Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-11-05

! a1Cor WHAT you nave sdIu 10 Me- ne
replied, well, perhaps don't understand
court rules; any way, let ne pay you for
coming down here I said not dollar,
sir
mo such conversation took place be-
tween Mr. La Toilette and myself, and
nothing was said between him and my
self from which any such inference could
be drawn. | did offer to retain him, be.
fore knew that he was related to Judge
Siebecker. After he told me that he was
Judge Siebecker's brother-in-law and
! that he did not think
that under tie circumstances
he ought to take a retainer IN the case
nothing further was SAID about the re-
tainer, or paying him any money, except
| said TO him this:
I have put you to the trouble of com
ing down here, and ought to pay you for
coming here
He said, No, l would not take any
thing for that
The foregoing are the plain facts in
the case.
II had no idea whatever Of employing
La Toilette to influence Judge Siebecker.
Being Madison lawyer and having for
merly been his partner, I thought he would
know whether Judge Siebecker was likely
to be preiudjced against Mr.. Harshaw
on account of what Mr.. HaIshaw
had said about bin, and that information
Of him | did not ask and he told NE
| frankly what he knew about Judge Sic
becker, and said he thought he would not
be SO Influenced.
Il leave the public to judge of Mr.. La
Folfette's reason and motives for making
so gross misrepresentation of our CONVEX
sation." "PHILETUs SAWYER"
La Foliette's Letter.
The following is the letter from Mr.. La
| Toilette which called forth the foregoing
statement:
! from the Milwaukee Sentinel, Oct. 29.7
To the editor of The Milwaukee Sentinel:
MADISON, Wis, Oct. 28.-The pubIlca-
tion of an interview with Senator Sawyer
In the Sentinel of yesterday was first seen
by me in Milwaukee shortly after my ar
rival in the city upon business early yes
te1day morning. The interview purported
to m axe public conversation which oc-
cured at the Plankinton house In Milwau
kee on Thursday, Sept. II, between Sena-
| tor Sawyer and myself concerning my
employment as ali attorney in the case Of
| the state of Wisconsin against H. B.
Harshaw, Philetus Sawyer and others.
After reading the interview and before
leaving the city | ascertained that the
statement was authorized by Senator Saw
| yer.
The intervie was false and not a true
| statement of what TRANSFERRED and | cannot
remain silent and permit it to stand IN
contradieted. Today [ requested Judge
! Siebecker's sanction to speak and received
| it. After his announcement in declining
to try the case, felt bound in courtesy, as
an attorney and officer of his court to re-
spect his judgment that a trial should first
be had. But the conversation, as Senator
Sawyer details it, leaves me no choice but
to declare the facts at this time and in this
manner
On Tuesday morning, September Is last,
received a letter from Senator Sawyer, Of
which the following is a copy:
Dictated
| OSHKOSH, Wis. Sept. IA, 1891.-Hon.
SHINY DEAR LA TOILETTE: | will be
day. | have some matters of Importance
hot ! 10 70 o.,
that escaped my mind yesterday. If cen
venient, can you be in Milwaukee on that
| day, and meet me at the Flanklnton house
at II o'clock a. N. If not on that day,
what day would suit your convenience
this week? Please answer by telegraph.
All you need to say if you can meet me
that day is merely telegraph ME Yes.
II not, simply mention day you can meet
me. Your truly, PHILETUs SAWYER
The letter was type written. upoA a
single page Of Office paper. letter size.
The top part of the sheet was torn off,
leaving only the printed words Dictated,
| Oshkosh, Wis" The reference In the
letter to MIR. Sawyer having seen me the
| day before it was written related to our
having met on Sunday, tie 18th Of Sep
TENDER, at Neenah, Wisconsin, on the oc-
casion of the funeral Of Hon. Charles B.
Clark. At that time | met Mr.. Sawyer
between l and 2 o'clock, just as we took a
carriage together with Hon. n. D. Frat
and Hon. L. B. Caswell, to go from the
hotel to the residence of Mr.. Clark.
| From the residence we went, Immediately
after the services at the house, by the
same conveyance to tie cemetery, and on
the return Mr.. Sawyer left US at the depot
to take the train for Oshkosh.
! Late in the afternoon of the day upon
which received the letter, | wired M
Sawyer YES" and on Thursday went to
Milwaukee and found him awaiting me at
the Plankinton house.
He said: Il have no room, could not
get one, they are so crowded, but come up
to the parlor, think we can talk there"
| went with him to the parlor upon the
second floor. 1t is large room. There
were two or three occupants sitting near
| the entrance when we went in. | did not
observe them afterward, but believe there
was no one in the room but Mr.. Sawyer
when | left it. When we entered he led
the way to the corner of the room most re
mote from the entrance, where we sat
down near each other. He began by say
ing 81 have put you to some trouble and
expense to meet me here, Mr.. La Fol cite,
but wanted to see you bad "
| replied: 1T is a matter OF no conse-
quence.
He said: Il asked you come here be-
cause want to talk with you about Sic
becker and the treasury matter. Harshaw
has made such fool of himself in the
newspapers, and besides that he opposed
the appointment of Siebecker as judge. :"
l Interrupted to say: There is not the
slightest reason to give that a thought.