Omaha daily bee., 1899-07-11
SHUT OUT OF STATE HOUSE
Senate Committee Not on Visiting List Of
POpocrat Officials.
STARTS INVESTIGATING BALLOT FRAUD
1nsurancc Commissioners Makes a
Ruling on FraternnIs-Rninma
Wright Gets n job on Pure
Food Commission.


legislative investigation commttep, con-
sisting o; senators Prout OF Gage, Van
Dusen Of Douglas and Rookie of Lancaster
commenced work today. The first act was
TO visit the state house and request a
room in which to conduct the Investigation
In this the committee met with a refusal on
the part OF Secretary of State Porter. when
the request was first made in the fore
noon Porter said that he would not assign
room to the committee, and preferred not
to give a final answer until he could have
talk with the others members OF the
board. all of whom were in Omaha. At
O'Clock in the afternoon the committee
again called on Porter but received no
further satisfaction. He said he had talked
with the attorney general and the state
treasurer by telephone, and did not feel
Justified In allowing room for the use Of
the committee. The conversation in which
the secretary of state declined to accom-
modate the committee with quarters in the
state building all taken down by the
official stenographer. and is is understood
will be made part OF the record OF the
investigation.
Committee Not Discouraged.
The committee lost no time In getting
down to work. Quarters were sele ,tei in
the Lincoln hotel and notices were sent
out to the state officials and parties inter-
ested in order that they might have a
chance to be present. The notice sent to
Holcomb being the same form as the others,
was as follows:
You are hereby notified that the under
signed committee, appointed by the senate
of the state of Nebraska at its last session
Will convene at o'clock this p. m. at the
Lincoln hotel, at which time evidence will
be introduced relative to the recount OF the
nnCt thn .t,,tG
ments at the general election in 1895, at
which tjmo you may be present IL you SO
desire, as testimony touching the conduct
of the executive office, then held by your
self, may be offered.
Dated at Lincoln this 10th day OF July,
1899.
Shortly after o'clock the committee con
Vened and County Clerk ]. d. White of York
county was called to the witness stand. Mr..
White said he had resided in York county
twenty years and had served as county
clerk since January, 1896. AS such officer he
was custodian of the ballots cast at the gen.
eral election and on February "a, 1897, had
sent the ballots cast on the constitutional
amendments to the secretary of state. Dur
ing the following month he had requested
the return of the ballots and in April wrote
letter to the secretary of state as follows:
Requests Return of Ballots.
vi wednesday,, April Z, i talked with your
deputy over the telephone concerning the
return of the York county ballots to me and
he assured me that they would be sent out
that day by express. Since that conversation
have heard nothing from you and have rot
received the ballots l write you at this
time to request that you return the balljts
to me at once, as l understand that the bal
lots of all the other counties in the state
have been returned l do not see any reason
why the York county ballots should he re-
tanned at your office, as the recount has long
since been completed and the report made
and adopted by the legislature. hope to re-
ceive the York county ballots by next train.
Please let me hear from you by return mail
and oblige. Yours very truly,
]. d. WHITE. County Clerk
Mr.. White here identified the package of
ballots which had been received from the
express office the 18th of April. He
identified the seals having been placed
on the package by himself at that time.
Milton Sovereign of York. formerly
county clerk, and N. Johnson, at present
treasurer of the county, also testified that
they were present when the package had
been received and had witnessed the plac-
ing of the seals, which they now identified
as being In the same condition as when
placed there.
At this point the committee took an ad-
journment until o'clock tomorrow in
order that the state officials might be
retary Porter appeared in the room and
indicated that he might be on hand to wit
the proceedings tomorrow, although
he showed no intention of receding from
his position taken in the morning when he
denied the right of the committee to act
and issued notice that none OF the records
OF his Office could be taken before the com
mittee to be used in evidence.
The most fragrant frauds of the recount
were perpetrated on the ballots from York
Hall and Dodge counties, and 1t is the in
tention of the committee to make a thor
ough examination OF the affair, and wit
ncsses and records will be examined to cor.
roborate the story already made public b,
j.. L. Slmons the man who was employed
TO assist in the recount and who has since
turned states evidence on the balance Of
the crowd.
Ruling on Fraternnls.
Deputy Insurance Commissioner Bryan
today made the following ruling relative Il
fraternal insurance companies:
fraternal company which in its bylaws
provides for an endowment or surren lei
value payable to the insured before his
death, except in cases of sickness, tenn
poraly or permanent physical disability
either as a result OF disease, accident or ole
age, as defined by statute, is not entitled tc