St. Paul daily globe., 1893-08-29
SELLING FAIR AWARDS.
COMMISSIONER TRAcRER cHARcEs A
JUDGE WITH sLAcRMAU.
SOME DAMAGING EVIDENCE.

CHICAGO, Aug. 2S.-The knowledge
tnat another award had been offered to
an exhibitor ut the exposition for stip-
piated sum was made known this after
noon IN the national commission by
aohn Boyd Thacner. chairman OF the
executive committee on awards. MIR.
phaeter appeared in the commission
ABOUT O'clock and stated that he had
come over with the intention or request
ing an executive session of the commit
Zee, but as he entered the hall he had
changed his mind, and determined to
let the public help him in the matter he
was about to bring before the commits
sion. He then stated that he had heard
Fulnors OF irregularities in the work OF
judges IN some departments for some
time, but they had been so indefinite
tnat he could not trace them 10 any
source. He had. however. managed to
trace and report upon the last case
Whieh reached him on Saturday night.
lie then sent package up To the clerks
! desk for the Information OF the cominis-
sion. 1t contained first a letter from
Mr. Ihacher to the president of the
comm ission, which is as follows:
hereby report that the executive
committee on awards has this day dis
charged ii. f. Higbee. Judge in the
department OF manufactures. for con-
duet unworthy an honorable man. The
ACCOMMODATING affidaYits explain the
method of procedure adopted by him.
which Is of such a nature as to Justify
this committee in the action it has
taken. The committee respectfully re-
quests advice and instruction as 10 fur
tiIer dealings with this case.
JOHN BOYD THACHER. Chairman
The Affidavit
reeites that about Aug. II. a man
called at the exhibit of the Cary Safe
company. limited, of Chicago. and. after
stating that he was judge, one of the
jurors OF awards. asked Mr.. Cary what
the first prize would he worth to his
company. II told him it would be worth
good deal, there was no question as to
that," IS the answer given according to
the sworn statement. The affidavit con-
tlnueS. He said i want TO say some
thing, and want it regarded as conf
dental. Ii 1t is worth anything to YOU
10 have the first prize, let me tell YOU
something. We have picked out three
or four big firms here to which we are
willing to give the first prize in their
classes. We can tiX it with the Jury or
enough or them to make il ali right,
and little money will handle thein.'
At this L became convinced that the
whispers going around as 10 awards be-
ing offered for sale to the highest bidder
had some fOundatiOn," continued MIR.
Gafy's statement, land having to leave
the city with sick brother, for Buffalo.
i determined to use this fact to secure a
delay. ana. II possible, to find out the
whole scheme. So said to him | was
soniy one of the company, ana could not
d0 anything alone, but would think over
The matter and submit his proposition to
tile company. He then wanted to know
what would be willing to give, and |
asked him what he expected to get, and
he replied 81, l00.' l responded at once
tlal our folks would not give it. no use
talking on any such basis. Next. he
wanted TO know If we would not give
-, 100, what we would give. | did not
wish TO compromise myself at all. and
replied that L did not know. ana could
not promise him anything. He then
! said: 'Pll tell you what l will do. [
will pat il through fol- $500. l have
got 10 nave something for the other fell
lows, and that will not be a big amount
| to go around told him 1 wanted ten
days
To Think 1t Over.
would 90 to Buffalo, where our home
Ofhce is. and see him when returned to
Chicago. A day or so after | returned
he CAME again, and then told him fiat
looted and TO the point that our COM
pany would not give him cent. Mean
time the Judge, as he stated he was.
had given his name as +. ID. Higbee ana
| address 4346 Oakenwald savenue. ChIca-
go. MIR. Hlguee, after l told him that
we would give nothing to him or his
companions TOR the award, said he
would do all he could for the COMPANY
to get the award for II. and if the award
was secured he supposed we would do
something for him. 70 this | made no
response and he left.''
Ihe other affidavit was a statement of
MF. Cary'S aSslStantand simply indOrsed
The statements made by thai gentleman.
Ihe reading of the affidaVits created
a sensation and at once precipilated
discussion which lasted for over ali
hour. 1t was stated by several commits
slonerS that only one side of the case
had been heard and it woUld be unfair
TO condemn man before he had been
heard IN his own defense.
commissioner Ryan,of North Dakota.
stated that several exhibitors who were
not IN lt' at this fair had determined to
secure medal in some manner and
they would peTsecute q Judge in anv
way possible when they learned that
they had not commended their exhibits.
Mr.. Thaeher
was finally induced by the commissions
ers, aided by the venerable Isabella
Beeeher Hooker, VINO sat near the New
Yorker. to modify his report TO the
commission and he did so by amending
ff1ad "A. 4
ing investigation"
The matter was then referred to the
committee on awards for investigation.
MI Higbee was formerly in the en-
ploy OF furniture house in Chicago.
ana was designer of payiiioIs for use
at the TaIr. Upon the presentation of
letters from the firm he was recon-
meuded to the awards committee bv
Secretary Dickinson, of the commits
sion.
Ihe attempted award-selling matter
which came to light SATURDAY. was the
lrSt business of the commission today.
commissioner Mercer. of Wyoming,
who is alleged to have been connected
with the affair. arose to a point of per-
sonai privilege when the clerk had
finished calling the roll and denied the
charges in toto. He said lie had
never met the woman in the case
until q few minutes before she wa
arrested; he had never been in the
Russian exhibit IN Agricultural build
ing; he knew very few of the exhibitors
IN that building. He demanded the ap-
pOntinent of full commission to make
full investigation of the matter. AS
Mr.. Mercer finished speaking Commis-
SiOHer Beeson. OF Oklahoma. who
youched. ii is said, to the exhibitor for
Mrs. Harmon. the WOMAN who offered
10 secure the award upon payment of
$1,000, came in. He was accorded the