The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1896-09-19
GOV. arGRAw AND MIR. BuRLEIGH
The Political Breach Between Them
Is Said to he Widening.


Men who ought to be in a position to
know, says the Seattle Times, are saying
that the relations between Governor Nc
Graw and Andrew F. Burleigh are be-
coming more and more strained and many
predict that within a very short time it
will be a battle royal between them to
settle the question of who shall be the
ruler of the republican machine in the
state Of Washington A story is being
told among the politicians which tends to
show that quite recently Governor Nc
Graw and Mr.. Burlegh have become in
volved in another tangle which threatens
to place the two republicans farther
apart than ever. Here is the story as the
politicians tell it.:
After the frightful penitentiary scan
dal which resulted in Warden Coblentz
blowing out his brains and later the dis
ccVery that he had embezzled thousands
belonging to the state, Governor McGraw
named Tom Mosgrove warden The latter
is said to be more or less of a political
power in Walla Walla and vicinity, and
McGraw appointed him because he knew
that Mosgrove could help him in his po-
htical work. Mosgrove has since that
time been very close to McGraw
great many of McGraw's friends have
been of the opinion that Mr.. Burleigh was
willing to take McGraw's place as boss
of the state machine and, If possible win
the United States senatorship should the
republicans by chance control the next
state legislature. McGraw, however, in
sisted that Burleigh was all right and
said that the talk against him was made
by men who were jealous of the way in
which the eX-receiver of the Northern Pa
cifc had won such a name for himself in
the northwest, due largely to his friend,
Judge c. H. Hanford
But when Mr.. Burleigh, against the ex-
pressed wishes of A. Il. Stewart George
Kittenger, Columbus Tyler and other OF
McGraw's personal friends, accepted the
Craftsmanship of the recent county con
vcntion Governor McGraw saw things in a
different light. He did not accept Mr.
Burleighs explanation that "he had to do
it IN the interests of harmony" The gov
ernor was of the opinion that there would
have been more harmony had Mr.. Bur-
leigh kept off the platform. But the gov
ernor is not in a position where he can
precipitate a fight. He knows it and so
does every other politician in the state.
But since that time the governor and Mr..
Burleigh have not been quite so close. The
matter has been extensively discussed by
the governors friends and many Of them
are saying: What did I tell you?"
But the governor has cried for peace.
To come back to Tom Mosgrove. The
the story is told Mosgrove, who was in
attendance, came to this city. He met
some of the boys and in the course of the
day talked with them. At one stage in
the conversation, Mosgrove, it is said,
! looked up at the clock and made a re-
mark to this effect:
1T won't be but a few hours before
! Burleigh, the black traitor, will cease to
be receiver of the Northern Pacific!'
He followed the remark up, Il is said,
with another to the effect that Burleigh
had gone back on Governor McGraw.
The matter reached Burleigh. He ran
! II down and learned that Mosgrove had
made the remark and that it was in the
presence Of some of the best known poll
! ticians in the city. Then Il is said Bur
| leigh went to the governor and asked him
| if he (the governor) had accused him OF
| filling the role of a betrayer. The gov
ernor is said to have replied that he had
not. Then Mosgrove was sent for. There
was a meeting in some office and Mos
| grove, it is said. tried to get out of it by
| saying that he had simply repeated whai
some one else had told him. But those
who were present when Mosgrove made
the statement were called in and they
said that MOsgroVe had made the remark
! The meeting wound up IN a wordy figh
and 1t is now said that the Burleigh PEG
pie have demanded that Mosgrove be dis
charged as warden of the state peniten
tiary. If Governor McGraw Obeys Bur
leigh he will make many enemies at Wal
la Walla, and if he refuses then 1t Il
thought Bureigh will use It to widen thu
breach, and the two men will go afte
each others political scalp.