The advocate., 1897-04-14
VOL. TX, NO. Is. $l.OO A YEAR.
EVIDENCE OF BRIBERY.
POpulists Investigate the Conduct of Officers
Elected BY Their Own Party.


1t is not often that political party
unhesitating.y investigates charges OF
corruption against its own members, but
that is what Populists are now doing.
The committee appointed by the Legis-
lature to investigate charges of bribery
and corruption began its work last
Thursday. The committee is composed
Of Senators Householder and Cooke and
Representatives Outcalt, Rsvenscraft and
Grimes, all Populsts except Grimes
who is a Republican. The following
officers we're elected: Chairman, 0. o,
Outcalt; Secretary, f. e. Grimes; Ser
geant- alarms, f. h. Forrest; Clerk, j. B.
French.
Representative Fairchild (Pop.) was
the first witness. He had received no
direct proposition for his influence and
vote. He had received an anonymous
letter, which in vigorous language called
on him to support the text book bill. He
did not know who had sent the letter,
but left the impression that he believed
that some prominent supporter of the
bill had written it. He had learned that
Speaker Street bad received similar
letter. He said that he had not sufficient
evidence as yet to fix the authorship of
the letter on anyone. He said that he
came before the committee as a voluntary
witness and would receive neither per
diem nor mileage. AS he was leaving
the stand Grimes asked if it was not a
fact that the Republicans had consented
to the passage Of all good bills, to which
he replied that in few cases they had
done so, but that they had not ceased to
object until they we're forced to.
Warden Lands testified that member
had approached him with a proposition
for the purchase of additional coal lands
at the Penitentiary. 1t was stated that
the profits would be divided if the
Warden would urge that the purchase
was necessary. He did not remember
how much was supposed to be in it, but
thought that the amount was $25 000
Lsndis hesitated about giving the nape
of the member who made the proposition,
but finally said that it was Senator L.
D. Lewelling.
Representative Metzler (Pop.) of Sheri.
dan testified next. He said that d. j.
Hanna (Rep,) OF Graham county had
offered him 800 to vote against the
Hackney amendment to the railroad bill
The offer was raised to $3.50 later. Hanna
is a brother OF Senator Hanna Pop }
Metzler voted for the Hackney amend.
ment. In reply to an inquiry as to other
negotiations, he said that Clark Pop
of Thomas had told him that Smith
D-P.) of Sherman had offered him 5000
to vote against the maximum freight bill.
Clark was then placed on the witness
stand. He testified that Smith had
called him to his committee room one
day, and that after asking how he stood
on the railroad bill, Smith had offered
him 500 when he would give his word
to vote against the maximum freight bill
and $3.50 and perhaps $500 after the
vote was recorded. He was also to be
furnished transportation on all the
roads. He had told Metzler about the
affair, and was later met by friend in
the postoffice who said that be under
stood that Smith had offered him money
and that he had told Of it. He declined
to give the friends name.
Friday morning Speaker Street testi-
fed. He had been invited out to supper
by friend one Sunday evening in Feb
ruRry. This friend asked him to go
with him and get acquainted with a
friend OF his. The last named party WAS
Harry Wilson, who, he understood, rep
presented the American Book Company.