Omaha daily bee., 1903-03-26
Sears Also Tells Committee Of Br ngins
Matt,r to His Attention.
:ALls MATTER TO GOVERNORS NOTICE
Savage Promised to Take Action, but
Never Did Anything,
GILBERT PRIMARY MEASURE SIGNED
Men who Have Been Pushing "a
Boast that it Was Enacted for
Purpose of "Getting
Even"

sTUEFER bond deal before investig ting
committee. Witnesses testify TO having
informed him they were for sale. Taking
Of testimony concluded.
REVENUE BILL makes good progress In
senate. All amendments except minor
ones made by committee promptly voted
APPROPRIATIONS occupy attention Of
house. Several large sums added to bill
as IL came from the committee.
GILBERT PRIMARY BILL signed by the
governor
(From a Stan Correspondent)
LINCOLN, March 25.-(special Tele-
gram The Stuefer Investigation commit
tee finished taking testimony tonight, The
senate put in the afternoon and night on
the revenue bill and the house proceeded
on its course OF philanthropy, adding $685.
600 to the current expense bill, which Is
recommended for passage. insuring a total
appropriation beyond all records.
One of the days events was the signing
Of H. R. 2S6, the Gilbert primary election
BILL by Governor Mickey.
The Stuefer committee will meet pri-
vately and review the yoluminous testt-
mony adduced and as soon as possible mako
it's report to the house so as to enable that
body to act intelligently on the claim OF
Mr.. StuefeT for 81, 900 premium on his bond
for the last year OF his term as state treas
urer. Ten OF the claims committee voted to
allow the claim and one against IT.
The senate had the revenue bill under
| consideration as a special order from to
10 p. m. a recess being taken for supper.
Not a single change was made in the bill
except by committee amendments. The
senate doubtless will report the bill FOR
passage tomorrow and vote on II Friday
Howell Of Douglas tonight made a speech
on the bill. urging deliberation in consid-
ering it, attracting some surprise by pos
ing as a champion of omaha's interests IS
opposed to those of corporations. charging
certain senator's with trying to railroad
the bill through. and then later moved that
further consideration OF the bill be dis
| pensed with and that Il be engrossed for a
third reading. His motion was lest.
In the line OF revenue legislation Cow
ernor Mickey proposes to ask the house to-
morrow to act on an amendstory bill which
\ he viii submit reducing the tax levy for
university building purposes. This levy is
now mill and brings generally about S10s.-
/ 0O0 which is considered ample. The gov
ernor assumes that the new revenue law
| will materially increase the assessed val
uation of property and on this theory con-
| cludes that this I mill levy will produce
| about $500, 900 for university building pur-
poses which would be needlessly excessive.
He therefore contemplates proposal TO the
legislature to cut this levy TO about one
/
rick made the discovery that called atten-
ton to the matter.
Take UD Bond Deal.
The stuefer Investigation was resumed at
| s o'clock this morning. Peter Rorke, a
member Of the Burt County Board Of SUPER
visors, was the first witness He tes-
titled that he had asked Sears to
investigate the records of State Treas
urer Stuefer's once and see what sum
was credited to the permanent school fund
OF the state by reason OF this bond sale
to Neigh. Then he told Of a visit to
stuefer's ofice when he said Stuefer told him
he wanted those bonds and said he would
| write to that effect to Franklin Everett
who was then chairman of the Burt county
board. and added that II Rorke saw him
"in the morning to jog his memory about
writing to Everett.
Rorke said ]. P. Sutherland had told
him of his having told Stuefer about the
bond issue and Of Stuefer's expressed wish
| Of wanting the bonds and that he (Suther-
land) had so communicated to Chairman
Everett. Rorke stated that he thought
the bargain with Neigh was a good one
for the county.
Statement by Sears.
Sears was then placed on the stand. He
questioned by Attorney Van Dusen for
stuefer He said;
"On or about the 1st Of January, 1901 I
called on Mr.. Stuefer at his ONCE in Lin
coin. He said he had had a talk with Mr.
Sutherland about the Burt county bonds.
He suggested that he could take them at
31z. but added that the Board OF Educational
Lands and Funds was not then organized
and he would have to await its formal ac-
7 In he
Later there was talk among the county
commissioners Of Burt county to the effect
that Neigh had paid for the bonds with
two checks from Stuefer on Omaha banks.
Rourke spoke to me about this and said
he thought II was strange Neigh should
make use OF checks from stuefer in
matter OF this kind, and asked me to look
up the circumstances.
Il then went to Governor Savage and
told him what use had been made Of these
two checks from State Treasurer stuefer
Savage said he believed nothing was wrong
but would look into the case Before call
ing on the governor / had gone to see
State Superintendent Follmer. chairman OF
the purchase board, 10 lay the matter be-
fore him and not finding him left a note
The governor asked me 10 go and get this
note, which l did, so that he could look
the matter up himself Governor Savage
: went out OF his once, leaving me there, and
returned in a short time. saying that he
/ had found what | had told him TO be true
and expressed much regret and surprise
J He said he found that Neigh had used
! these two checks IN the transaction and
that coupons from go down TO az had been
clipped 10 pay Neigh and by him taken
. away. then returned 20 NY home 10
' Tekamah and sent Neligh's bid TO the gov
ernor and the governor answered my let
ter"
4 Sears here produced this letter from
Governor Savage, ia which the governor
said that Sears could rest assured OF any
, assistance he (sayage) was able to give
him In righting what from the evidence
seems 10 be a grave wrong" This letter
d was dated November IL, 1901. Continuing.
I Sears said