The Tupelo journal., 1903-11-13
|FARR|S DENIES
LEES ALLEGATIONS
Sweeping Contradictions of Every
Point in Alum Doodle Deal.
LEE ADMITS TO PERJURY
Farris Declared He Knew Nothing
of the Use of Doodle and Did Not
Receive or Divide the $1,000
at the Laclede Hotel. :

Receive or Divide the $1,000
ut the LacIede Hotel.
Jefferson City, Mo-, Nov. 6.-The case
of the state of Missouri against SEN
ator Frank H. Farris, of Crawford
county, indicted for bribery in connec-
ton with the alum baking powder
scandal, is practically complete.
The letters which Lee wrote to d. J.
Kelley, the legislative agent Of the
Baking Powder trust, were read to the
jury Thursday.
AS to three or -four of these COM
munications, together with several tel
egrams, Lee denied having any knowl-
edge and said he did not recognize the
signature attached to them as his own.
He did not, however, say that they
might not have been written by some
body else for him, although this point
of the inquiry was not strongly urged
blythe defense.
Lee Under Cross Fire.
Lee was calm until he reached the
cross-examination, during which he
was at times nervous and flushed.
He shifted about ~uneasily in his chair
as letter after letter containing his
own admissions of guilt were read.
He would take up a letter, finger it
~nervously, and then slowly answer the
question as to whether or not he wrote
it.
Admits Perjury.
John A. Lee admitted that twice he
perjured himself before the Cole coun-
ty grand jury when he denied all
knowledge of Doodle with reference to
the defeat of the bill to repeal the
anti-alum law; he declared that he de-
cided to tell the truth finally because
his liberty was in jeopardy and that
as he had done wrong he felt that
sooner or later he would be found out;
he frankly stated that one man who
had been indicted on his testimony,
Senator Buel Matthews, Of st. Louis
county, did not as he had first testified
receive 81 900 from him at the Laclede
hotel conference; he answered repeat
eddy that he had not been guaranteed
immunity by the prosecuting authori-
ties of st. Louis or Cole county or by
the encouragement. He made no Sc
cret of the fact that he was the 60
between for D. j.. Kelley and the SEN
ators, who, he said, agreed to line up
against the alum repeal bill.
FAIRIES Denies All of Lees Charges.
The state closed it's case at ten
o'clock, and the defense opened by
placing Senator Frank Farris on the
WitnncC ctond ENarric ctonnoJ into tho
witness chair, calm and smiling.
When Senator Farris took the
stand he denied in toto every
allegation made in Lees testi-
mony, swearing that he knew moth
ing of the money which Lee swears
was received from Kelley and divided
by Farris at the Laclede hotel in st.
Louis.
Farris answered the interrogatories
put to him in a distinct and emphatic
tone of voice. His replies were ut
tered quickly and IN short sentences.
Witness was asked regarding Lees
appearance at the Laclede hotel with
the Doodle fund OF 81, 200.
John A. Lee" he answered, never
brought a cent to my room at the La
clede hotel, He did not give me or
anyone representing me 1000.
WAS he at your room at all after the
1901 session."
HE was not"
"Was Senators Smith or Morton at
your room on the day Lee me~ntions?"
"They were not"
did Lee make any agreement to en-
ploy you?"
"He did not, nor did l ever receive
any money from him"
Farris denied every allegation made
by Lee.
On cross-examination Farris was
asked by the encouragement whether
he had a quarrel with Lee. He said
there was a slight difference between
him and Lee, growing out of the oppo-
sition of Lee to his father, who was a
candidate for Acknowledgements
Defendant was asked if he had ever
discussed the anti-alum bill in the SEN
ate. Objection to this question was
sustained, and then Mr.. Crow ques-
toned the witness regarding the con-
troversy over the bill in 1901, but this,
too, was ruled out.
Farris was on the stand about twen-
ty-five minutes.
He was followed by Senator w. H.
Haynes, of st. Joseph. Haynes testi-
fed that he was the author of the alum
repeal bill in the senate. He was
asked if Farris had ever agreed to
pay him $1,000. Grow objected and
was sustained.
"Were you in the room when Gov.
Lee says he handed Farris a telegram
from Kelley?"
Witness replied: "If Gov. Lee made
that statement he is mistaken"
Went Out With the Tide