The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1897-04-16
FRIDAY, APRIL 10, 1897.
C till Investigating.

is propounded that they don't care TO
answer, they simply say they nave
forgotten. The committee can
send them to jail for contempt because
they fail to recall certain incidents or
the names of certain bribers. The
scheme was sprung Wednesday morn
ing by Representative Keefer,populis
of Leavenworth county, while on the
stand. At first he questioned the
authority of the committee to compel
him to testify, and refused to give the
name of a lobbyist who offered him
$4,000 to vote against maximum
freight rate bill in the house commit
tee on railroads, of which he was
member. The assistant attorney-gen-
eral read him the law, Then the wit
ness asked if there was any law to pun
ish witness who had poor memory.
The attorney general said there was
not.
CITIZEN can't remember the name
of the man who made the Offer" SAID
the witness.
This was puzzler to the committee.
The members kept Keifer on the stand
for over two hours and tried every way
possible to get him to tell who 1t was
but failed. 81 don't recollect," was
all they conld get out of him on that
point.
Keefer's testimony was indefinite
He charged everybody in general with
being corrupt, but would not specify
any particular person. He scored the
LOBBYISTS and claimed that Populist
votes were purchased by wholesale du-
ring the session.
Ed Weilep, Of Cherokee, who was
fusion chairman in the caucus ana
who made the statement on the moor
of the house that there was more
boodling floating about the house than
at anv time since the PomerOy Incl
dent, was on the stand Tuesday. Be-
fore he had left the stand he had con-
tributed an interesting portion to the
gossip of the day and helped tangle
some of the other party workers deeply
in the meshes. He lived at the Throop
hotel, he said, and simply saw what
was poing on on. One Sunday when
he met a,member who did not live at
the hotel coming down the stairs, he
asked him where he had been and was
told the visitor was simply calling on
a friend. Shortly after that, another
member came down stairs. There ap-
reared to be something up, and he
asked him what.was going on and was
told that the visitor had been in
yited a. to support the Hackney
amendment and informed him
that if he would do so there was some
cash in it for him. This man, he said,
was Davis, of Wilson county, who SAID
that Frank Strickland of Wyandotte,
had come after him. Strickland issec
rotary of the State Democratic cent
raj committee, and.was at the capital
during" the session. Strickland was
said to be handled by. Waggener, who
had suite rof rooms on the second
floor of the hotel. Davis told Wellep
he had declined the offer of m )ney for
supporting the Hackney amendment.
The first man who had been calling on
friends at the ThrOop was Dalton OF
Stevens county. 0Theyswere the only
members with whom he had talked
but he said there were many members
continually passing up and down
stairs and ythere was great deal OF
gossip about the hotel during theses
sion about their actions, and much
speculation as to what was going on
and what the urgent business upstairs
was.
Weilep said he told representative
Clark about his (Clarks) Missouri Pa
eific pass that had been loaned ant
taken up Clark said he had already
been told of the fact by Gilbert, wh(
was using the pass: This is out of lint
with what Clark swore to, as h'
claimed his first information on thai
score came from Weliep. Weilep sale
he Judged the railroads were behinC
the fight to prevent. the revision o
the calender. sHetformed that opinion
because Bale Waggener showed 81
much interest in the discussion owe
Weilep's ruling that such a change
could be made by majority and dix
no. require a two thirds.vote, as wa
claimed, After the discussion wa
somewhat over, Waggener came to hin
and said that hiss position on the ru
ing was supported by Judge Horton
and Senator ingalls, who claimed tina
Weilep was entirely correct.
Weilep then said that the opposi
tion that was offered to the Brown
railroad bill came from the Republi
can side of the house. This brough