The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-05-03

contempt.
Prosecuting Attorney Stone, of Cole
county, upon whom devolved the duty
| Of directing the work of the Grand Jury,
stated before the investigation opened,
| that he did rot believe there was any
| thing in the charges Of legislative bood-
! ling. Governor Dockery persuaded At
/ tcrney General Crow, who so successful
| IL prosecuted the Heralds case against
| the Beef Trust in Missouri, to assist the
| prosecuting attorney in the investigation
| The boddle investigation reached its
present acute stage through revelations
made by Lieutenant Governor Lee. Ii
was soon learned that the wholesale brib-
| cries had a ST Louis end After the
close Of the Legislature many Of the law
makers came over II the World Fair
City to receive their rewards.
a few days after the adjournment it
came to light that several prominent
politicians received large sums in ST
Louis hotel Circuit Attorney Folk.
whose reputation as a scourger of the
boodler IS national. was called upon to
take up the St. Louis end, and this did not
help to allay the alarm of the boodlers.
\ day or so after that Lieutenant Gov
ernor Lee returned to Jefferson City and
turned over TO Attorney General Crow the
s.. OCO check which he said ne had received
from Daniel Kelley. of New York, the
legislative agent" of the Baking Powder
Trust. SAYING it had been given to him
fek days before the close of the session.
1t had been sent to him through his
brother Robert E. Lee, who has been
conducting his brothers paper, the In
I'm 4 N
been actively engaged in politics. 1t was
sent to him as q reward for ''favors
which he had shown. Just what these
favors were the Lieutenant Governor has
set forth a sixteen page statement which
he made under oath to the Attorney Gen
eraI
In it he has detailed a complete history
OF the alum legislation from the time
the first bill was introduced in the Mis-
rouri Legislature, in 1899, its passage I'M
der cover, and the two subsequent at
tempts by the Independent manufacturers
to repeal the law.
1t is said that the Lieutenant Governor
has told In plain figures just what money
was spent at each session of the Legis-
lature and who received the specific sums
In this list of lawmakers who are men
toned are five senators who stand high in
their respective communities. Several
several others are mentioned, but the
facts and figures are not quite so clear
in their cases.
With this statement OF the situation
in their hands the two Grand Juries have
little difficulty in directing their ques-
tions with an accuracy which is often
startling TO the witness. This was clear
ly shown in the case of Senator Frank
Farris, who was so unwittingly caught
off his guard that he admitted he had
received a thousand dollar bill from Col.
William H Phelps, who has been known
as one Of the biggest lobbyists in the
State for years.
Farris was so completely surprised that
he made a full acknowledgement before
he knew what he was doing, though he
he is known as one of the shrewdest poll
ticians in the Missouri General Assembly.
Farris quickly recovered from the first
shock, however, and all attempts to get
him to tell why the money was given
to him were of no avail. In the light
of past developments it is not hard for
the Grand Jury to arrive at some conclu-
sion regarding the present.
>
an inquiry SO sweeping and thorough
that Circuit Attorney Folk says he can
develop clews enough to keep the Grand
Juries busy for months. If witness
proves refractory and tells an untruth
about the boodling, he viii be indicted
at once on the charge of perjury, which
is a penitentiary offence the same as
boodling, and thus he is at once under
4, ho
incriminate himself and if he tells false
hood he can be indicted for perjury This
is an old tricl, of Mr.. Folks. and it proved
highly successful in the recent investi-
cation into municipal bribery.
Since the recent expose Lieutenant Gov
ernor Lee has been on the travel as much,
probably as any man in the State. He
has gone from pillar to post and con-
ference has followed conference in such
succession that all kinds of rumors are
afioat.
Lee was placed upon the Democratic
ticket to give St. Louis democracy repre-
sentation at the top OF the State ticket
and help swing the city back into the
Democratic ranks.
At the inc Lee was conducting his pa
per fer gTocers. At the first session Of
the Legislature after his election a bill
was introduced and passed as a pure
food measure, prohibiting the use OF
several ingredients in the manufacture Of
food products. There was a long line
OF poisoas mentioned in the bill, and then
followed alum at the end. Nobody paid
any particular attention to the measure
and it passed. It was not until a few
Gays before the law was effective that the
baking powder manufacturers OF the State
learned thar such a law had been enacted.
1t practically lesislated them out OF
business and save a monopoly 10 the
Trust By preventing independent concerns
from selling alum powders in the State.
As the tIast controls ninety-five per cent
Of the cream Of tartar in the United
States. the independent concerns could
not manufacture that kind of powder.
and hence they were compelled 10 shut
down. violate TIE law or move out Of tie
State.
Several Of the large concerns moved
away. taking millions OF dollars out II
the state. 1t the next session Of The
General Assembly a united attempt was
made by the Independent manufactUre -
20 pass a bill - repeal the law. but they
encountered difficulties almost too NUM-
erous - mention
Former Governor William J. Stone.
u ho mad made mere than one camp s.ign
as the trust buster" ~ Missouri. app
peared before the legislature rs the
president II the Missouri Health Society.
and vigorously fousht ,Ae u.l 90 repeal
declaring that K would oe q cr4mc against
the heath II the State 20 allow PRISONERS