Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-04-26
SENATOR KELLY Is AROUSED BY
MRS. LEASES ATTACK.
HE HITS FROM THE SHOULDER.
BRINGS UP THE OLD WORLDS FAIR
TRIP STORY.
The Ex-senator Tells of His Experi-
cnce With Her as n Member of
the State Board of Charities
and Says She Is "Out
for the Stuff"

Topeka, Kas., April 25.-(Special) The
recent interview of Mrs. Mary E. Lease
concerning legislative degeneracy, in which
she attacked indirectly ex-senator H. b.
Kelly, formerly of Mcpherson but now of
Lawrence has brought out an interview
from that citizen which makes it necessary
for her Ito rise and explain" Mrs. Lease
has peeled good many men in Kansas,
out it seems that she has tackled the
wrong one at last. Kelly is somewhat of a
"peeler' himself, and in this instance,
where the scrap was started by the ''other
Fellow" he has no hesitancy in telling a
few tales out of school, no matter if they
do reflect on his former female seatmate
on the state board of charities.
Il see that woman by the name of
Mary Elizabeth Lease. who was fired off
the state board of charities about three
years ago. and who has since been devoting
her time to lecturing in the interests of
the downtrodden at SO much per lecture,
leaving her husband at home to wash the
dishes and make the beds, took occasion
in an interview few days ago to refer
in an indirect way to me as a corrupt lob
byist," said Kelly to-day. While she did
an interview in such way that it struck
nobody but me. She referred to an eX-
senator and eX-Republican who had loafed
around the legislature for the past two
sessions, and guess l am, in fact know
am, the individual she was striking at.
Ordinarily the statements of this wom-
an are not worth replying to, but mas
much as she has laid down the bars and
cast some rather serious reflections on my
character, ! deem it advisable to show
the animus of the thing.
Mrs. Lease was member of the state
board of charities at the same time was,
and lovely member she was, too. How
ever, did my best to get along with her
peaceably. Whenever she came to the
eastern part of the state she invariably
{ ~ in MV
wife made special effort to entertain her
and give her something good to eat. At
dictatorial in her manner, but overlooked
that. did not care to get crosswise with
her. Finally, she was fired.
Our nrSt break occurred during the
Householder investigation. Mrs. Lease had
it in for him and she came up to testify.
met her on the street and asked her what
she was going to tell She said among other
things she intended to state that the board
had Illegally drawn money from the state
to attend the worlds fair. Now the Facts
are the members did draw $50 apiece to go
to Chicago at that time to attend the in
ternational convention of charities and cor
rections. l said: Mrs. Lease, what good
will it do you to relate that story; it will
reflect as much on you as on Householder;
you cannot tell anything except possibly
that Householder was a chin ticker, but
what would reflect seriously on the 9TH
er members of the board as on Household
er
.' I did not get any money for the Chi
cago trip said she, and l propose to give
the whole snap away.
Now. just imagine my surprise at such
statement, when L gave her $50 myself
and DR.. Eastman handed her the other $50
told her she had better let that job out.
But she didn't. She went on the stand
and told the story but said she got no part
of the money. l followed her and testified
that she did get the money, that 1 gave
$50 of it to her. Then Eastman followed
with the statement that he gave her $50
too. After making her out a perjurer she
fell out with me and came Out with a sally
that my wife had been boarding at the
Topeka insane asylum during my term of
office. Well, now that was too much for
me. did not care particularly about what
she said of me, but when she made the
false assertion about my wife who had
stayed at home and cooked time after time
for her, l wanted to skin her alive But
was prevailed upon not to do so.
There the matter dropped until a couple
of weeks ago When she was up here she
came into the governors office where l was
and 1 deliberately turned my back on her.
She noticed the cut and as soon as she
got home she prepared an interview on cor
rupt legislatures for the sole purpose of
weaving my name into it and giving me
dig.
IN, No I want to say right here that Mary
Ellen has the same failing as other poll
sentence expresses the thing exactly | am
actually surprised at her boldness in de-
nouncing me, knowing as she does that 7
know SO many things on her.
1nasmuch as she referred to me as a
corrupt lobbyist, l want to relate lust one
little story. which goes to show what kind
OF a bird she is. 1t was in the campaign of
w. She and Weaver We're making their
southern egg tour. One day the managers
of the Republican state campaign held a
consultation and one said, Boys. it's about
time TO get Mrs. Lease. The campaign has
progressed far enough where a few
speeches by her will help us The Others
assented; and they commissioned me to go
to Wichita and see her, husband about it.
J. went down and talked with him. While
there | wired her at Lynchburg, Va, and
a short time after she returned. She was
to get $1,000 for making some speeches in
Kansas against her own party. She made,
believe, three speeches, and the Republic
an managers then called her off. She did
not have the influence they thought she
had.
Shortly after she came to me and be-
gan to abuse the Republican managers like
pickpocketS. She said they had agreed to
give her $1,000 but had only put up $3.50. I
told her | thought she was pretty we'll
paid at that She wanted the balance
however, but they would not pay it to her
and l understand that it was never paid
She could not force its payment without
giving herself away to her own party, and
for that reason the thing never became
| public.
Il simply give this one instance to show
that Mary Z. Lease is no spring chicken
herself when it comes to making money
out OF politics. She has an inordinate de-
sire for the mighty dollar and she don t
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