Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-07-15
THOMPSON TALKS.
AN AFFIDAVIT or THE NEW CASTLE CON-
FEREE DIscLosEs NEW FACTS.

nm NJ W tHE NE w SNS'-~ ~~''-
FEREE DiscLosEs NEW FACTS
offered $500 for His Vote By a Friend Of
Townsend-Auorney waiIacs willing to
Add 20 the Bribery LIterature-Coionel
Jackson's Statement.
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE pIspArcH.l
NEW CASTLE, July 14.-The Con-
gressional bribery case continues to engross
the attention of the Lawrence county politi-
clans. William D. Wallace, the attorney OF
this city, who is charged with paying over the
money to the three Beaver county delegates,
has little to say, but he remarked to your cor
respondent this afternoon: ''If they crowd me
can't stand too much. 1 will give 80 me IN
formation that will react on the present
rumpus that is being kicked up. The wnole
drift of this discussion in the papers appears W
be directed at me. and DeheVe
that it originated with New Castle politicians.
1t doesn't bother me in the least. Isexpect to
60 on my vacation in a day or SO anu II IAN am
wanted to appear at any investigation that
and Pll respond on the next train. l want to
say that I deny that l paid any
money to any delegate and do not
know that any was paid. This IS my nrst denlal
and it is conclusive. 1 do know. however,
that press correspondent of New Castle was
offered 500 If he would publish certain articles
in favor of Townsend. 1 dislike this contro-
versy, and if 1 must engage in 1t there will be
a record from this district of 20 years stand
ing that will make somebody stand up"
The affidavit which appears below places
a new phase on the bribery cases. The tol-
lowing is the affidavit:
81 Archy Thompson, one of the conferrees
from Lawrence county in the late Congressional
conference, do make the following statemene
of my own free will:
II was elected a delegate from Hickory
township to the Twenty-ffth Congressional
Delegate Convention. l was elected delegate
county. On or about July 2, 1890, personal
friend of Mr.. Townsend and a prominent poll
tlcian came to me and told me that
there was some money in this thing
of it. told him was not in it for money:
The party told me Jackson had no show, and If
/ would vote for Mr.. Townsend on certain
ballot there was $500 in it for me- and told MIN
that was for Jackson as long as his name was
before the convention and could not be bought.
ISigned] A. THOMPSON.
Personally appeared before me, an Alderman
in and for the city of New Castle, Lawrence
county, Pa. Archy Thompson, who being duly
sworn by me according to law, deposes and
says that the facts set forth in the foregoing
statement are true and correct to the best
OF his knowledge and belief. Sworn to and
subscribed before me this l4th day Of July, A.
d. 1890. CHARLES HAUs, Alderman.
Colonel Oscar L. jackson was seen and
authorized the following:
have read the statements In this mornings
papers in regard to the Beaver county dele
gates voting for Major Mcdowell 1 have no
knowledge or information In regard to their
being given money and do not know whether
these statements are true or not. was
present at all the sessions OF the late conven-
ton, and was supposed pretty well Informed
as to the general surroundings. But Of course,
1t is possible that all the things charged
may have been done without my knowing or
haa vii af
friend Of mine, who wanted me nominated
would have aided in any OF those things. AS
there never was session OF the convention
when 1t was not plain that IL was TO my interest
TO have the Beaver delegates stand firm TO
their own candidate. 1t was no secret that the
Lawrence county delegation was very much
opposed to the nomination Of Mr.. Townsend,
and that II could not be nominated they
preferred either Mcdowell or Black. There are
very few facts to support statement l see
made In the papers that Townsend hao =
claim for o second term by rule OF
the district. 1t is true Iserved two consecutive
terms In the district composed OF the counties
OF Washington, Beaver and Lawrence; but that
was rather an exception, for OF the four mem
bers who Immediately preceded me in that dis
trict three, Messrs. Lawrence, Wallace and
Moore, although all candidates for reelection,
each had but one term. Mr.. Shallenberger had
three terms in that district, but they were not
even conceded to him by Beaver county. his
own county, for he had to con-
test for at least one of them
and Mercer counties. which were added to
make the new district, had no such rule, for
their last Republican member Captain Flee
ger. although o candidate for reelection, got
but one term. Beaver had already had the
only term for which an election bad been held
In the new district. An apportionment under
the new census makes 1t doubtful whether the
same counties will be together again after this
election, SO that for the present term the
claims Of Butler, Mercer and Lawrence are
about equal. Under these circumstances, :!
. Nhnr.f hat M0Il all llaO al a1I aaIN
should act friendly and let the nomination go
to whichever could unite the most strength In
the convention. In this view the Lawrence
Vopty 0n the second dsy of % tSe Convention Beaver
voted IL votes for Mcdowell. This gave an op-
portunity to make nomination, and the
lawrence delegation with my consent, gave
nominated him. Beaver had voted for Nc
Dowel as 1 understand, with Mr.. Townsends
consent and the nomination was fairly
found what was done. withdrew
their votes and left the matter open
again. This:was great mistake on the part OF
Mr.. Townsend's supporters, and from that on
no one outside of his own county, so far as 1
could hear, considered that he stood any show
whatever of being nominated. Later on Nc
Dowell reported that the Beaver county men
had concluded that they had made mistake
in Withdrawing their votes and were willing to
give them to him again. He asked If Law
renee county was willing to do as they had done
De1Ore anu nOmludL6 ulLu III Caoo uc COulu 60b
the Beaver vote.
The Lawrence county delegation after con-
sidering the matter concluded that consistency
required them to do this, and SO informed Mr..
Mcdowell and gave him votes several tunes,
but he got none from Beaver. There appearing
at this time to be no prospect of Beaver again
helping Mcdowell, Lawrence county offered TO
help Captain Black, of Butler, If he could get
enough votes to secure the nomination, and did
in fact vote several times for him, and would
have nominated him if he could have sue
ceeded in getting the required votes
from either Beaver or Mercer.
He was, however. unable to do
this. On the last day the convention was in
session think the impression was very general
that would be nominated, that was the sec.
ond choice of a majority of the delegates out
side of Lawrence county. 1t was the expressed
opinion of my delegates at more than one of
their conferences that nothing could prevent
my nomination, unless Beaver county would go
to either Black or Mcdowell.
At the noon adjournment of the day the
nomination was made Mcdowell stated that he
had another promise from Beaver to again
vote for him, and bring Lawrence county to give
him one more vote. This was agreed to be
done and resulted in his nomination. 1t
is due to Major Mcdowell to bear in
mind that he and his friends always
claimed the Beaver county votes were
coming to him to make good the vote
they had withdrawn from him on the previous
day. 1t seems reasonable he should have be-
lieved this, for DR.. Mcconnell, one of the
Beaver delegates, says that Mr.. Townsend him
self told his delegates he thought the best they
could do would be to vote again for Major Nc
Dowell and let him have the nomination.