The Red Cloud chief., 1897-04-16
KANSAS DOODLE STORIES.
Lewering and other Mon Bcsmirched-


TOPEKA, Kan. April l0.-The com
mittee appointed by the late Legisla-
ture to investigate the charges OF brio-
cry and other misconduct against GER
tain members of the Senate ar House
and certain lobbyists yesterday caused
three big sensations and a little one.
Reputable witnesses accused Repre-
sentative Frank II. Smith of Sherman
county and ox-Representative Dave
Hanna of Ora A.m county Of attempted
bribery, and Senator L. d. Lewelling
o. proposing a scheme for the state 70
ouy some additional coal lands ut
Lansing which had 1925, 900 in It,"
Ihese were the big sensations. The
little one was an i~nsinuaticn that
state superintendent William Stryker
knew something" about the anony-
nous letter campaign against the
book trust carried on when the book
bill was pending.
Representative Wesley NJ. Metzler OF
Sheridan county testified under oath
that Hanna offered him $i0O and after
ward $50 to vote against the Hack
ney amendment to the Senate railroad
bill In the House.
Representative Joseph w. Clark OF
Thomas county testified hat Repre-
sentative Smith offered him $3.50 to
vote against the Brown maximum
freight rate bill in the House. .
Warden Harry Lands of the peni-
Tertiary told the story on Lewelling
and Representative Glen Fairchild
made the i%nsinuation about Stryker
and the anonymous letters.
The committee was making great
progress and likely would have in
creased the list Of sensations, but II
suddenly struck a stump. Represen-
tative Clark, who had '~'peached" on
Smith, refused to give the name Of q
personal friend who also had ap-
preached him OH the subject of rail.
road legislation. The committee in
sisted, but Clark was firm and did not
answer the question asked.
Gentlemen" he said, ut is no use
for you to waste time trying to coax.
l shall not answer the question"
Finally the committee announced an
adjournment till this morning at Q
o'clock. Meanwhile the committee
will consult the attorney general in re-
gard to its power to punish for con.
tempt.
Money offered to Speaker Street
When the committee met this morn.
ing Attorney General Boyle stated
that he had not yet decided as to
whether the committee had power TO
compel Clark to testify, but that the
investigation should go on and he
would give n decision later.
Speaker Street was put on the stand.
The important part of his testimony
was that he was invited to eat oysters
with some friends and afterwards was
invited to go to roo i6 in the Veale
block, where Harry Wilson, agent of
the American Book company, offered
him $1,000 II he would apply the two
thirds rule on the vote on the text
book bill. Having made this PROPOSE.
ton, Wilson went into an adjoining
room and returned with Q 500 bill.
which he laid on his (Street's) lap, and
renewed the Offer. Street declined
the proposition, refused to accept the
500 and left. Afterward Wilson sent
him n number of notes. He made nc
reply until he finally wrote on the
bottom of one of the notes that he
could be OF no service to Mr.. Wilson.
Senator Titus swore that Senator
Lewelling took him in q room In the
National hotel and said that there wa
something in it for both of them" II
they could get a substitute adopted
for the original text book bill.
Representative Dingus Of Linn couA
ty swore that Representative Doyle OF
Republic county had offered him S25c
II he would cease his fight for the text
book bill and that the money would be
placed on his desk the following morn.
ing. Afterward Doyle said that since
the stories OF bribery In the Senate.
the men who were handling money
were afraid to use it freely. Dingus
said he gave Doyle no encouragement.
They sat together during the session.
DR.. Frank H. Smith, representative
from Sherman county, appeared and
demanded to be sworn that he might
testify in reply to the statements made
by Representative Clark. He said the
statements by Clark were utterly
false. The only conversation he had
had with Clark touching railroad mat.
ters was about Clark's Missouri Pacific
railroad pass. Clark had lent his pass
to q friend and the conductor had
taken 1t up. He wanted him (Smith)
to use his influence in getting il re.
issued. At the same time Clark said to
him that he was in need OF 5000 and
asked him when he could get it.
This statement was made in reply to
a question made by Mr.. Grimes, who
asked why Clark had fixed on $500 in
his testimony.
ibid he get the money!"
II don't know. / have heard that
he did. A member of the legislature
gets So a day and pays his OWE board.
You can figure 1T out yourself and sec
where he got 1t. During the session
l.