Evening star., 1904-03-11
THE DIETRICH INQUIRY
Investigation Of Charges
Against Nebraska Senator.
HASTINGS POST OFFICE
ALLEGATIONS BY LEOPOLD HAHN,
FORMER POSTMASTER.
Testifes That Fisher, His Successor,
Told Him Dietrich Had Demanded
$4,000 for the Appointment.


The senatorial inquiry into the charges
against Senator Dietrich of Nebraska be-
gan today before the special committee in
Senator Hoar's committee room. The IN
quiry, which was instituted upon the de-
mand of Senator Dietrich, is for the pur-
pose of probing the charges on which the
senator was indicted last fail in Nebraska
and which were dismissed on demurrer.
The committee consists of Senators Hoar,
Platt of Connecticut, Spooner. Cockrell and
Pettus.
All of the members of the committee eX-
cept Mr.. Spooner were present wnen the
inquiry began. Senator Dietrich was IN at
tendance, with his attorney, H. "A. BATTERY
of Hastings. A number OF witnesses also
we're present. Mr.. Dietrich repeated ms
wish that the investigation should be the
fullest possible.
Alleged Conversation With Fisher.
Leopold Hahn postmaster at Hastings
from 1897 to 1901, was the frst witness
He was succeeded in that once p9 MI
Fisher. In reply to questions py senator
Hoar Mr.. Hahn related a conversation WIN
Fisher on April %, 1901 relative 10 ms
fFisher's) appointment as postmaster. ne
asked me, SalQ WltueSS, Wii'N
fice maid. 1 told him 81, 500. He said that
was what Dietrich wanted MIN 10 pay ~
the office. He also tod me that Auail piesu 49,.
had said that Dietrich had asked mn
81 800 or 500 a year. for the 1our years.
He asked me-" the witness continued. What
/ had paid Senator Thurston for my ap-
pointment, and l said not cent.
The witness also said that Fisher had
Questioned him as to whether he F'isher)
would have to pay note for the SZ,5oo IL
he should give one, and the witness salo
that he had volunteered to 1nvestSate tnat
point for him, and had done So getting
legal advice that such a note would not be
negotiable At a later date Fisher had come
to his store with a William button, ana
they had announced that they were there
for the purpose of fixing up the post OF
flee business" and he-retired He was told
afterward that the matter. had been ar
ranged. He then produced memorandum
which. he said, he had made on the DAY OF
the conversation thirty minutes after 1t oc-
Cured.
Replying to a question from Mr. Hoar,
Mr. Hahn said that when Mr.. Dietrich was
elected he had given up all idea of being
continued as postmaster, because he un-
derstood from various sources that Diet
rich was "after his scalp.
Not Friendly 90 Dietrich.
Asked if his feeling toward Dietrich was
very friendly, he admitted that it was not.
Mr.. Hahn also testified to Fishers good
character, and said that Fisher had sup
ported Dietrich Loyalty. Fisher had told
| him that he (Fisher )was friendly to him
(Hahn) for reappoihtment but had told him
| he was satisfied that he QIahn could not
| get II. or
| Mr.. Battery cross-examned Hahn. and
| the witness said that he had known Fisher
| for twenty-five years. He said that Fisher
| had told him that Dietrich had said to him
| that Breed was to give 81, 800. The witness
| added that he had talked with Breed more
than once, and, that Breed had told him
| the story Of his offer was true.
Il was a candidate for the position of
| postmaster before the senatorial fight be-
gan said the witness, but Mr.. Dietrich
said to everybody that 1 could not have the
place. He had always fought me before
when / for Office, while | had loyalty
| supported him.
| He admitted that he had frequently said
| that ''it was long road that had no turn,
and that he would see that when Dietrichs
term was out he did not get another cleo
| ton" He would not admit, however that
/ he had said that he would spend $4,000 TO
| beat Dietrich.
| He had given Mr.. Fisher his word of
! honor that he would not repeat the con-
versation, but admitted that he had shown
| the memorandum to his deputy half an hour
| after 1t was written. After / had written
| 1t l thought I'd better show it to hin so
| that some one would know in case of nv
| DEATH he said
| Pope's Conversation With Hahn.
John D. Pope was the next witness. He
/ is former Nebraska state senator an at
| torney who Mr.. Hahn testified had ad-
| vised as to the course Fisher would have
| TO pursue with the note for 81 500 which
Fisher had told Hahn he wanted to give to
| Dietrich for the postmastership
1t being understood that Mr.. Pope's testi-
mony would be of hearsay character. the
committee decided to admit it. While hold
| ing that 1t was not regular Mr. Hoar said
| that this conclusion had been all the more
| easily reached because Of Mr.. Dietrich's
| willingness to admit everything
| Pope said that he had had a conyersa-
| tion with Hahn on the train between Lin
coin and Hastings. r Hahn had asked him
| whether a note given for the purpose of
securing appointment could be defeated
| and he had answered in the affirmativ
He also said that at the same time Hahn
! had told him that Fisher had agreed to
pay the $500 to Dietrich for the office and
| wanted to know if he gave a note for that
| sum If he could avoid paying it,
On cross examination the witness said
| that Hahn had not shown any great feel
ing, but that, knowing that there had not
| been good feeling between Hahn and Diet
| rich, he had supposed that the condition
| of affairs had grown out of that circum-
| stance. He had not given serious consid-
era alton to the matter and lad not thought
| of it as seriously rejecting upon the char
| acter of Senator Dietrich. Mr. Pope said
| he had been the republican candidate in
the Hastings district for Congress. and that
| ferred several post office nominations to
| him, and that there had been no pecuniary
| consideration in any of those cases.
AT the conclusion of Mr.. Pope's testimony
the committee took, recess until pm.
| Hahn's Mem Morandum.
The following isnntife memorandum re-
ferred to in the testirhony:
| Conversation held between Leopold Hahn
and Jacob Fisher sn sregard to the post
| master which Mr.. Dietrich will cause to ap-
point. or for sale, as as you might call it, to
| the highest bidder Here is Dietrich's pro-
| posal to Fisher: 80 VI
| the new room called the Dietrich building,
which win cost abSpt 5000 to $500
Second, to pay for Al coal during the
pay for the, janitor''s work which will
salary salary of the postmaster an and 'p give - it to to
Dietrich. Beside this the government will
nishing and heating the said Dietrich
building.
What kind of senator have the people
| got in Nebraska?