The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-04-11
WORST ON RECORD
SAMPLE 0F TIE HORRIBLE Dis
CLOSURES AT TOPEKA.

As<
formers Themselves - Doodle at tn.
Legislature Was a. Thick n the Star,
on a Dark Nisht-Some of the Mos
Astounding Ever Given-The Question.
and AnssserA
Topeka. Kan. April 1o.-The startling
disclosures brought out by cross-ques.
tioning at the investigating committee
here yesterday are herewith given ir
more extended form:
The committee convened in the morn.
Ing at O'Clock. Speaker ". D. Street o,
the house was the first witness. Assist.
ant Attorney General Smelling said:
Mr.. Street, please state to the com.
mittee what you know about any case:
OF bribery. or attempted bribery. or 9th.
or misconduct OF any member OF tht
legislature OF 1897, or on the part OF lob.
byists with relation 10 members
Mr.. Street: Il don't know OF any un.
due influences in regard 20 voting. Ny
knowledge Is or different line / was
offered a sum Of money. as speaker OF
the house, to make certain ruling
Mr.. Street took a note book from hi:
pocket and studied /, for a minute Their
he said, with great elaboration:
ION Sunday evening. February IA, as
1 now remember, / was at the Duttor
hotel. A friend called me up by tele.
Nh Nd -aI
restaurant. 1 met him at the place des-
ignated and took supper with him.
When We had finished. my friend
said he wanted me TO meet friend OF
his a. room 16. Veale block. / had no
objection, SO we put on our coats and
hats and started out.
AT room IS, Veale block, my friend
introduced me TO one Harry Wilson
who. / was informed. was an agent OF
the American Book company. After the
usual conversation which follows an In
PRODUCTION, my friend went out, leaving
Mr.. WILSON, and me alone in the room.
"Mr. Wilson asked me II the house
had a rule requiring a two-thirds ma
jority to advance a measure on the cal
endar. I replied that it had. He said
that IL 1 would apply the rule to the
school book bill he would pay me 81 ,0os
in cash. and if the bill should be defeat
ed he would make the amount $500.
'He excused himself for a minute and
went into an adjoining room. When he
returned he had a bill in his hand
was sitting cross-legged, with my hat on
I'll
hat. noticed that it was s100.
II told Mr.. Wilson that could not &C
cept his offer at that time. but would
consider the matter and let him know.
We talked some more about the school
book bill, and 1 came away.
II did not see Mr. Wilson again. How
ever, ne wrote to me two or three times,
asking what had decided 10 do regard
ing the matter discussed in his room. /
answered the last note. My answer was
that could not be of any service TO him.
The notes are not in my possession. !
think 1 destroyed them.
81 inferred from what Wilson said tina,
he was in control of about a third OF the
members OF the house. and by the appli-
book bill would be shut out, or left SO far
down on the calendar that it would not
be reached.
lust before the passage Of the school
book bill four members OF the house,
think they were Dingus. Brown of Pratt.
Marks and Ravenscraft. all friends Of
the measure-held a conference with me
N my 81
preached in one way and another. We
all were somewhat fearful of the result.
and It was decided that If the bill should
be defeated / would tell about my ex-
perience in Wilson's room in explaining
my vote. II was .seved this would
cause enough members 10 change their
votes to save the bill
When the roll was called I kept a
close count, and when my name was
reached. the last on the list. / saw that
the bill already had sixty-four affirma
tive votes, one more than a majority.
and my vote made majority OF two. 1t
was not necessary, therefore. for me to
explain my vote
Senator Householder asked the witness
70 give the names Of the persons he had
appointed on the various conference CON-
mittees for the school book bin.
Mr.. Street: 81 am unable 70 give the
names now. I generally appointed mern>
bers Of these committees after consuIta>
ton with Mr.. Davis, chairman OF the
house committee on education
Chairman Outca1t: Did any one ever
ask you to appoint certain persons on
these committee?''
"A man once asked me 10 appoint Mr..
McKeever on conference committee.
The man, however, was friend Of The
bill Several members intimsted that
,hey would ike 20 be appointed"
Senator Householder: do you know
anything about the report that some one
authority or knowledge OF the
legislature changed the sum appropriat-
d as contingent fund for the railroad
board from 81. 600 10 s3.Oc0?"
II do not. II runs in my mind that
he item was 5000 when the bill was
acted upon IN the house"
Mr.. Street stated he did not believe the
bills in which errors had been found
NS4r 'ahp-.c1 Hltn- U tadN lne eITpfe
-ssUlted from carelessness on the part OF
Employees. He praised the employees. and
the opinion that Il there were
rrcEs in the bills the members alone
Regaring the STRIKER incidza,
'roUght our yesterday by Representative
7airchiid. Mr. Street said that Mr. Fair
hilds testimony was substantially cor
ecl.
The witness did no. give TIE name 90
he friend VINO took him 20 Wilson's
DOM. The assistant attorney general
"a nor ask for The name. nor di5 the
ommittee request e. Street refused 20
i've the name 70 the reporters
Senator 4. J. Titus o. Hz-per county