The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-04-14

Q.-Mr. Turner told you money could
be secured by voting against the bill?
Q.-What committee did you refer to
in beginning your testimony?
A-The committee on telegraphs and
telephones.
The witness created a sensation by
saying:
I want to know whether or not it is
right for me to testify before this COM
mittee when feel that a member of the
committee used undue influence against
legislation?''
The four members of the committee
calf said:
Mr. Keefer. tell all you know"
Mr. Grimes was a member of the
committee to which he refers and I
want him to tell all ne knows.
keefer then explained that one even
ing when the committee was in ses-
sion discussing a telegraph and tele-
phone bill Mr.. Grimes called Brown of
Pratt out of the room I'm five min
utes, said Mr.. Keefer, "Rrown re-
turned and declined to join me in a
minority report. Brown told me that
nothing could be done when the mem
bers had gone back on the chairman.
Shortly after that Grimes called Arm
strong of Wyandotte into the cloak
80 AlIiStIOHS lell town tHdt LlSHt
and carried my bill in his pocket; at
least it could not be found.
Then a resolution, which was
a joke from the newspaper men,
mlttee to explain what had become of
the telegraph and telephone bills. When
Armstrong came back and found that
the house had acted, he left town again.
1 don't know whether Grimes had seen
him in the meantime. Then the house
ordered the ergeant-at-arnls to print
the bill and put it on the calendar.
Then Armstrong got up when the bill
was reached and opposed it.
4 know there was undue influence
used, because Davis of Wilson (Pop),
Williams of Mcpherson and Wallace
(Pop) received telephone and teIe-
graph franks. It is generally supposed
that Grimes and Bennett, the Repub-
hcans, had the franks
The witness said he had gone into
his committee room one day and found
Dave Mulvane and E. J. Dallas
wrestling with Davis of Wilson and
Wallace, presumably to secure their in
huence against the bill.
Mr.. Smelling passed to the subject of
stock yards legislation, but the witness
could not remember the members of
the house who had told him that Re
publicans were willing to trade their
votes for the initiative and referendum
to secure the defeat of the stock yards
and anti-oleomargarine bills.
Q.-What was the deal?
A.-The Republicans were to deliver
ten votes.
Q.-Who made the proposition?
A.-NIr. Cubbison.
Q.-What else did he say?
A.-NOthing that I remember. I will
say that, in justice to Mr. Cubbison,
I was in favor of the trade.
Q.-What other conversation did you
have?
Al remember that the deal finally
narrowed down to a trade on the stock
yards bill alone
Q.-Who else talked to you about it?
A.-AGr. LObdeu of Lane.
Q.-Was anything accomplished?
A.-No, sir.
Mr.. Keefer then begged indulgence |
of the committee to make a statement |
in justice to Representative Fairchild, |
who, Keefer says, is charged by GER
tain papers with having plenty of !
money since the legislature closed. He |
said: while in Kansas City yester- |
day a friend asked me if I knew Fair !
child, producing a clipping containing |
the charges of his having plenty of
money and also the statement |
that Fairchild had paid off a mortgage
of s.. 900 on his cattle. The gentleman |
said to me that the charges were false, |
as he held the mortgage on FairchildS |
cattle and that it remains unpaid"
Mr.. Outcalt then examined the wit |
ness, who said: L was invited while |
on the Santa Fe train going home, by |
a man whom I do not know, to go to a |
certain room in the Hotel ThrOOp, where |
he said 1 could get all the Information |
1 needed to make everybody in the |
legislature walk the plank and secure !
the passage of whatever bills cared |
to present"
Q.-Who was it?
Al don't know.
Q-What room did he tell you to go |
to?
Al do not remember the number.
Q.-WhOse room did you understand |
was meant?
Al think, Bale Waggener's.
Q-Was it Frank Strickland who in |
vited you to go to the Throop?
A.-NO, sir.
Keefer further testified that Ed Car
roll of Leavenworth had told him that |
fF1a
Missouri Pacific had given $4,000 for |
legislative purposes.
Asked if he received any of the |
money, Mr.. Keefer replied NO" en-
0.-Did you make any overtures?
A-No, sir. misled these men to
find out for my own information the
methods by which the Will OF the peo-
pie was defeated.
Q.-Who were the men who made the
propositions to you?
A-Permit me to say that if I might
suggest the questions, perhaps L could
who were these men?" insisted
Outcalt.
Now, Mr. Chairman" said Keefer.
s'if the United States should purchase
an island in the Pacific ocean and rele-
gate to it for life all the lobbyists who
surrounded the last legislature I might
suggest some men would like TO see
go there for life.
Q.-WhO are they2
A.-Bin Higgins. Oliver Hiatt and
Frank Strickland.
Odd these men approach you?
Al don't remember, but I would |
like to see them all sent to St Helena
for life
O.-Why did you name them?
A-Because every time they cross
the state they leave such bad odor
politically that they are a disgrace to
the people.
Q.-Did they make any propositions
to you?
A.-No, sir