The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1901-05-03

tuTe W.T. COA came 10 Ine TOOm 81 |
Mr. Otum and said that Eidridge |
was likely tn get into trouble in r.
gard tn check about which Nc |
Dow ell was raising the devil We
sent tor Mr., Eldrldge and he denied |
knowing sny thing about II, but |
finally laid it was given to him by |
Mcdowell in consideration tor his |
vote. We promised To protect the !
check / tried TO get MIR. Watts that |
aflernoON by telephone and went to
see hnn the NJ Xt moruing. | took
up the check and | do Iot know
whether | gave the check to Mr.,
Eldrrdpe or NOT. My impression was
that | gave it to him.
Nv hen the Petltr investigation
came up Mr.. Eldridge came 10 me
aDd a-k.d ne W protect him brfOl e
:he committee. | told him | would,
and he said that De was going to
swear Uhat he had cashed the check
for RlIney. He told me before that
Ra.nry had given hlm the check
and that he had agreed to vote fOI
McDowell for $3.50 and was fool for
taking a check.
II ndu II conversation with FL
driuge when Gne Odum euIt came up
ii 10 tulu ire tnaL lie was gong 10 Say
that he udd p1iu me anu L agreed To
stay away from the trlal anu leu hlm
say 50, a. tue Date OF payment unuer
his story anCeudted ms promises VI
Eldrluge 10 Odum.
Il n,.u conversation with Nc
Dove. uOouU Iht cueIk aud no
abused h driuge Ike a plckpucket
for uuC uvltgar.dg hIm W. woes as
he had pruulloeu.
Sena,or Greer was placed on the
stauu, Uu. MO CeatIulony Was uOC
very ImL oiLauC. SendtOf Drennon
saIu: la conversation | had with
EldrIdge OH Il ttlp 10 the Iuaugura
ton at Washington, L went 10 lhe
! bottom o our ffituushlr auu asked
! hm what tuere was Ia this matCeI
of the check, aud he most sCrenousiy
denied having done an! tnihg
wrong
j. ii. Ambrose was called next.
In reply 10 Questions by Mr.. Tyne ne
said: Il au Treasurer ot the N, u.
u 81. l. Railway and nave been
since 1886. In Ihe early part OF
January MIR. Olum came W INC anu
said that there Was CHECK 10 De
taken up against Mr.. Eldrldge and
he wauLeu the money from NE Tor
that purpose. de said tneIe was a
string to the cneck ana whoever
held 1T would holu EldrIdge tolu
him [ would have nothing w do with
the matter
Senator Eldridge was then placed
on the stand. He became very We
hement while testify Ing, and denied
in strong language the oGatements OF
Harris and Odum, calling them ln-
famous liars. In reply TO questions
he said in part as tolloWs:
A week before the Legislature met
| promised Mcdowell mat L woulu
vote for him. One night two OF
three days before the Senate con-
vened ] met Walter Rainey IN front
of the notel. 1t was late and L had
been drinking some. Rtiuey hailed
me aud asked me II L had any
money. He wanted $3.50. did not
have that much, but l. gave him 500
$40. He gave me tue cheek anu
[ put 1t in my pocket. L only looked
at 1t to see il Rainey had Indorseu
it. The next dAy | cashed it at the
| IN L
check was on that bank, and nL
questions were asked me wnen
presented 1t.
Il thought no more of the matter
|, until the clerk of the bank came tC
me and told me the check was pro-
tested, After [ cashed the CHECK
Rainey left the city and | told the
representative of the bank that i
: RaIney did not pay it when ht
; came back that L would pay 1t.
, II was thrown in contact will
, Harris and Oium, unfortunately, I
good deal. l Was Chairman of Lnt
steering Committee OF this eyed
) lying thief, Odum (sensation). Out
night Harris and Odum brought tn,
| check up and seemed to attach 1
& good deal of Importance TO it. WneI
they say | implured them to take /
= up they are palr of infamous liars
) | did not knew they were going L
. lake up the check. Harris came [,
> me auu told me Was In great DANCE
about the check. l TOLD nIm that
/ was none OF his funeral aud To le
Y the matter alone.
/ III came to me again and tool
t me lnto the reading room of tn
t motel. He said, WIN, We though
b that the check might get you II
, trouble, and Odum and myself raise,
< the mout y and took it up
> Il asked him what right he. ant
t Odum mad TO do with my affairs. |
t flashed over my mind IN mInut
:. " hat Jney Intended To do. / grabbe
y him in tne collar and saIu, C
a Ia you, give me my check n
1 gave me the cheek and | turned an
q counted hIm out the money, $3.50.
,. carried the check to my room and
j. laid around for day or two, aud
l. then destroyed it.
r. There was no arrangement be
l. tween Rainey, Mcdowell and my
II self for me 10 use McDOwells Z
RaIney's money TO advance th
It formers interest. | have never ha
t. "a conversation with Mcdowell aboU
n this check. | have not promised
II pay this check, because L alTead
paid Jim Harris the money. III
10 were $1,000, | would die ana go
ID hi before | would pay another cen
u 1t is an outrageous blackma
e scheme"
y The Senate adjourned sine die.
e LEGISLATIVE APPROPRIATIONS