The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-03-06
SELLER HAD A BILL.
Took 1t in the Closet, but Says 1t
Was N Printed Bill.

Was n Printed Bill.
The Senate committee appointed to investi-
gate the theft of the Roby bill convened at
7:30 o'clock last night in the apartment of
Lieutenant Governor Nye. All of the MEM
bers of the committee were present except
Senator Newly. Senator John w. Kern, at
the request of Chairman Cranor, conducted
the Investigations for the committee Sena-
tor Seller was present, and INDUCED in con-
siderable cross-examination. The substance
of much of the evidence taken last night was
published in the Journal yesterday morning.
A great many witnesses were examined, they
being mainly from the ranks of the enrolling
clerks and the secretary's assistants. Miss
Gladys Heagy told the committee what she
knew of the Roby BILL The document came
into her possession about 2:30 o'clock Mon
day afternoon. She got both the engrossed
and enrolled copies from Register Clerk
Dean and walked to the rear of the Senate
chamber. 1t was her duty to compare the
two bills, and she asked Mrs. Rice, another
Senate clerk, to hold copy for her. Both la
dies went into the postoffice and sat down
on one of the tables. Miss Heagy found
that the bill required the correction of the
word ARE" and, after making this correc-
tion, took the receipts to Senator Vail for
his signature. Then she returned the bills
to the Senate chamber. She offered them to
clerk Strohm, who was busy at the moment.
side of the desk, and saw no more of them.
Both Miss Heagy and Mrs. Rice said that
Senator Seller was in the postoffice several
times while they were comparing the bills.
At one time he stood within two feet or Mrs.
Rice, who held the enrolled copy. His con-
were laughing. When he stepped from the
postoffice into the Senate chamber Miss
What's that man doing out here so
long" and Mrs. Rice replied:
Il suppose he wants to escape "a vote OF
Senator Seller came back second time,
but only remained few moments. Miss
in her hands longer than fifteen minutes.
and that while she was the custodian or
one else. Mr.. Dean, the register clerk, said
the bills were receipted for by Miss Heagy,
who took them away. He was sure that the
receipted for. He said a great many peo-
pie were about the desk during the after
noon, and anyone who desired could have
found ample opportunity to take the bills
away.
r. B. Oglesbee, secretary of the Senate.
testified that the first he knew of the
theft was when he returned from Plymouth
a At to fbe SENATE cbamber and learned
that the Roby bill No: s0S had been seques,,
tered He walked , to his desk * and noticed f,si
3O3 was on top and it was wrapped in
peculiar jacket or cover; the secretary mo-
was strained. He opened tae jacket and
found bill No. AS inside instead of the
vate secretary to the Governor. was much
excited and appeared to be doing a great great
deal of loud taking tai Ia secretary Ogiess r
the rear of the chamber. The Senator asked
if the theft. of the bill would delay pro-
appeared much gratified.
Something of a sensation was awakened
when William G.. Beach, a young man of
this. city. was called to testify as to what
he knew of Senator Sellers actions Mon
6av Reach "A
bill in the hands of the Senator sometime
between 1:3O and 2:30 o'clock. Monday the
witness dined with Colonel Hardy. the Sec
ond district Congressman, and after din
ner walked with the Colonel to the State
house. He left the latter in the cloakroom
adjoining the House and stepped into the
water closet at the rear of the Senate cham
ss Mh ws there an III m Ss hs
AS he entered the door he opened the cover
on the BILL and the witness noticed a nicely
written page of manuscript. He did not
see what disposition was made of the docu-
ment. The witness thought nothing of
closet
Senator Seller made. no attempt to inn
admitted having gone into the water closet
with copy of bill in his hand; but said
printed copy of bill No 361, which he had
secured for one of his friends in Boone
Clerk Alwes in one of the rooms adjoining
the Senate chamber. Senator Seller made
the following statement.
Monday afternoon / learned that the Gov
ernor was very anxious about bill No. 30S.
and tiat he. did not think i was being
pushed rapidly enough. / went to the en-
rollment clerk to look for it, and learned
that it was locked in the drawer and could
not be secured until the return of Secretary
Oglesbee. While in the room ii occurred
to me that wanted to send printed copy
of Senate bill No 361 to one of my friends.
and / got a wrapper from Clerk Alwes.
walked back to the Senate chamber and
stepped into the toilet room Afterward /
put the bill on my desk, but later discov-
cred that ii was missing. / went to the en-
roflment room and got another bill and
wrapper. / then went to the room a third
time after wrapper. I had the printed
bill In the toilet room, but there was not
line of writing IT."
Senator Seller was asked IL he had been
approached by persons interested in the
Roby bill. and said that he had not.
John w. Agnes chief copyist of the House.
related the facts of the attempted bribery
the part of a man named Knots. HG
said he was approached by Knots last Fri
day. The latter told him that the disaT-
pearance of the Robv bill would be worth
$500. The witness did not know Knots
intimately. and could not say where he
rod Ia had af ha