The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-04-09

this morning. Asked by Assistant At
torney General Smelling to tell what he
knew about attempted briberies, he
said:
Sunday evening, February IA, while
at the Dutton House, received a tele-
phone message from a friend, asking
me tO6 take supper with him. After we
had supper he asked me to go and meet
a party who lived in this city. We
went to room 16, Vea1e block. There
L met man named Harry Wilson,
whom 1 have been informed was the
agent for the American Book company.
The person who took me there left Will
son and myself together. After some
preliminary discussion Wilson asked
me il the house of representatives had
a rule requiring the votes of two
thirds of the members of the house to
advance a bill. After I told him we
had such rule, he said if l would ap-
ply it against the school book bill he
would pay me 81, 900 in cash and $4,000
if the bill was defeated. He went into
an adjoining room and returned with
a 500 bill, which he placed in my lap
at that time, but would take the mat
ter under advisement. After few
desultOry remarks, I left. did not
see him again, but received two or
| three notes from him asking il l had
made UP my mind. On the bottom OF
| the last note 1 wrote him that l could
| be of no service to him and returned 1t.
heard no more from him
Q.-Have you those notes2
Al have not.
After my meeting with Wilson"
continued Street, the two-t thirds rule
| lost much of its force, because the rule
! was usually suspended and bills ad-
vanced without delay"
Odd you receive any anonymous
| letters?
Al did
| Q.-What was it?
Am reference to school book legis-
Iation.
Q-What did you do?
A.-Made inquiries if others had re-
! ceived such communications.
Q.-What did you find?
A.-That Mr.. Faircnild had received
a similar letter.
Q.-What did you then do?
A.-With Fairchild I called on the
state superintendent, as told by Mr..
Fairchild yesterday.
Q.-What was done with the letter?
Al sent for the Topeka police and
placed the letter in the hands of de-
tectives, who have not yet found from
where it came.
CThose who know the Topeka police
will regard this as unutterably as
tounding.l
Q.-Have you any idea as to who
wrote the letter?
Al have not.
Mr.. Street then made a voluntary
statement. He said: Much has been
said about mistakes having been made
in bills during the session, as thOuSn
no such errors had ever occurred be-
fore. In the session of 1895 the ap-
pellate court bill was found uncOnSti-
tutional and it was necessary to rush
another bill through to amend IT. The
errors, if there were any, in the Topeka
auditorium bill were due to the Shaw
nee county members, in whose hands
the bill was practically left
Mr.. Street, in closing, defended the
employees of the house who have been
charged with incompetency, saying:
They were as capable and honorable
If who have been
pIoyed in sessions of the past.
SENATOR TITUS TEST1FIES.
Senator Al. Titus followed Mr.: Street.
Asked to- tell the committee what he
knew concerning attempted briberies
against members of the legislature, Mr..
Titus said:
notice was on March 3, when R. H
Boyd came to my desk, introduced him
self and asked me if had made up
my mind on the stock yards bill He
told me after some preliminary CONVEX
sation that his company would take
good care of me if I would stay with
them on the stock yards bill. he SAID
his company preferred the Hanna Dill
TO the JaQuinS bill, the latter being par
ticularly obnoxious to the stock yards
company. 1 asked him how much he
meant to which he replied: 1 Will give
you a cool $1,000 to vote Tor the Hanna
bill / told him to wait half an hour:
then went to the attorney general and
was advised to take the money ana Lead
told BOyd to go to a committee room
He went into the hall, the room being
occupied. We finally got into the room,
where I told him l would take the $1,-
OOO He said when the vote is delivered
YOU will get the money He said the
practice of the company was to pay for
votes after they were deIiVered-nOt be-
fore. Boyd told me that one other mem
ber Senator Hanna, had been given 81
600 to start the bill. [ told Boyd that L
could not proceed without hrst having
In Ia
again and went away promising to
come back at 10 O'Clock, which was
agreed to. 1t lacked about ten minutes
of that hour when Boyd left, and so far
as I know he is not back yet"
The above facts were developed by
the senate investigation, but Mr.. Titus
presented some new evidence on school
book legislation, telling how he had
gone to the National hotel in response
to a summons, where he was asked TO
secure the defeat of the bill which final
4 new bill was shown me" he said,
"and the statement made that II It's
passage was secured there would be
something in it for both of US After
some conversation I was told by this
member of the legislature that the new
bill would suit the people practically as
well as the bill which was pending.
Q.-WhO was the member you refer
to and held this conversation with?
Al D. Lewelling-
O-What else did he say?
Ale told me first that there was
something in it for me; second, that
there was something in it for both of
us: third, that so long as the bill suited
the people, we had just as well make
something out of it.
The bill presented to Mr.. Titus by
T,ewelling was introduced as evidence,
Mr. Titus taking it out of his pocket
and handing it to Attorney General
Boyle
The bill provides for county unifOrmi-
ty. a county text book board and ex-
empted cities of the first class unless
they desired to have uniformity in con-
junction with the county.
fba hill introduced in fba