The San Francisco call., 1898-01-11
CHARGES OF
 BRIBERY ARE
 FREELY MADE All Kinds of Stories Circulating at
 Columbus. Now the Opposition Is Preparing to Spring
 a Sensation. Representative Otis May Dump Ten Thousand Dollars
 Upon His Desk.
HANNA SHORT ONE VOTE
Lively Skirnishing Before the Battle in the Legislature Which
 Will Begin To-Day.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

COLUMBUS, O., Jan. 1O-Senator Hanna is believed to be short tonight one vote of election. The opposition is not sure of 73 votes for any one man as against only 72 for Hanna, but they feel confident, at least, of preventing Hanna's election.
 Last night the Democratic steering committee demanded of Mr. Kurtz that he furnish at least eight affidavits to- night from Republican members that they would stand with the sixty-one Democrats in voting against Hanna The Democratic' steering committee re- ported tonight that they were satisfied Representative Gayman, chairman of the House Democratic steering com mittee, went so far as to say that Han mas defeat tomorrow is assured
 There is no doubt that Senator Han ma was beaten for a week previous to last Friday, when Representative Man uel of Montgomery County changed in his favor. On Saturday the Hanna men secured Representative Griffith of Union, but they made no accessions yesterday and to-day, and it is the gen. eral belief that they are short one vote tonight.
 It has been agreed by a conference committee that the balloting in the two houses will not begin until D. m. to- morrow, and there may be several changes in that time. The real work of the fight on both sides is being done tonight. The workers will not sleep now until after the balloting begins There is feeling among many of those opposing Hanna that if he is not de- feated on the first ballot, or rather, by the separate ballots tomorrow, he will not be defeated at all. These anti Hanna workers say they had a maior- lty of five against Hanna when they exposed their strength in organizing the Legislature last Monday, and, if they come down to a majority of only one against Hanna tomorrow the coalition may not hold together for another day.
 While the opposition still insists on kurtz as the candidate against Hanna yet they say that Bushnell, Kurtz. or any other one will be dropped as soon as 1t is demonstrated that he cannot secure all of the votes of either the antl-Hanna Republicans or the Demo- cratic members. One of the names most prominently mentioned to-day was that Of Representative John P Jones, who represents Stark County the home of President Mckinley Mr Jones IS a Republican and a prominent man in the Miners Union. He is for free silver and is advocated as the la DOT candidate against the capitalist
 While the mass convention of the Republicans this afternoon was the largest and most indignantly enthusi- aStlc aSSemblage ever known in this State, the doubtful Republican mem berS of the Legislature did not see it or feel 1t. They were closely and lib- orally entertained by the opposition at the Great Southern Hotel during the afternoon and they were there to- night.
 Representatives Manuel, Griffith, Snyder and others are having the un- divided and constant attention of the other sides. There are at times lively scenes when the Hanna members in wade the committees room at the Great Southern Hotel and also when the hustlerS for the opposition come to the Neil House after some of the doubtful members or their friends. There is tonight doubt also about the final vote of some of those on whom both sides have been depending. The result really hangs in doubt more than in a balance.
 With the result pending upon one vote either way there are several who want to be on the winning side and their belief, as to which side has the necessary seventy-three votes, or for some other cause.
 Owing to the apparent closeness of
 
 bribery for another vote either way. It is noted by some of the more con- servative observers that as soon as no further changes were announced each day the contending factions alter mated in daily reports of bribery. The Hanna men claim to have steno- graphic notes of an offer of $5000 by two prominent members of the oppo- sition. The opposition in turn claim that S. D. Hollenbeck a member of the Republican State executive com mittee, went to Cincinnati Saturday with S10,000. Representative Otis is a Republican who was elected on a fu- sion ticket in Hamilton County. He has voted with the Democrats in the organization. But it is claimed that he made friendly overtures to Hanna workers to entrap them into an offer for the purpose of exposing the same, and he will do so on the floor of the House It is said that Representative Otis will pile $10,000 on his desk to- morrow and make a sensational speech when his name is called on the Sena- torial ballot The Hanna men make a general denial of the Otis charges and say that they anticipate other dra- matic performances tomorrow before the balloting begins.
 Outside the opposition Senatorial quarters the city is filled tonight with axeupsionists yelling themselves hoarse