Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-01-19
TIE INVESTIGATION BEGUN.
lle Bribery Charges Against Senator
Hanna and His LieutenantS

EoFOT6 q OOIQOllII6o OF the ONO
~enate-The Charge is That a
Member Of the House Was APP
Droached, But the Republican
Majority in That Body Throws
the Work Of Investigate on Upon
the Senate - Little Information
Secured at Last Nights Session
osthe Committee.
Columbus, O., January 1S.-The Sen
ate committee tonight began its inves-
tgation into the charges of bribery,
made by Representative Otis during the
recent Senatorial contest.
The members of the House commit
tee appointed to investigate the same
charges. were invited to be present,
but they did not participate officially
and there will be two separate inves-
tgations J. J. Sullivan, II. NJ. Daugh-
e,ty and Cyrus Huling were present to
represent Senator Hanna, Major Dick
and Others. but the committee voted
"
se to participate.
The committee in executive session,
decided not to allow any attorneys and
adopted other rules OF procedure. It
was decided TO hold executive sessions
for business and to take testimony in
public The committee went from the
committee room to the Senate cham
Der. when it was ready to cali Wit
ntsses, and crowd awaited them.
Z ne committee consists OF Senators
Robertson, Finck and Long, Demo-
Gratis. and Senators Burke and Gar
field, Republicans. Senator Burke was
one of the leaders of the opposition to
Senator Hanna Senator Garfield is
The only member of the committee who
voted for Hanna and the votes taken
were four to one.
Senator Burke presided and Judge
Robertson examined the witnesses. In
the executive session, Judge Robertson
was appointed prosecutor. All mem
bers OF the committee asked questions
except Senator Garfield. There were
four witnesses examined tonight,
Samuel Pentiand, proprietor of the Neil
House, where Senator Hanna had his
headquarters; Shepherd M. Dunlap,
manager of the Western Union Tele-
graph Company; w. L. Truesdale,
manager of the Postal Telegraph Com
pany: Frank P. Ross, manager of the
Telephone Company. Nothing new
was developed during the session Of
four hours. The witnesses refused to
answer some questions and to produce
their books and copies of messages.
THE investigation will drag along
fol some time if no more progress is
made at future sessions than was
made tonight. AS the Senate stands
10 to II against Hanna with Senator
Burke voting with the Democrats, it
is quite probable that there will be
some report adopted in that body to
transmit to the United States Senate.
In the House the vote is Sc TO % the
other way, and the House investigat-
ing committee may do little more than
LOOK on at the Senate Investigation.
Owing to the majority in the House be-
ing different in political complexion
from the Senate, it is impossible to
secure the adoption of joint resolu
ton for an investigation. The charges
are maze Dy Representative OelS,
member of the House, and the lnves-
tigation in parliamentary usage would
belong to the lower branch Of the
legislature, but the factionai lines
are such as to cause the Senate TO in
yastigate the alleged attempt to bride
a member of the House. The workers
in the recent Senatorial contest are
keeDing I'D their fight on the same
lines in the investigation.