Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-04-18
L[[ N BAD Light
Late Evidence Concerning Bak-
ing Powder Trust Doodle,
Confirms His Guilt
SIX MORE INDICTMENTS VOTED
Cole County Grand Jury at jefferson
City, Mo-, After Members of State
senate-In His Alleged Confession
Lee Gives Testimony Startling to the
Grand Jury.
Grand Jury


City are in possession of information
which leads them to believe that Lieut..
Gov. John A. Lee, who apparently has
fled from the state, personally distri-
buted $4,000 Of the baking powder
trust Doodle to certain members of the
senate who voted as the trust wished.
This, in connection with the fact that
Lee has at least twice testified he knew
nothing of boodling at either the forty
first or forty second general assembly,
lis ample explanation of his evidently
earnest desire to avoid appearing before
the grand jury.
Lee has completely disappeared as
far as the authorities here or at the
state capital can find. He left the AL
ton train which departed from Kansas
City somewhere in the state, at either
one of several places where he could
have taken another train, either toward
st. Louis or in the opposite direction.
That he did not come to st. Louis seems
certain.
Six indictments are said to have
been voted by the Cole county grand
jury at Jefferson City against members
of the state senate. AT least two OF
the men concerned have not been seen
around their usual haunts for several
days, and it is believed they left the
state. The indictments probably Will
be reported to the court tomorrow.
1t is said that just before Lieut.. Gov.
It trr1t IaffarCnn
City, where he had brief hearing be-
fore, the grand jury. after a day OF
nervous prostration," the lieutenant
governor broke down, and briefly un-
folded to the jurors a tale of legislative
corruption which astonished even those
men, who already had heard much.
The story which the authorities are
now Investigating is that Lee met
number OF the alum senators at the
Laclede hotel here two years ago; that
he then distributed $4,000 to those who
voted in the interests of the baking
powder trust The books of the La
clede hotel have been taken to Jeffer-
son City in an effort to corroborate the
story, and find exactly who among the
senators We're present at the meeting,
which apparently rivals the famous
birthday party" given by Delegate
julius Lehman to the members of the
notorious st. Louis house of delegates
combine.
The Laclede hotel is the favorite re-
sort of out of town politicians who
come to st. Louis. 1t is a hosiery ia
nous for years for the number of men
prominent in both parties who may be
found in its lpbbies. So it was not
at all unusual that half a dozen or
more state senators should be at the
hotel at the same time. But on this
particular occasion it is asserted that
nearly twenty senators We're present
and that they all met in the room of
one where Lee, who resides In this
city, counted out the cash to each.
Lees own statement to Attorney Gen
eral Crow. made at the time when he
turned over the now famous $1,000
check which he received from Legisla-
tive Agent d. j. Kelly is the basis of
the present inquiry into the doings of
the assembly two years ago.
An official closely in touch with the
Cole county grand jury said yesterday
that Lieut.. Gov. Lee had furnished At
torney General Crow and that body
with startling testimony to the effect
that he himself was the head and front
of the baking powder trust interests
in the last two legislatures. this after
Lee had sworn otherwise to the st.
Louis grand jury. This official further
stated that the lieutenant governor
went all to pieces when before the
Jefferson City inquisitors, and in his
f1oGnderingS and attempts to protect
himself was finally cornered and not
only told all about the alum baking
powder boodling and his connection
testimony relating to other deals which
fairly startled the grand jury.
Lees statement to Attorney General
Grow regarding the alum baking pow
der boodling and the $1,000 which had
been sent to TBrother Bob" for him
was tame compared with the startling
admissions he made at jefferson City.
The testimony in question given by
Lieut.. Gov. Lee as to other boodling
transactions was given voluntarily,
while Lee was in a state of nervous
excitement. The substance of what he
testified to in Jefferson City was inn
mediately communicated to Attorney
Folk for use at this end.
Information has been filed before the
Cole county grand jury by Attorney
Folk charging Daniel j. Kelly with
to bride the lieutenant gov
ernor, John A. Lee, to kill the alum bill
in the state senate.
INDICATES REGIMENT.