Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-03-22

Evidence Adduced Before the Investigate
ing Committee OF the Legislature.


ing Committee of the Legislature.
Topeka, KANs., March 81. = The
Senate Committee which has been In
vestlgating charges Of bribery made by
the Capital against high State officials,
to defeat certain anti-gambling bills In
the recent Legislature, was continued
to-day and produced some more seDsa-
tionsl testimony.
After a number of witnesses had
given unimportant testimony, James 4.
Legate was sworn. Having examined
the letter, he addressed TO Major Hud-
son and fully identified 1t. In reply to
questions by Judge Thatcher, he
said that he had received
draft for $4,000 from
p. w. Kline before the Legislature mot
and 81, 500 soon afterwards. Said he:
"There was considerable conference
with reference to the organization OF
the Legislature. 1t was discussed by
the greater lights with reference to
bringing certain cases before the Su-
preme Court. l thought the undertake
ings were all childish, because the
Court was politically against the Populists.
l looked over the list of members
of the Legislature, and from
my knowledge of the men and Of the
canvass there were at least six men who
were counted in-not fairly elected. l
then made canvass OF my own, send
ing men out over the State, and | went
TO Kansas City, Mo-, where l tried to
make a deal for Kansas City daily pa
per.
81 was told that w. J. Buchanan had
received SIS, 900 or $50, 600 from Kansas
City whisky men for a number OF years.
I struck Pete Kline, who told
me that the gamblers had been
compelled for the last two years
to contribute 500 a year TO the Re-
publican party OF Kansas. In the late
campaign l told shim that if he would
lend me IS, 900 I would buy the paper l
was after and l would get him protec-
ton from those demands. Kline liked
the idea. So did the whisky men.
Meanwhile my men came IN from over
the State, who told me they could get
eight or ten Republican members OF the
House TO vote with the POpuists on or
ganization. l wanted TO pay my men
and I went back TO Kansas City and
told Pete Kline l wanted $4,000. l said
to him that he would be reimbursed by
the Populist party. lie gave me CHECK
for SO, 900 and | paid my men.
Eight members of the House came
to me In Topeka. -Four were for Hoch
and four for Douglass. Douglass was
nominated and the fonr Hoch men said
they would not vote for Douglass. The
rival Houses were organized and no.
body knew how anybody voted. This
started the war. My Judgment is
that it cost the railroads $4,000
to get those four men to sign
for Douglass. Now, that is where my
SO, 900 went. Later on Judge Doster
told me that the three Democrats would
90 into the Populist House as soon as
three Republicans would make the
break. sent word TO Kline that
wanted 81, 500 and he brought it to me.
I had said to Kline before that l was
going to get bill through destroying
the policy business. i wish you
woulp,' he said. There are so many
IN the business that there is no longer
any money in it,
Legate explained that he paid the
81. 500 to some men to secure the three
Republicans to vote with the Popu-
lists.
The Democrats, however, would not
ioin the movement. Failing to get the
Republicans to break, he sought to get
the Populists to go into the Republican
House, but the railroads interfered'