acknowledgement and anti
Hitchcock. The late Senator Hitchcock was
candidate for reelection, and against HIM
was pitted the famous quintette-Saunders.
Henderson, Gown, Briggs and Crounse.
Hitchcock and the ms had full control of the
federal patronage, owing to the detection of
ex-senator Upton. Besides this federal con-
tingent the Hitchcock faction had for its
powerful ally the Union Pacific railway, with
its array Of politicians. The anti Hitchcock
forces were more Or less supported by the
Burlington road, which at that time was at
swords points with the Uulon Pacific over the
question Of prorating with it on traffic west
Of Kearney, then the b. g. M. terminus.
FRAUDULENT PAPERS.
Soon after the legislature met in January,
1877, Hitchcock's confidential lieutenants
began to exhibit to members of the legisla-
ture a batch Of letters signed by Mr.. G. e.
Perkins, president of the Burlington road,
directed to T. M. Marquett, its general attor.
ney, in which the latter was instructed to
support Briggs and Saunders and supply
them with all the necessary funds to elect
one or the other to the senate. There were
also certain pretended cipher dispatches thai
purported to nave passed between Perkins
and Marquett, all of which were conirma-
tory of a
CONSPIRACY TO CORRUPT
the legislature. These documents were &C.
companied by an affidavit from one Elan
nigan, private secretary of the president of
the Burlington road, vouching for the genuine.
ness of all the papers, and adding testimony
Of his own as to what he had overheard in
his confidential position. AS soon as Saun-
ders and Briggs became aware that these
papers were being secretly circulated among
members Of the legislature, they publicly de-
nounced it as an
INFAMOUS PLOT
to blacken their reputation, and President
Perkins, OF the Burlington road, t~elegraphed
from Chicago that his name had been forged,
and the Flanagan affidavit was a piece Of
rank perjury. This explosion and
the fight of Flanagan from the
country, was followed by an in
vestigation through the legislature.
The testimony taken. before the legislative
committee brought out the fact that Flanni-
gan had been paid 5000 for the forged letters
and false AFFIDAVIT. The parties TO the trans
action were one X. o. Adams, who, three
years later, was indicted for and
CONVICTED
Of embezslement in the Deadwood postofice,
and Isaac S, Hascall, who at that time was
playing political boss In the Second ward.
Hascal's testimony before the investigating
committee was to the effect that Adams and
himself had arranged a meeting with
Flanagan and 'consummated the bargain
one Saturday night. The certificate Of
Flannigan's affidavit being dated on Sunday,
Hasoall was cross-questioned as to why it
was sworn to on Sunday. This brought out
the fact that the trio had been unable to pro.