Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1893-05-11
GRINDING AGAIN.
The Kansas Doodle Investigation Agaiu
Under Headway-SeveraI Witnesses Ex-

The Kansas Doodle Investigation Agaiu
Under Headway-SeveraI Witnesses Ex-
amined.
TOPEKA, Kan, May 6.-The senate
Doodle investigating committee arrived
here this morning and at once resumed
work, Representatives Lupfer, of Paw
nee county, and McKinnie, of Beloit.
being examined.
Mr.. Lupfer testified that he was ap-
preached by Representative Burgard.
of Wyandotte county, with a PROPOSE
ton to buy his vote for j. X. Hudson
for state printer. Burgard said there
was $500 in it, but Lupfer shut off nego
tiations by telling him that his vote
was not for sale.
Lupfer swore also that he was ap
preached in the ''Dunsmore house
with proposition to vote against the
coal screen bill. The agent on this oc-
casion was the inevitable Burgard, who
said he was looking for men who would
vote against the bill for 800 each. AL
though Burgard was working against
this bill, he said he would vote for it
and afterwards did vote for it. The
money was to come from the coal min.
ing companies.
The same witness said he was kept
posted by McA1eny from time to time
of the latter's negotiations and confer
ences with the republicans about sell
ing out on United States senator.
McKinnie testified that Burgard' s
offer to him to vote for republic
an for state printer was 81, ZOO. This
was after Joe Hudson had become
the republican caucus nominee. Bur-
gard seemed to be sounding the 1egis-
lature on the subject and said there
was $1,000 each in it if he could get
enough to make in addition to the re-
publican members thirty-eight votes.
McKinnie told him that he was not for
sale. Burgard told McKinnie that he
had also approached Representa- tives
Wilmington, Clark and other members
on the populist side.
Fred j. Close was the first witness
put on the stand at the afternoon ses-
sion. Before giving his testimony he
said that he and Attorney-General Lit
tie did not want any one to give evil
dence after they had testified, especial
ly John Moffitt. AS there was no prob
ability of slippery Mr.. Mofftt ever APP
pearing before the committee, Mr.. Close
proceeded to tell his story. He said
that one evening he received telephone
message from Mr.. Legate requesting
his presence for a few minutes at the
Palace hotel in North Topeka. On be-
ing assured that Mr.. Legate's business
was of pressing character and that it
would require but few minutes of his
time, he consented to meet him. He
went to North Topeka on street car
and to Mr.. Legates room in the Palace
hotel. Legate wanted to talk with
him about the way in which he had
been treated by the administration. He
thought he was entitled to some con-
sideration at the hands of the gov
ernor in return for services he had
rendered the party. While talk
ing with Legate, Pete Kline
and Nels Acers came in and he,
Close, was then introduced to Kline for
the first time. They went to a room
near where he and Legate were talk
ing, and urgently invited him to join
them. This he finally consented to do.
At that meeting, which was very short,
no conversation was had regarding the
Kansas City police commissioners. He
never saw Acers or Kline, or any one
else, pay Legate any money for any
purpose, and did not know that Legate
had received any money until after the
fact had been published.
John Motif, at a meeting with Close
prior to this time, told him that if the
populists would assist in electing J. K.
Hudson state printer that the Capital
would be turned over to any one the
populists might select and the paper
could be converted into a populist or
gan. Close informed Motif that he had
nothing to say on that subject. Mr..
Close in conclusion referred to a state
ment by Pat Coney that he had endeav-
ored to obtain votes for himself for
United States senator by means of mon
ey for votes or other consideration. He
| said that Coney and Moffitt on the day
that John Martin was elected came tC
him in the governors office and told
him that the republicans would prefer
to have him elected United States sena
! tor than a democrat, because he was q
| former republican and an old soldier
| They wanted him to get enough popu
| lists to vote for him to prevent Martin
! election. Close believed this to be {
! scheme to prevent Martins election
and he went at once to Representative
| hall and worked for Martins election
Before leaving the stand Close made {
sweeping denial of every report which
| connected him with boodling.
| Acknowledgement Little made {
straight denial of all knowledge of the
| payment of money for legislative pur
poses or of any of Mr.. Legate's fnancia
| transactions. He had not been il
! North Topeka for ten years except te
| pass through the town on train. He
| met Legate in Kansas City at the Bios
som house, when Legate urged Him tt
| recommend his daughter to the gov
ernor for position as typewriter. LIE
| gate thought he was entitled to some
! thing for his services to the people!
| party. Legate never spoke to him
| about the appointment of police com
,, ;nissieners for Kansas City, Kan.