The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-03-12
DIETRICH INVESTIGATION
Contradictory Testimony Is
 Brought Out.
Leopold Hahn and !. s. Williams Give Evidence As to tho Alleged Manner Of Anctioning on
 Postmastsrships.


 Washington. March l1.--The Senatorial Inquiry into the charges against sena< tor Dietrich. of Nebraska. began today before the special committee in Senator Hoar's committees room The inquiry which was instituted under the dahaand of Senator Dietrich. is for the purpose of probing the charges on which the EonH-I tor was indicted last fall in Nebraska. and which was dismissed on demurrer. The committee consists of Senators Hoar. Piatt (conn.). spooner, coczreI1 and Pettus. &
 Leopold Hahn. postmaster at Hastings from 1897 to 1901. was tho first witness. He was succeeded in once by Mir. Fiah1r. n reply to questions by Senator Hoar, MT. Hahan related conversation with Fisher on April a. 1901, relative to hln tFisher's) appointment as poBtmaskar
 He asked me- said witness. what the ofice paid. told him s2.5ee. He said that was what Dietrich wanted him 70 pay for the office. He also kold ks,a that Adam Breed had said that DiStrfch had asked him s2.Soo. or s7eo a year for four years. He asked me what had paid Mir. Thurston for my appolnkmenf. and said not one cent.
 Note Not Negotiable.
 Witness also said that Fisher had questioned him As to whether he (Elsh6r) would nave to pay a note for the ezEG0 IF he should give one,s and the witness said. he had volunteered to investinafe that point for him and had done so. nse. ung legal advice that such note would not be negotiable. At a later date Fisher had come to his store with a William Dutton, and they had announced that they were there for the purpose Of .'nx- 4n 4r4fT1. retired. He was told afterward that tl,e matter had been arranged.
 Replying to question from Mr. Hoar MT. Hahn said that when Mir nlatrieh was elected he had niv1n np ail issan an to being continued as postmaster, for ha understood from various sources fhae Dietrich was after his scaip.n
 Asked if his feeling towards Dfbtrieh was very friendly. he admitted that it was not.
 Afr. Hahn also testined to Fisher'a char acter. and said that Fisher had supported Dietrich iOyally. Fisher told him that he tFtsher) was friendly to him (TTahn) for reappointment, but had told him he was satisfied that he GIahn) could not get it.
 Wanted Senator's Scalp.
 Witness said Fisher had told him that Dietrich had said to him that Breed was to give $2S00. The witness admitted that he talked with Breed more than once, and that Breed had told him the story of his offer was true.
 T was candidate for the position of postmaster before the Senatorial fight be- gan," said the witness, but Mr. Dietrich said to everybody that could not have the place. He, had always fought me be- Tore when ran for office while I had Loyalty supported him" He admitted he had frequently said that it was long road that had no turn, ''and that he would see when Dietrich's, term was out he dld not get another eIection.''
 Had to Fay Dietrich.
 On reassembling J. 6. Williams of Has tings, was called to the stand. He said he was editor of The Hastings News. The witness said that Hahn stated to him that Breed had offered 500 a year for the postofIice. He at once went to Fish CT and told him that Hahn was circulat- ing stories about the ofIice. Fisher asked the witness what he thought about the rumor of Breeds offer, and T told Fish- er.' said Williams. 'that knowing Diet rich as did, did nt believe he would appoint Fisher on friendship basis" The witness then said Fisher stated to him (Williams) that he did not believe Breed could pay that amount of money. Fisher then told the witness that he did not be- Al1NC uC S04A0 kEt any ttAAAB ALCIl Afk@tAtCA without paying for it. The witness said he later asked Fisher about how he settled the Breed matter, and he replied: T had to raise Breeds bid" Then the witness told of another conversation he had with Fisher In which Fisher said that he could not pay the campaign assessment which was 500. and that Senator Dietrich had stopped of in Lincoln and made the assessment good.
 Fisher. according to the witness. said: Charlie (spealing to Dietrich) would not have done it. I would not have paid this sum of money to be Senator"
 TO this Dietrich replied: Never mind Jake (referring to Fisher) that Is noth- ing. have tn appointment of an tie postmasters in the South Platte and ther0 are ways of making money on the side in the Senate"
 Witness said this conversation took place in Jacob Fishers barber shop fin Hastings. There was no one present ex- cept Fisher and the witness. Witness said that his first choice for the post mastershIp in Hastings was Leopold Hahn, but knowing that Hahn could not be appointed, he was for Fisher against the field. Williams said 1t was notorious that candidates for postmaster had to put up for campaign expenses of Senators
 No Money for Thurston.
 Senator Hall remarked that Hahn had testified that he had not paio ex-Ssnator Thurston cent for his appointment as postmaster at Hastings. To this the wit ness replied that Hahn was a member of the Legislature which elected Thufston. William said he did not object Co Sem ators getting back their campaign ex- penses but he thought Dietrich was get ting more than he deserved. and he came out in opposition to the Senator The witness stated that he and Dietrich had had a disagreement early in his career fin Hastings. but that had been settled The witness stated that he had volun- teered to give Distries, Attorney Summers the several conversations had with Jacob Fisher growing out of the Hastings post office when the attack on Summers look ing to the latter's removal from office be- gan.
 On cross examination the witness said that Mir, Fishers reputation was good The witness said that Dietrich had struck