St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-03-19
BRIBERY IN KANSAS.
Huge Sensation Developed Be-
fore the Senate InveSti-
eating Committee.
Five Thousand Dollars offered
q Populist to Vote for a
Democrat.
The Bride rendered by a
Noted Republican Poll
tieian.
Ten Thousand Offered for a
Vote for Republican
State Printer.

TOPEKA, Kan. March 1S.-The bri-
berry Investigation now in progress here
before a committee of the state senate,
Intended originally to cover charges of
corruption made by the Capitol in con-
nectiOn with gamblers, developed a
huge sensation this morning, and no one
Fan now say where it will end. The
testimony had no connection with the
original charges, but was incidentally
brought out. Representative McEleny
'PopulisN, of Kansas City, Kan. swore
that lie and Nh Burgard POpuliSO
representative from the same city, were
both subject TO corrupt offers made by
Cyrus Leland, the noted Kansas Repub-
lican, if they would vote as he sug-
gested. He testified that LELAND offered
him 5000 to vote for W. IL. BOSsingtOn,
Democrat. for United States senator,
and that Burgard told him that Leland
mad offered him $4,000 to vote for Re-
publican candidate for state printer,
and that Burgard had also told him
about a proposition made to him Bur
gard by Leland to vote for state printer.
Mr.. McFleny said:
Offered a Bribe.
~ had an offer Of money from Gyms
Leland Saturday morning. FEB. p. to
sell my vote for United States senator.
Nj Lillis, of Kansas City, Kan, came
10 me and arranged for a meeting with
Leland upon that day We met in Sem
atOr WillamSOn'S room in the Keith
block. He said that the Republicans
were going to elect United States SEN
atOr; that they had 50 votes; that mine
would be sufficient to elect, but that in
addition they had two others who
were pledged. / asked him what
he wanted me to do. and
for what. He said he understood it
would be money, and he named $1,000.
[ told him | knew what my vote
amounted to; that | had been APP
preached before on the subject. and
that, as | had voted for no candidate
when Judge Martin was elected seDa-
tor, my vote was worth more for that
reason. The amount finally agreed on
was 5000, This figure was not eX-
actlY stipulated, but 1 understood that
if we could agree on a stakeholder
that would be the amount The man he
wanted me TO vote for was w. ii. BOS-
singtOn. a Democrat.
Disagreed on a Stakeholder.
Having agreed on an amount, the
next question was tine stakeholder.
told him would act as stakeholder,
and that was the first serious hitch that
came in. He wanted me to accept some
of the politicians or senators or one of
the banks. He said he could not think
of giving me the cash because it would
place him at my mercy. He wanted me
TO 90 with him to one Of two banks
which he did not name. L Sug
geSted certified check. but he
objected. When we talked about the
price told him that large sum had
been offered when Ady was the Repub-
lican candidate; $4,000 had been offered
for a single vote. He denied this at
first. but knew better, and told him
the trouble then, as now, was about the
stakeholder. told him the money was
offered to Mr.. Burgard, of Wyandotte
county, in cloak room three minutes
before Judge Martin was elected Sena-
tor, aid that the deal broke off at the
last moment because they could not
agree on a stakeholder. Burgard insist
ed on a stakeholder Leland would not
trust. Leland then
Admitted the Offer
and said Burgard should have kept his
fool mouth shut. Then when | insisted
that my vote was worth half as much as
Burgard's, he said the offer to Burgard
was for state printer. AT 10 o'clock
Leland went away. That is the last
time l saw him.
Leland said that the Republicans
hod onranh Rnecinotnt, haoanch al
the Republicans would not vote for b.
p. Waggener. Leland did not want to dis
cuss the Burgard deal, but he practically
admitted that he had made an offer to
him. We did not exactly agree OH So
600. but he Said perhaps If we could
agree on stakeholder we could agree on
the amount. He said repeatedly that he
did not want to be placed at my mercy,
and | did not propose to have it any
other way. In the Burgard deal Leland
had agreed Oh Barney White, OF Argen-
tine, as the stakeholder, but Leland
backed out because he was afraid that
the relations between him and Burgard
were such that he could not trust him."
McFleny further testified that On the
Tuesday evening before the Leland
interview Frank Strickland, of Kansas
City, Kan. approached him and told
nm NllOL Il lO hOuiu hOlC 1Ol L D.
Waggener for senator he could control
the federal patronage of WyaudOtte
county. If he was not wanting office,
may be something else could be OBJ
tanned for him, and promised to see
him later. Witness saw Strickland
later at the Throop hotel, and told him
that he
Could Get What He Wanted.
beers out Of the city, and an election
would not be attempted until their re-
turn. HE showed me how futile it was
TO stay in the DunSmOre house. He
said toe supreme Judges had already
held a meeting among themselves and
decided upon what the decision would
be. and that the DunSmOre house would
lose the hight.
Owing to the absence of the three
Republicans, Strickland went to Kansas
City, saying he would be back Friday,
but he changed his mind and left the
country to keep out of jail. Twas ap-
preached the afternoon after Martins
election, but l did not let it 90 very
far. IL was Burgard himself who
told me that Leland offered him
$4,000. Leland'S proposition then was
for Burgard to vote for Ady. A. A.
Harris name was, however, mixed UP
in the proposition in some way. Bur
gard said he caught sight of the money
in Leland'S hands. No one was pres
ent " hen Burgard told me this, but he
told me story about proposition made
10 him TO vote for state printer when
others were present..
This closed the work of the commit
tee for the day and an adjournment was
taken until Tuesday at II 4. m, when
il is expected Jim Legats and other