The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-03-22

Topeka, March is The bribery inves.
tigation now in progress here before a
committee of the state senate, intended
originally to cover charges OF corruption
made by the Capital in connection with
gamblers, developed huge sensation this
morning and no one can now say where
IT will end. The testimony had no con-
neciion with the original charges. but was
incidentally brought out.
Representative McElnery, populist, of
Kansas City. Kas., swore that he and Mr..
Burgard. populist representative from the
same CITY, we're both subject to corrupt
offers made by Cyrus Leland, the noted
Kansas republican, if they wou vote as
he suggested He testified that Leland Of
fered him =, 900 to vote for w. H. Ross
ington, democrat, for U. S. senator, and
that Burgard told him that Leland had
offered $4,000 to vote for a republican
candidate for state printer, and that Bur
gard had also told him about PROPOSE
tion made to him (Burgard) by Leland to
vote for state printer.
MeEnery's story.
Mr.. McEnsry said: 81 had an offer OF
money from Cyrus Leland Saturday morn
ing Feb %. to sell my vote for U. 5. sena-
tor. Mr. Lille of Kansas City, Kas., came
10 me and arranged for meeting with Le-
land on that day. We met in Senator
Williamson's room in the Keith block.
He said that the republicans were going
bot ha1
nlnety-two votes; that mine would
be sufficient to elect. but that thew
had in addition two others who were
pledged. 1 asked him what he wanted
me TO do and for what He said he under
stood il would be money and he nance
81 900. I told him | knew what my vote
amounted to- that l had been approached
before on the subject and that as | had
voted for no candidate when Judge Mar
tin was elected senator my vote Was worth
more for that reason. The amount final y
agreed on was 81, 900. This figure was not
stipulated, but I understood that il We
could agree on a stakeholder that would
be the amount. The man he wanted me
20 vote for was w. Fl. Rossingt0n, a demo
FRAT.
Hitch on the Stakeholder.
Having agreed on the amount the
next question was the stakeholder. told
him I would act as stakeholder, and that
was where the serious hitch came in. He
wanted me to accept some OF the politi-
clans or senators or some of the banks.
He said he could not think of giving me
the cash, because it would place him at
nv mercy. He wanted me TO 20 with him
70 one OF two banks, which be did not
name. / suggested certified check, but
be objected.
"Wnen we talked about the price told
him that a large sum had been offered
when Ady was the republican candidate.
There had been 5000 offered for a single
vote. He denied this al first, but | knew
better and told him the trouble then as
now about the stskeho der. [ told him
tbe money was ersl Mr. Burgard of
Wysndotte county in cloak room three
minutes before Judge Martin was elected
senator and that the deal broke off at the
last moment because they could not agree
on stakeholder Burgard insisted on a
stakeholder Leland would not trust.
Leland Admits 1t.
LELAND then admitted the offer and said
Burgard should have kept his fool mouth
shut. Then, when insisted that my vote
was worth as much as Burgard's, he said
the er to Burgard was for state printer
At 10 o'clock Leland went away That is
the last time saw him. Leland said that
the republicans had agreed upon Rossing-
ton bee use all the republicans would
not vote for p. b. Waggoner. Le-
land did not want to discuss
the Burgard deal, but practically
admitted that he made offer TO him.
We did not exactly agree on s., 900, but he
said perhaps ii we could agree on a stake
holder We conld agree on the amount
He said repeatedly that he did not want
90 be placed at my mercy, and l did not
propose to have it any other way. In the
Burgard de Il he and Leland had agreed
on Barney White of Argentine as stake.
holder. but Leland backed out because he
was afraid that the relations between him
and Burgard were such that he could
not trust him."
Pulling for Waggoner.
McElnery further testified that on the
Tuesday evening before the Leland inter
view. Frank Strickland of Kansas City
Kans., approached him and told MIN thai
If he would vote for p. b. Wagzonsr foi
senator he could control the federal pat
ronage OF Wyandotte county. IL he wal
not wanting office maybe something else
could be obtained for him and promised
20 see him later. Witnesses saw
Strickland later at the Throop hots
and told him that he could gel
what he wanted. but there were
three republican members out OF the city
and an ection would not be attem pied
until their return. He showed me how
futile il was 10 stay at the Dunsmors
house. He said that the supreme Judges
had already held meeting among Insm
selves and decided what the decision
would be and that the Dunsmore house
would lose the fight.
"Owing to the absence OF three republic
cane, Strickland went 10 Kansas City, say.
ing he would be back Friday. but changed
his mind and left the country to keep out
Of Jail.
Caught Sight of the Money
81 was approached the afternoon after
Martins election. but / did not let II &c
very far II was BurRard himself who
told me that Leland offered him $4,000
Leland's proposition then was for Burgard
to vote for Adv. A. A. Harris name wa
however. mixed up in the proposition in