The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1893-04-21
WITNESSES ABSENT.
The Kansas Bribery Investigation Unable
to Obtain Important Witnesses.


to Obtain Important Witnesses.
KANSAS CITY, Kan, April 13.-The
committee of the Kansas senate now
engaged in making an investigation
into the charges of corrupt use of
money during the last session of the
legislature, closed its session in Kansas
City, Kan, last evening. The in
ability to get such important witnesses
as Representative A. A.. Burgard, P. w.
Kline and Nelson Acers before the COM
mittee has been a disappointment, al
though it was predicted some time ago
that there would be a scarcity of i'm
portant witnesses at the proper time.
E. 2. Blum, register of deeds of Wy
andotte county, was the first witness
called this morning. He said he had
used his best endeavors to show that
the fee and salary bill was ubiquitous
and not for the interests of the county
He visited Topeka and talked with tie
Wyandotte county representatives. lie
said he did not contribute money to be
used in influencing votes against the
bill and knew of no money being used
in that way.
Andrew Lawson, formerly engaged
in the policy business, was called TO
testify regarding the raising of fund
to defeat Senator Taylor's anti-gamb-
ling bill He denied having any knowl-
edge of money being raised among the
gamblers and policy men to defeat the
bills. In fact, the witness knew moth
ing of interest to the committee except
that he had quit the business because it
was Improbable. He had been ar
rested and fined SIS by Police Judge
King, but the fine was RENTED upon
the witness promising to quit the bust
ness.
NJ. G. Mclean, county treasurer, tes-
titled that he had not paid money di-
rectly or indirectly to secure the defeat
of the fee and salary bill, and had not
used any undue influence to secure the
defeat of the bill.
j. X. 7. Barker, chairman of the peo-
pies party central committee, was
called to the stand to tell what he knew
of money being used to defeat the Tay-
Tor anti-gambling bills, the bills to
abolish the common pleas court and the
Office of county auditor and also the
! fee and salary bill. Mr.. Barker said he
had no knowledge of money being
used. He visited Topeka several times
! during the session of the legislature
and was an applicant for the
Office of state grain inspector; also
| for position on the board of railroad
commissioners The witness denied that
! he had ever received $50 from George
/ Grubel, proprietor of the building in
which the common pleas court is To-
Gated. He also denied that he had re-
| ceived money from Sam McGonigal,
clerk of the common pleas court, to Sc
: cure the defeat the measure.
| Being asked if he had ever received
money or was offered money, Barker
replied in the negative, but Senator
J Thatcher refreshed his memory a little
and Barker admitted that he had been
offered 800 by Frank Strickland to use
his influence to have w. Il. Quarles APP
pointed chief of police. He had, how
ever declined to accept the money.
Lawyer John Hale, of Kansas City,
Kan. then took a turn at the wheel
and asked Mr.. Barker if he was at the
Copeland hotel at Topeka with w. L.
Quarles and if it was true that the two
visited a room where the Wyandotte
county officers were taking refresh
ments. Barker said he was at the
Copeland and that he had seen several
of the county officers.
Ibid you not go with Mr.. Quarles to
the toilet room and while there did not
Mr.. Sam McGonigal come in and count
a roll of bills out to Quarles, and did
not QuarleS turn the $500 over to you?"
asked Mr.. Hale.
The witness answered in the mega
tive. Mr.. Hale then asked Barker if he
did not meet a certain newspaper man
in Kansas City, Kan, and the reporter
mentioned the fact that money had
been used. Barker said he did talk
about such matter with reporter.
Barker then denied that he went
strai:, l.tway to Sam McGonigal and
said: How did they get hold of it,
Sam; they're telling it just as it is?'
Barker also denied having a confer
ence with Jim Legate and Chief Quarles
in the Ryus hotel and was excused.
Senator King then called Mr.. Hale to
the witness chair and proceeded to ask
questions. Mr.. Hales statement was
as follows:
Il have been told that in the toilet
room of the Copeland hotel Sam Me-
Gonigal paid $500 to William Quarles,
and it was by him passed to Barker to
be used in defeating the fee and salary
bill
Asked who were his informants, Hale
said Tom Worthington and Steve
Sharpe had told him. He had heard
such charges made in. the presence of
McGonigal, and the latter had not de-
MED them.
Representative McAleney, of Wyan-
dotte county, was present and was will
ling to tell what he knew about Rep
resentative Burgard's Washington
interview, but the committee did
not desire to ask him any
questions and refused to allow
him to testify, as he said he
could tell nothing bearing on the boo
die charge. The committee then took
Il recess till 4 o'clock. There were no
more witnesses and it is probable that
no more testimony will be taken in
Kansas City, Kansas.
Fred Close, private secretary to Gov.
Lewelllng, told the committee late
in the afternoon that he had an
interview with Peter Kline and
that Kline refused to testify. He
said, however, he would make an
affidavit generating Close, Gov. Lew
cling and Attorney-General Little.
Mulvane, Kansas. on Fire.
WICHITA, April Nearly two |
blocks of the business portion of Null |