The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-01-17
ST. LOUIS BREWERS AND THE MISSOURI ELECTION
INVESTIGATION OF THE STATE
 SENATE COMMITTEE.

1 - @z- t----- No Direct Evidence to Show That Con-
 tributions of Beer Men Were for the
 Purpose of Influencing Legislation- ] Niedringhaus, Republican Caucus
 Nominee for senator. Did Not File Complete Statement of Receipts of His Committee.
 Jefferson City, Mo, Jan. l6.-Thomas K, Niedringhaus, republican, caucus nominee for United States senator to succeed Francis M. Cockrell, and re- publican state chairman, did not file a complete statement of receipts of his committee' in the recent campaign, as required by law, but mo direct evidence has been offered to show that contribu- tions to the republican state campaign fund by St. Louis brewers were for the purpose of influencing legislation" ac- cording to a partial report of the sen- ate investigation committee made to- night.
 The committee says it is not ready to report on federal patronage and it's in huence in the senatorial caucus, and it asks for more time for consideration. | The partial report from it's committee to the senate which had been investi- gating the charge that Adolphus Busch and Otto Stifel, St. Louis brewers, had contributed largely to the Missouri campaign fund to influence state iegis- lation, and that these contributions had ! been turned in by Niedringhaus as an item of s21, ,2S7.51 contributed by himself, is signed by all members ofSthe com 1 nfttee, including two republican sena- tors. It finds in substances:
 That Niedringhaus was chairman and acting treasurer of the republican state campaign committee of Missouri in the campaign of 1904, and that he kept no 7 separate bank account of the funds re ceived by him, but deposited the same in his personal account in the National Bank of Commerce in St. Louis.
 That Niedringhaus, in his official verified statement of receipts and ex- penses of his committee. entered among the receipts an item fs21, ,2s7.51 accred- ited to himself; that, as treasurer of the campaign committee, he did not file a complete statement of the receipts of his committee as required by law; that s2,5OO of the s21.237.51 was contributed by the Annheuser Busch Brewing asso- ciation internationally and later I0,0O0 I by Ad0lphus Busch, with the under 5standing that said sums were to be re- l funded if the amounts could not be pro, l cured later from the republican na- tional committee; that for the prepay tment of these sums Neidringhaus was i. in no wise personally liable; that no mention of these sums in detail is made in Neidringilaus, verified statements. The committee finds that Otto E. Stifel agreed to pay Niedringhaus on demand $6,250, and this money was ad- vanced by Niedringhaus as acting treasurer, but he failed to show that fact in his statement of campaign re eeipts, and that no direct evidence has been offered to show that the contribu- tions to the. republican state campaign fund by Ado1phus Busch, the Annheus' er-Busch Brewing association or Otto F. Stifel were for the purpose of in fiuencing or affecting the legislation in the Missouri general assembly.
 During to-day's session of the com 1 mittee Representative Cook of Howell l county testified that an attempt had been made to buy his caucus vote for Niedringhaus.
 Representative Cook said he voted In the caucus for R. c. Kerens. He de- clared that Postmaster Hallenbeck of l West Plains had made the advance to him., saying he came direct from the headquarters of the republican state committee in St. Louis. where he had talked with Mir. Niedringhaus, the state chairman. ..s... ..
 Mir. Westinghouse to-day denied that either Hallenbeck Or any other persons had any authority to make any repre- sentations on his part and said further:
 q made no promises or pledges of any kind to anybody, either before or after the senatorial caucus. E.
 R. C.. Kerens tonight said that he did not wish to be interviewed at pres ent concerning the senatorial contest at Jefferson City. q
 Interest in the senatorial situation is 1 at fever heat tonight i'll all Missouri as balloting in the legislature for a successor to Senator Cockrell is sched- uled for Tuesday.