Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1890-07-18
A Great Scandal.

M
dispute, that the three Beaver Co. dele
gates who voted for Mcdowell received
$3.50 each for their votes or $3.50 in all,
and that the money was handled by an at
torney named Wallace, of New Castle.
The first detailed account of the matter
was published in the Philad'a Press of last
Saturday, and was furnished By its CORES
pom dent at Beaver Falls. After prelim-
mary review of the situation the cores
pondent continues as follows
sUsPIcroS LEADS TO INVESTIGATION.
"There were so many indications that
Downing, Shaffer and Tate had been cor
rupted that some friends of Captain Town
send in Beaver Falls, in New Brighton
and Beaver determined to probe the mat
ter to the bottom, and in this this they re-
sorted to subterfuge with the greatest sue
cess.
Four gentlemen, one of whom was DIR.
H. s. Mcconnell, OF New Brighton,
neighbor of Captain Townsend, and an
other, Mr.. r. S. Kennedy, drove out on
Friday night last to the home of Thomas
Downing, in North Sewickley township.
The party reached the farm house about
IL o'clock and reused Downing from bed.
When he met to the party he was inform
ed that they had called on him to learn
Just how much he had received for action
in helping to sell out Captain Townsend
and the Beaver delegation. Downing at
first was inclined to deny that there was
any financ consideration, but when
pressed, confessed to his visitors that he
had received cash consideration. for the
vote which he cast for Mcdowell. He
said that Lawyer William Wallace had
promised him 1920, and thai prominent
merchant Of New Castle had supplemented
this amount with $1,000 more. Wallace
left the money for them in . saloon under
the Opera House in. New Castle, and the
rest Of the money was left in another sa-
loon at or near the Fountain House.
Downing said that he understood that
the $1,000 came into the merchants hand
from one Of the most prominent polite
ians in Lawrence County. He said that
when they divided the money instead of
&2200 there was only 1880. Somebody
had taken $50 from the package, presum-
ably as commission for the transaction of
the business The three, Downing, Shaffer
ana Tate, each received $3.50. 0fhis share
Downing said that he had given Duerr
$3.50 to keep his mouth shut.
On Sunday afternoon last three gentle
men, one of whom was DIR. Mcconnell,
drove up to Freedom and had long talk
with Duerr, the man who got mixed and
therefore lost his share Of the Doodle.
Duerr in halfhearted way denied that hs
had been in the deal to sell out Beaver
county. He finally got tangled nP-a
chronic failing apparently and conssssed
that Downing had given him $3.50
When pressed for further stassment he
said that be couldn't talk any mere then
but II his visitors would cali on Tuesday
he could give them some additional infor-
nation, as Downing was coming to visit
him on Monday with some more money.
When asked why Downing was furnishing
him with money Ducr replied: $50 that
went tell anybody that he voted for Nc
DowelI." This last remark was made
when M. Buerr was in tangled state Of,
mind.
On Sunday night the same party OF gen
tiemen called on conferee Edward Shaffer.
at his home in the upper part of Beaver
Palls He confessed to them that he re-
ceiyed money for his vote and described
how it had been delivered to him through
wallace's band. His description Of the
conceded with the confession
made Downing. The fourth man, John r.
Tate, was not seen, but on Thursday nigh1
last he voluntarily called ON DR.. McCsn-.
nell at New Brighton and gave him full
history Of the case.
Tate said he knew how great wrong
had been done and he was willing bo~de alR
he could to remedy it. His statement was
on the same line with the confessions of
Downing and Shaffer and the utterances Of
Duerr
The statement Of Tate, vho.is o compar-
atively young man and aa aze roller by oc-
cupation, made to Ds. Mcdonnell, was as
follows:
~ never entertained an idea Of deserting
Townsend until tho evening Of July g,
when the conference was in session at New
Castle. ! was walking up street with
Downing and Shaffcr, when Downing said
that If would vote for Mcdowell / could
get $3.50. They wanted me to vote for
Mcdowell that night, bat ! refused to do
10. The next day Downing told me that
Wallace, tho+lawyer, wanted to see me.
We were walking up street in the vicinity
Of wallace's ONCE at the time. went into
the office, while Downing started of to
zee friend. While was talking COM
monplaee Affairs TO Wallace. Downing
came IN, and then Wallace sail: I've got
the cash here now. There is $l200-or
words to that efect-at the same time pro-
ducing four envelopes l then promised
10 vote for Mcdowell on the strength Of
wallace's promise of money. / had been
In hard circumstances for over year and
had been out Of work more than half my
time since last Fall. I needed the money
badly.
AFTER the final ballot Downing told me
that he had the cash promised by Wallace.
When we got to Beaver Falls Downing
and Shaffer went to Shafers house and di-
vided 1t. There was some talk about 81,
900 more, which merchant was to put
up. This man had an understanding with
the others, Downing and Shaffer, and
agreed to leave the money in saloon.
They got that also, but i do not know
who furnished the money for Wallace to
handle. received not only the $500 pro-
missed by Wallace, but $40 more, or one
third of the extra 1900 furnished by the
other New Castle man."
This afternoon / called at Tate's home, q
neat two story frame dwelling on the north
side Of Fourth Avenue, near Fifth street.
The house stands on terraced hill, and in
It's interior arrangement bears modest evil
dencc Of woman's taste and refinement
Mr.. Tate was not home and his family
were out Of town. He was found later in
the yard at the axe factory.
Tate ia heavily built man about "a
years Of age with light mustache. He is
intelligent and good talker, but he is
greatly pcrturbcd and excited over the
position in which he finds himself He
did not deny n singls statement made by