Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1906-02-01

washington, Jan. 29.-By authority
of President Roosevelt. correspond
ence was made public at the white
house recently relating to the
methods alleged to have been EN-
ployed by the attorneys for the beet
packers who are under Indictment al
Chicago, to influence opinion in behalf
of the packers.
The documents include a communi
cation made to Attorney General
Moody by District Attorney Morrison
of Chicago, setting out certain al
legei facts regarding the payment Of
money to Chicago newspaper report
er by an attorney for the beef pack
ers; a letter from the attorney gener
al to the president, transmitting Mr.
Morrison's report; and a letter from
the president to the attorney general
directing the publication of the cor
respondence in order that the public
might be informed of one situation, al
least, which the government has to
meet in prosecuting the case against
the packers. The history of the case
is given in the letter to Attorney Gen
eral Moody from United States Attor
ney Morrison, dated Chicago, Jan. 18
This letter follows:
Sir have the honor to say that
on the ewenty-seventh day of Decem
Der, 1905, Judge George w. Brown
I Mr.. Hasler, who is a reporter for the
packers in beef trust case, gave to
Mr.. asler, who is a reporter for the
Inter Ocean and who reports the pro
certain amount of money, ostensibly
as a Christmas present, the exact
amount l do not know, and directed
him to give 500 of it to- Mr.. Elwell
who is a reporter for the City Press
of Chicago, and who is also detailed
to report court proceedings in this
case, and whose reports are used by
all newspapers of Chicago, and large
ly by the Associated Press. Mr.. Has.
Ter had intimated to Mr.. Elwell that
H6 was SOluS " ISCclfS d pa SoCul
and on that day met him in the cor
ridor of the federal building and
handed him $780, Mr. Elwell declined
to take it and he pushed it into his
pocket with Judge Browns card and
told Elwell that Judge Brown had sent
it to him. Mr.. Elwell went to his EN-.
ployer and told him about it and his
employer told him to take the money
and give it to Judge Brown, which he
did. and Judge Brown told him that
he did not mean anything by it, that
he just wanted to make him a Christ
mas present.
After Judge Brown knew that
was familiar with the facts, he came
to see me. He had learned that we
knew about the matter. His explana
ton was that complimentary articles
had been written about him in the
papers and he thought Mr.. Elwell
wrote them and that he gave the
money to Mr. Elwell out of gratitude
for what he said. l do not remember
any articles especially complimentary
to him, but am having the matter
looked up to see whether there were
or were not. Judge Brown also ad'
mitted to me that he gave Mr.. Hasler
money at the same time to retain for
himself. The amount that he gave
Mr.. Hasler was not stated. Judge
Brown stated that the money he gave
was his own money and that his eli
ents knew nothing about 1t"
Attorney Morrison inclosed a re-
port from Captain Porter OF the secret
service regarding an interview with
Hasler. 1t says:
He (Hasler) said he did hand
money to a reporter at the time and
place mentioned, but ne would not, at
the present time, tell me why he did
II nor from whom he obtained the
money. He was bitter against the
president and attorney general for the
manner in which Secretary Morton
and the Santa Fe Railway company
were let of etc. He further said the
department of justice is corrupt and
that if he dared to do so he would
write it up, etc. He said that when
the proper time comes he will tell all
about 1t and probably write it up,
though when he does so, we viii be
disappointed, as there Is nothing to
Nowhite House, Washington, Jan. 26,
1906: Sir:--In view OF the fact that
there seems to be no opportunity for
action before the counts against the
counsel of the beef packers, Emo, 1t
appears from District Attorney Morri-
sons statement, has been guilty OF
bri5.ng reporters, the reporter having
disseminated false and misleading