Omaha daily bee., 1899-09-28
NEBRASKA PAYS The FREIGHT
Popocrats Tap the Treasury to Boom Brysn's
Military Aspirations.
SLIDE VOUCHER THROUGH on THE QUIET
Recruits for the First and second
Regiments sidctrncked for the
Third and Their Transports
tion Paid by the State,

LINCOLN, Sept. 27.-tspecial )-Another
Instance of the Misrepresentation OF state
funds has been discovered, although the
sham reform officials at the state house
have used every precaution TO cover up the
record. This latest instance is one IN
which W. J. Bryan is involved.
The history of the case late5 back TO May
-, 1898, when the two Nebraska regiments
wero encamped at the fair grounes here.
Company NJ OF Grand Island had revolted
against some of the scheming appointments
made by Holcomb, and Major Decker OF tbs
place had been given charge of the com
pany with instructions to recruit. The com
pany needed twenty-five men, and other
companies in the second, regiment were
short. The regiment needed over 100 men
and they we're e~nlisting very slowly.
Under direction of Holcomb and Barry
a special messenger wes sent to Stroms-
burg after the men who had been drilling
I'D there. The man sent on this errand
vas V. o. Wilson, one OF the fusion pank
examiners. Wilson made the trip in safety,
and returned to Lincoln accompanied by
thirty-fve men. Those who heard they
were coming supposed they were to enlist
and help I'LL out the regiment, and the news
caused the Second regiment officers to feel
greatly encouraged.
The plans Of the popocratic reforraers at
the state house had, however, taken a new
turn. Bryan had concluded to organize a
new regiment. and he wanted to arrar ge to
get It together in record breaking time,
even though the arrangements crippled the
Second regiment. To further this scheme
the StromsbuTg men were notified not to
go out to the camp. On the contrary a COM
mittee under the guidance OF Wilson went
up to the state house and held a conference
NTH Io1cnr,h and tha other rafOrmprE. The
result was a promise that IL the Polk county
company would go back home, 1t would be
one OF the first recognized in Bryan's new
regiment. Bryan took an active part In
arranging the details OF this plan, and 1t
was charged at the time that he made
some promises Of reward In the way of
commissions in the new regiment. At any
rate the plan worked well, and the Stroms-
burg men took the return train for home,
without asking for a chance to enlist in the
two regiments which had been called out
to take the field.
State Pays the Freight.
The smoothest part OF the deal was when
the state officials arranged to pay the rail-
road fare of the excursionists. Recruits
who were coming in to join the First and
Second regiments had to pay their own fares
and 1t would not do for the reformers to
openly pay for the transportation of the
men who had been coaxed to go home. I'm
der the direction of Holcomb the voucher
for this railroad. fare was held back almost
a year, and was slipped in on the tail end
OF the 1898 appropriation with the hope that
1t never would be noticed.
The expense of this piece OF business was
Sal. 05, which was surreptitiously taken
from the state treasury. The voucher was
No. B29S71, and was dated January 3, 1893
lust eight months after the excursion party
had visited Lincoln. 1t called for trans
portation furnished volunteer soldiers on
orders issued by P. H. Barry, a%djutant gen
eral, during May, 1898, being for thirty-ive
men Stromsburg to Lincoln, and thirty
men Lincoln to Stromsburg.' '
The men for whom this transportation
was furnished, never having been in the
National Guard, and not having volunteered
10 enlist when they reached Lincoln, the
conspirators at the state house found IL nee.
essary to further conceal the voucher until
after the adjournment Of the legislature
It was held back until July 6, 1899. ano
was approved on the 18th, so as to pe
drawn from the National Guard appropria'
ton of 1897 just before 1t must lapse inte
the treasury. ~
Major Decker, formerly Of the Secont
regiment. and who was in charge OF Com
many M up to the evening of May II, 1893
was interviewed on the matter today ant
exnressed great establishment on hearing
the news of the secret voucher. lie saiu
"I was in charge Of Company M and wa
looking for recruits. We needed twenty-five
men to complete the company, and squad
of from Ave to ten were needed IN mos
NJ the other companies. ] heard at the tim
that the Stromsburg men were on thei
way to Lincoln, but so far as Kno" no
one Of them appeared at the camp an
offered TO enlist. The payment OF such
voucher was wholly unauthorized, was a.
Injustice to the old members OF the Nationa
Guard and the secret manner in which
was handled shows that Holcomb, brya
and Barry knew that they were doing SOME
thing unlawful"
BARLEY Case Again.
The case Of the state against the bondsme
NJ ex-State Treasurer Joseph BARLEY wa
annealed to the supreme court from Dougla
county this afternoon. The bondsmen wh
ioin in the appeal are William A. Paxton
Nathan s. Harwood, j. II. Ames, T.. L
Brown, Cadet Taylor, c.. G. McNish an
Thomas Swobe. 1t is alleged that error wa
made in not holding Mrs. Fitzgerald lab
on the bond. The latter and her son, II
Fitzgerald, do not join in the appeal. Tn
Judgment, including costs, amounts to $646
31S.45.
Governor Poynter today appointed DR.. +
#. Ramacclotti OF Omaha and DR.. j.
Draskty OF Crete delegates to the conventio
of the International Association OF Lily
Stock Boards, which will be held in Ne