Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1906-06-22
HOUSER HELD FOR TRIAL
JUDGE DONOVAN DECLARES IN DE-
CIsION HE BELIEVES THAT A
CRIME WAS COMMITTED.
REFUSES TO DISMISS CASE
Opinion Causes censation in Capitol and
Politicians Are Wondering What
Effect It Will Have.

MADISON, Wis, June 19.-[Special.l
was this morning held for trial on
charge of attempted bribery of Insurance
Commissioner Zeno M. Host.
In municipal court Judge Donovan rem
dering his opinion said that he had given
the matter as much careful attention.
thought and study as he was able to III
the time in which he had had the matter
under advisement that he had carefully
considered the briefs that had been tlcd
by the counsel for the defendant and
the district attorney. and had come to
crime committed.
Call Jury Today.
Mr.. Houser's bond was fixed at $4,000.
The information will be filed tomorrow
morning at 8 O'Clock, at winch time the
jury will be called and also the time for
the trial will be set 1t is doubtful if
Mr.. Houser will come to trial before
June % or 20. His lawyer said he had
business at st. Paul for about a week
A few minutes before 10 o'clock Mr..
Houser, accompanied by his son-in-law,
Mr.. Jackman, walked up into the mu-
nicipal court. Following right behind
him came District Attorney Gilbert.
The only other persons in the courtroom
at the time was Chief of Police Baker
and Deputy Secretary of State Fred
Minor.
Mr.. Host Is Silent.
Shortly after this, Attorney Jones and
Jackman's partner Mr.. Richmond, came
in. Judge Donovan then walked into the
court and took the bench. Insurance
Commissioner Zeno M. Host did not APP
81 IL JNnt 1f
the decision.
Madison Is Stirred.
The decision of Judge Donovan has
created something of a sensation in cap
itol and political circles. 1t was hardly
expected in these quarters that Mr..
Houser would be held. In their argu-
ments before Judge Donovan some weeks
ago Mr.. Houser's attorneys had asked
that the action be dismissed on the
ground that if there had been an at
tempt to bride Commissioner Host that
Host would not have been the bene-
fciary, as the alleged bride was to be a
contribution to the Republican campaign
fund.
Further Faction Split.
There is the opinion here that the de-
cision will have great tendency to split
the dominant party in the state into
more bitter factions. Mr.. Houser is a
candidate for reelection. While he has
not announced that he is allied with any
OF the states now in the field, it is GER
tain that he will cast his fortunes with
Irvine l.. Lenroot who is the candidate
of Senator La Toilette. Just how this
will affect Mr.. La Toilette is problem
atical. There is one report here that
the junior senator will not return to the
state in the face of the decision and
take the stump for the Lenroot faction,
as he has intended to do.
What Host May Do
Host. on the other hand, has been at
outs with the La Toilette wing proper
and while he is not candidate for re-
election, will probably throw his strength
with the Davidson-Connor combination
which opposes the Lenroot faction, as
the result of the break which the state
Republican chairman had with La Fol-
lette last winter while Mr. La Toilette
was governor.
How Trouble Started.
The arrest of Mr.. Houser grew out of
Commissioner Hosts charge that Mr..
Houser in 1908 offered to give $4,000 to
the Republican campaign fund if Host
would decide favorably a question af-
fecting the Equitable Life Assurance
company. Mr.. Host made the charge in
his testimony before the legislative Gem
mittee in Milwaukee.
District Attorney Gilbert, who is the
prosecutor, is Republican candidate for
attorney general.
Search for Luscombe.
At the insurance investigation Mr..
Host swore that the secretary of state
handed him a prepared decision in the
famous Equitable insurance case in 1908,
then pending before the insurance de-
partment, brought by a policy holder to
compel the society to make distributions
of its surplus at least every five years.
The so-called decision was handed to the
secretary of state, according to the lat
ter, by Lobbyist Bob Luscombe with the
request that he carry it to Host. Houser
told Host, according to the latter, that if
this prepared decision or one of similar
effect were rendered the society would
contribute $4,000 to the La Toilette cam
paign fund
District Attorney Gilbert has been
searching to locate Luscombe, who, if he
could be found, would be the star wit
hess in the case.
Attorney Gilbert is said to consider
Luscombe as guilty as Houser, if the
latter is guilty. If Gilbert could find
Luscombe he would doubtless try to have
him brought back to Wisconsin.