Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1897-04-15
SENSATIONS DEVELOPED.
Senator Titus and Warden Lands At
tack the Former Executive and
Present Senator = Smith Gets
Back At Clark Holly -speak-
er Streets school Book
Experience Related.

y
tain members of the Senate and House
and certain lobbyists yesterday caused
three big sensations and little one.
Reputable witnesses accused Repre-
sentative Frank II. Smith of Sherman
county and ex-Representative Dave
Hanna of Graham county of attempted
bribery, and Senator L. d. Lewelling
of proposing scheme for the state to
buy some additional coal lands at
Lansing which had "s25, 600 in it"
These were the big sensations The
little one was an insinuation 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 500 and after
ward $3.50 to vote against the Hack
ney amendment to the Senate railroad
bill in the House.
Representative Joseph w. Clark of
Thomas county testified that 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 LewelliDg
and Representative Glenn Fairchild
made the insinuation about Stryker
and the anonymous letters
The committee was making great
progress and likely would have in
creased the list of sensations, but it
suddenly struck u stump. Represent
tative Clark, who had 'peached" on
Smith, refused to give the name Of
personal friend who also had APP
preached him on the subject of rail
road legislation. The committee in
sisted, but Clark was firm and did not
answer the question asked
Gentlemen" he said, lit is no use
for you to waste time trying to coax.
1 shall not answer the question
Finally the committee announced an
adjournment till this morning at 0
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
2, 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 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 so to room 20 in the Veale
block, where Harry Wilson, agent of
the American Book company. offered
him $1,000 if 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 SlOO bill,
which he laid on his Streets lap, and
renewed the Offer Street declined
the proposition, refused to accept the
500 and left Afterward Wilson sent
him a number of notes. He made no
reply until he finally wrote on the
bottom of one of the notes that he
could be Of no service to Mr.. Wilson.
Lewelllng and Doyle Warned
Senator Titus swore that Senator
Lewelling took him in a room IN the
National hotel and said that there was
something in it for both of them" if
they could get substitute adopted
for the original text book bill.
Representative Dingus of Linn coun-
| ty swore that Representative Doyle of
Republic county had offered him $3.50
if 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 encourag~ tent.
They sat together during the session.
smith Denounces Clark.
DR. Frank II. 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 friend and the conductor had
taken it up He wanted him Smith
to use his influence in gettip = It re-
issued. At the same time Clark said to
him that he was in need of $500 and
asked him when he could get II.
This statement was made in reply 10
question made by Mr. Grimes, who
asked why Clark had fixed on $500 in
his testimony.
Ibid he get the money!"
81 don't know. have heard that |
he did. a member of the legislature
gets So n day and pays his own board
You can figure 1t out yourself and see
where he got it. During the session
he was spending money freely, out a
good deal nights and taking flyers ON