The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-06-18
ARKANSAS DOODLE SCANDAL.
SIX MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLA-
TURE UNDER INDICTMENT.

TURE UNDER INDICTMENT.
They Are Accused Of Bribery and Perjury
Tho Investigation Not Ended-A
Trap Said to Have been Skiifully Laid
for BOOdlers-The Web Of Evidence.
LITTLE ROCK Ark, June l7.-Six men,
bers OF the last General Assembly, includ-
ing the President OF the Senate, are under
indictment on charges Of bribery. perjury
and conspiracy, and 1t Is believed that at
least as many more indictments are yet
to come. Arkansas may therefore be said
to be facing one Of the greatest political
upheavals that any State in the South,
with the possible exception OF her northern
neighbor, Missouri. has experienced.
Since the Pulaski county Grand Jury
undertook about three weeks ago an in
vestigation OF the charges OF boodling
made in connection with number OF meas
ures before the Legislature. disclosures
have come in rapid succession. Some OF
the leading members Of both branches Of
the Legislature have become involved in
the scandal and some evidence has been
introduced before the Grand Jury which
Is declared to have brought the inquiry
near to the Governors office.
Prosecuting Attorney Lewis Rhoton of
the Little Rock district, who instituted the
investigation is the man OF the hour in
Arkansas. He is already being doomed
for Governor and IL called second Joe
Folk.
The record left by the Grand Jury at the
close of it's first session Is as follows:
A. ". Covington. president OF the Senate.
indicted on two charges OF receiving brides
senator A. T. Gross Of Crawford county.
senator A. W Rison Of Perry county. in
dcted on charge of Offering bride.
senator H. Toney Of Jefferson connty.
one of the Senate leaders, indicted on a charge
OF soliciting a bride.
Reprrs entative George F.. Chapllne of Mon
roe county. leader in the House. indicted on
charges OF bribery and conspiracy to obtain
a bride.
Representative G. , andrews Of Nevada
organ, indicted on charges of Offering aud re-
ceivinH brides
With the arrest OF these legislators and
the prospect of other indictments have
come charges that the last General Assem-
bly, as whole was rotten with corruption.
1t is charged that more than 500 900 was
disbursed as n corruption fund in the Senate
alone, and that sum almost as large was
put into the House.
1t is said that doodle was used to secure
the passage or defeat of at least dozen
bills. These included the Killough levee
bill, which was the result of a bitter fight
between Gov, jeff Davis and Lieut.. Coy.
O. n. Kilough the pure food bill; similar
to the one which figured in the Missouri
Doodle scandal; the State Capitol bill, ap.
propriating $500 900 for the completion of
the new Capitol building now. in course of
construction; the Felsenthal bill, dividing
Union county into two districts and naming
as the county seat Of the new district the
town of Felsenthal. recently founded by
q No nv EalSap hol family the fepDhOna
bill, requiring the long distance tele-
phone companies to make physica connec-
ton with independent lines, and the Cache
River levee bill, providing for the erection
of big levee district
The biggest sensation was caused by the
indictment of President Covington OF the
Senate. President Covington has been one
Of the closest friends and stanchest sup
porters Of Gov. Davis, and he had been
regarded as a probable candidate for At
torney- General or Governor.
He is charged with accepting bride OF
SO 900 from Caldwell & Drake. the con-
tractors who are building the new State
II ouse to Influence his vote on the state
Capitol bill. He is also charged with hay
ing accepted a hrbe Of $1,000 from Ike
Felsenthal to influence his vote on the Eel |
senthal bill Senator Covngton led the !
fight from the floor Of the Senate for
passage of the Felsenthal bill over the
Governors veto.
Senator Gross is charged with soliciting
a bride Of 81 500 on the pure food bill and
with perjury; Senator Rlson with Offering |
another member a bride Of SIPS on the |
killough levee bill; Senator Toney with
soliciting bribe Of 5000 on the telephone
bill, Representative Chaplne with offer |
ing another member a bride Of $l25 on the /
kiIlough bill and with conspirng to secure |
bride Of $500 on the Cache River Ievee |
bill; Representative Andrews with Offering
and receiving brides IN connection with |,
the Killough bill.
The indictment Of Senator Gross brought |
to light the operations OF detective who |
was brought here early in the session to
spy upon the legislators. The detective
represented himself as ar agent of bak-
ing powder company, and under that guise
did considerable lobbying in connection !
with the pure food bill. His trap was
carefully laid, and in the evidence given
before the Grand Jury it is alleged that
Senator Gross. walked into it.
II has developed since the adjournment .
of the Legislature that the plans for the
investigation were made at the beginning
OF the session, and that throughout the four
months session some Of the best detectives
that could he secured in the country had
the members constantly under survel-
lance Some of these detectives worked
under Circuit Attorney Folk in uncovering
the boodlers in Missouri and were secured
by Prosecuting Attorney Rhoton upon the
ADVICE Oh MT. + OH
1t is said that some of these detectives
acted as bell boys in the hotels in order to
gain access to the rooms Of the legislators.
story is told Of one detective who lay
under bed in a room at one OF the hotels
for eleven hours waiting for certain ex-
pected events to occur.
Girls in the telephone exchanges are said
to have been in the employ Of the pros
ecuting attorney and to have recorded
certain long distance telephone messages
which will be presented to the Grand Jury
before the investigation ends. The pros
ecutng officials made every effort to keep
their operations secret and during the SEES
sion OF the Legislature the members were
unconscious Of the traps which
had been laid for them.
1t has generally been believed that the
whole investigation was started by Gov.
Davis and until the arrest Of Senator Cow
in gton, argument in support Of this oonten-
ton was found in the fact that all of the leg
islators indicted were either pronounced
anti-Davis men or had opposed some of the
Governors pet measures.
The indictment Of Senator Covington is
held 10 indicate that the Governor is not
exerting as big an influence over the inves-
tigation as was at first supposed This has
given rise to the general belief that before
the investigation ends men high in the