The Topeka state journal., 1898-01-22
SPIRITED AWAY.
HI. III. -BOyce, the Man Who is Ac-
cused of Bribery
In Connection With the Election
of Senator Hanna,
DROPS OUT OF SIGHT.
He Made the Bargains and
Handled the Money
According to the Testimony of
the Prosecution.

Cincinnati. Jan 22.-The legislative
committee investigating the Otis charg-
es of bribery in the recent election of a
United States senator at Columbus held
a session here last night. All mem
bers of the committee together with
quite delegation from Columbus and
others from different parts of the state,
and the members of the house commit
tee on the Otis investigation were pres
ent.
1t is charged in the resolutions sep
arately by both branches of the Ohio
legislature that H. H. Boyce, of New
York came to the Gibson house in this
clty a lew days before the balloting
Tor United States senator began and
made a proposition of bribery to Repre-
sentative Otis. Boyce stopped at the
Gibson house.
1t is charged by the members of the
committee that BOyce fled from the city
on Monday, January 10, and that he
cannot now be located although the
committee exhausted its resources in
trying to secure his attendance as a
witness.
The committee was given quite a tel
ephone exhibition before it assembled
The Great Southern hotel (Which was
the headquarters of the anti-Hanna
men during the recent contest) was
called up and while the committee
was talking in the private Office of the
Gibson house with parties in Columbus
jerry Bliss and his StenOgrapher were
at the telephone down stairs in. the ho-
Iel once taxing on all that was said.
This was done to show how all of the
conversations of BOyce with certain
parties in Columbus was taken down
while BOyce was here, and the sena-
torial contest was going on at the state
capitol. 1t is alleged that all of the
conversations were taken down and
are a matter of record without any wire
tapping, as the different telephones in
the Gibson house are all the same
circuit.
Horace B. Dunbar, president and
manager of the Gibson house, was the
only witness examined. Mr. Dunbar
produced his hotel register, showing
that Henry H. BOyce, of New York,
January 10. Mr.. Dunbar testified to
having his suspicious aroused and to
the clerks watching Boyce.
Allen o. Meyers jr., one of the day
port of the conversations Boyce had over
the telephone during the day. Rus
sell PreyOr the night clerk, took down
the conversations at night. BOyce was
given the key to the private office on
the second floor whenever he wanted it.
and the arrangements down stairs were
always complete for reports OF. what
ever went on over the telephone wires
when BOyce was using the private Of
fee. The stenographer in the Of
hce was called into requisition Whenev-
er Boyce called anyone up.
Mr.. Dunbar recited many of these
conversations over the long distance
telephone. In one OF them the major
was called up at Columbus and said:
Shane and the president will arrange
things on Saturday, Boyce replied:
Have seen one Of the party. Wants
money. How can I handle hin?'
The reply from Columbus was: Sup
pose o. betrays you, what then?"
Mr. Dunbar said that Boyce replied:
mo danger. would kill him. Dead
men tell no tales"
Mr. Dunbar testified that Allen O.
Meyers, who was in Columbus as one
of the managers against Hanna was
called upon Friday night, January z by
Jerry Bliss and told of the situation
here and what Boyce was doing. Mey-
ers advised Bliss that a man named
HOllepbeck would leave Columbus for
cincinnati that night with money and
to have him watched The next morn ,
ing the Miller Detective agency was
employed to watch Boyce and keep
track of HOllenbeck on his arrival On
January 8, H. H. Hollenbeck, of Cha
drOn, o., registered at the Gibson for
breakfast. He had no room assigned
to him, but was seen to communicate
with BOyce.
The next name on the register to that
of HOllenbeck was E. H Archer, Col
umbus, o., deputy railroad commission
er. Mr.. Dunbar showed the registers
to the committee with all these names
and stated that Mr.. T. J. Mulveyhilt,
one of the leading Democratic mana
gers of this city pointed out HOllen-
beck to him and to the detectives. They
watched all the movements of HolIen-
beck and traced him to the Union Trust
and Savings bank of which J. G.
Schm medlapp is president. He was then
traced to the different places of meet
ing as charged by Representative Otis.
While HOllenbeck did not remain in
Cincinnati, BOyce was here on Friday,
Saturday, Sunday and Monday At
the suggestion of Jerry Bliss, Mr.. Dun
bar had the housekeeper and chamber
maids watch the movements around
room 226. On Sunday night Boyce told
Dunbar he had been here representing
the president and complained about de-
tectives being put onto him and about
others watching him, and especially
about the parties in room 215. After
paying his bill on Monday and before
departing Mr.. BOyce told Dunbar that
if he wanted to win some money to bet
on Hanna. After Senator Long had
examined Dunbar at length, a short
cross examination was conducted by
Senator Garfield. Mr. Dunbar said he
was q. Democrat, that he was intimate
ly acquainted with Allen o. Meyers,
Charles L. Kurtz, jerry Bliss and 9TH
ers who were recently engaged in the
opposition at Columbus to Senator
Hanna. He testified that he had been
with them at the Great Southern hotel
before the legislature balloted for Uni
ted States senator.
When the testimony of Mr.. Dunbar
was concluded the committee adjourn
ed.