Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-01-29

henry Harrison Boyce Produced
the Cash and Representative Otis
Was to Have Produced the Vote.
The Transaction Was Carried Out
Through Attorney Campbell, Who
Still Has the MOney--BOyce Was
Careful to Not Implicate Hanna or
Mckinley in the Deal, But Pro-
fessed to Make the Offer Through
Personal Interest.
Columbus, Ohio, January 2S.-The
two star witnesses in the alleged SEN
atorial bribery investigation were ex-
amined by the Senate investigating
committee to-day. They are Repre-
sentative J. G. Otis, of Hamilton coun-
ty, who claims to have been offered a
bride to vote for Senator Hanna, and
Thomas G.. Campbell, attorney, who
acted as the legal representative of
Otis.
The investigation began in the
morning in the judiciary room Of the
Senate, with but three of the COM
mittee present.
Representative Otis testified that he
had met Henry Harrison Boyce in Gin
cinnati first on the evening OF Janu-
airy last About II o'clock on the
morning of that day, Friday, he re-
ceived long distance telephone mes
sage from a man at the Great South
ern Hotel in Columbus, who said he
was Gen. Boyce, that he had come on
from New York and wished to see him
on important business. Mr.. Otis told
him that if he would come to Cincin-
natl he could see him. Between and
6 o'clock Otis went to the Gibson
House and to Boyce's room, No. 226.
He met Boyce and the latter said to
him that though he was stranger to
Otis he wished to see him on very I'M
portant business, that he represented
J. Pierpont Morgan of New York, that
Mr. Morgan had great interests in
Ohio, which he desired to have looked
after and that he was also friend OF
Mr.. C. C. Shane, of New York. Dur
ing the conversation, the Senatorial
matter was touched upon and Boyce
asked as to Mr.. Hanna's chances, to
which Otis replied that he did not
think them very good. Boyce SAID
that that night or the following night
MIR. Shane was to have an interview
with President Mckinley; that both
the President and Mr.. Shane were in
terested in the Ohio situation, and
especially the former.
A meeting took place the next after
noon at the Gibson House. The con-
versation was largely along the same
line as at the preceding meeting. Fin
ally Boyce and Campbell were intro
duced and most of the business after
that was transacted between them.
An adjournment was taken until
afternoon, when T. G. Campbell OF
New York and Cincinnati who repre-
scented Otis as an attorney, was eA-
amined.
Mr.. Campbell's testimony was large
ly a repetition of that given by Mr..
Otis in the morning He said Boyce
and Otis came to his room. During
the conversation Boyce said he had
strong and loving regard for the
President Otis finally left the room
and Campbell then asked Boyce dl-
rectly what he wanted. Boyce finally
said he had come to help Hanna in
his election. Campbell said to him:
did you not come from the PreS1-
dent?" to which Boyce replied that he
had but in which Mr.. Campbell de-
clared that he took no belief. Boyce
at last said he would pay Otis $4,000
for his vote, and admitted that that
was the proposition he had come to
make Mr. Campbell replied that he
did not think Otis would accept any
proposition.
Boyce further said that he wanted
Campbell for his attorney, to win men
over and would give him $1,000, and
pulled out large envelope and count
ed out what he said was $1,000, and
passed ii over and said: Here is
$1,000" Campbell replied: mo, there
is only $500"
Boyce apologized and handed over
5000 more. Campbell then put this
into his pocket. Later he saw Boyce
again and told him that he thought
$500, the amount offered, was be-
meath the dignity of representative
and that he ought to have 100000.
Boyce replied that this was all non
sense-that he had already secured
four votes at an average of 1880 each
and another for 5000. Boyce then said
he would give $500, S1,750 at that
time and 81. $50 the next day upon ar
rival at Columbus. Campbell said to
Bovce: What do you want Otis to do
if your proposition is accepted?' And
Boyce replied that he would want him
to write a letter to the President to
the effect that he would vote for Han
ma. Boyce then write a telegram, di-
rected to President Mckinley. and
reading: For the best interests of
Ohio and the Republican party, ! will
cast nv vote for NJ. A. Hanna for SEN
ator for the short and long terms.p
This telegram Campbell showed to
Jared Bliss, who volunteered to sign
the telegram and sign Otis name to
il. which he did. AT the next meeting,
the telegram, or rather copy OF it.,
was shown TO Boyce. and he was told
that Otis had finally consented and
that there was the telegram, where
upon Boyce counted out Sl,750 more.
The plan was that Campball and
Bovce and Otis were to meet the next
morning at 9 o'clock and come &C
Columbus. Boyce did not show D
and on a later train than had at hrst
been intended. Campbell came to Col
umbus with Mr.. Otis.
The witness here in response to
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