Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-06-02
Ghost Of the Kretschmer Incl
dent Hamts the Railroad
Political Managers
THEY CAN'T CONCEAL
GrinneII College Students Expose of
the Deal Drives Them Into Panic
of Fear-All the "HoIIerine' About
Democrats Fails to Distract Public
Attention.
Special to Times-Republican.

Des Moines June 2.-The railroad
crowd have tried very hard to ignore
the Kretschmer revelations. They
have avoided discussion. They sent out
word to their organs to keep patting
kretschmer on the back and to call
him good boy but to make a big
talk about other things. But the
Kretschmer deal will not down.
When it reached the affidavit stage
the railroad politicians sat up and
took notice.
A young student in college at Grin
nell told what he knew of the case,
and he, having a conscience, did not
hesitate to make affidavit to what he
knew of the case Just how he came
into possession OF the certain knowi-
edge Of the terms of the proposals
made kretschmer by Ed Hunter did
disinterestede witness and OF such high
repute that there can be no doubt
about the facts. What he has said
merely COTTODOTaleS Wildl has pSSh
given out by others.
The fact is that a large number OF
persons were let into the secrets OF
the corrupt deal. 1t had to be so be-
fore 1t could be consummated. kret-
schmer had to deal with as crafty a
gang OF politicians in Dubuque as ev-
err betrayed candidate. The old
post office gang" which 1t was neces-
sary for kretschmer to kill off before
he could get into position to have
something to sell, politically, had to be
reckoned with in more ways than one.
Some Of them We're so delighted with
the deal as made by Ed. Hunter that
they began to boast. Kretschmer's
close friends had asked questions and
had obtained information and they
were engaged in talking about the deal.
Bits of the Information came to the
surface-and it did not come thru
friends Of the governor, either.
The terms of the deal made, the time
and place of the various conferences,
the political influences brought into the
case, and practically all other details,
are certainly known now to a large
number of persons. The whole story
leads direct to Washington. Prominent
Iowa officials are concerned therein.
Denials and protestations will not
avail. The people will get the facts
and decide for themselves whether they
care to approve of what is being done
in the name of party harmony.
When the affidavit was published
here in regard to the existence of
letter written by Ed Hunter, the Per-
kins manager, in which he gave brief
ly the terms which We're offered for
the purchase of the Dubuque delega-
ton, there was CONSERVATION in Hunt
ers office.
who gave the thing away?" was the
question asked on all hands.
1t was assumed of course, that the
facts must have leaked right out of
Hunters office. Possibly the truth
came out of the Perkins headquarters
office. But it was evident that the
Cummins people know a good deal
more about the deal than the Blythe
had been willing to admit.
Somebody must have told something.
A hasty conference was held. Every
body under suspicion was placed in
the sweat box" and some Of them
were put uIlueI lOCh anu heS Will q
special guard.
Then George Christian and Mr..
Hanes were sent by Hunter direct to
to get the young college stu
dent to do some gigging back. They
found that inasmuch as the affidavit
as printed had been telephoned from
Grinnell there were some slight errors
in it. They took advantage of these
and prepared an affidavit which APP
pears to contradict the first one, but
which in fact merely confirms it. They
forced the young man to sign it, under
threat Of prosecution. They are look
ing for other affidavits; but they really
fear that too much protesting will only
make it doubly sure in the public
mind that all the details as they have
been published will be con-
firmed
THE main facts in the case, that Ed
made the original offer and that
it. was most tempting one, were given
in this correspondence several days
before Kretschmer announced the sale.
The information on which that state
ment was based came direct from
standpat sources and from persons who
had actually seen the correspondence
which affidavits are now
being printed.
0S p