Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-20
BAILEY MAKESDEFENSE
he DENIES ALL CROOKEDNESS
ABOUT THE RANCH.

AUSTIN, Tex, February 2O.-United
States Senator Joseph w. Bailey testified
yesterday before the legislative committee
in reply to charges preferred against him by
Representative Cooke Senator Bailey re-
viewed his life's history from the time he
came to Texas from Mississippi in 1885 and
began to practice law and entered politics.
He was elected to Congress in 1890 and to
the United States Senate in 1901.
He said he met David r. Francis in 1891,
when Roger Q. Mills was candidate for
Speaker Of the House. He cultivated the
acquaintance of Gov. Francis and his as
sociates of the Missouri delegation, hoping
thereby to advance Mr.. Mills interests.
Mr.. Bailey said he formed a close friend
ship with Mr.. Francis and never passed
through st. Louis without stopping to see
him.
In reply to the charge that he Galley
had been in deal with a brother Of Gov
Francis and other parties, Joseph Sibley
among them, in the Gibbs ranch transact
ton, Senator Bailey said that he had first
known Mr.. Sibley in 1892, and that he was
then, as he is now, a clean and honorable
man.
Senator Bailey said he had no Intention
at first of purchasing the ranch, but that
Mr.. Gibbs had told him about the land and
Gov. Bob Taylor of Tennessee, Senator
Charles A. Culberson of Texas and to HIM
self Bailey and keep a quarter. He told
Mr.. Gibbs that only Senator Culberson was
financially able to purchase the land but
at Mr.. Gibbs solicitation he went to look
al the land. He said he then thought he
might sell the land for Mr.. Gibbs, who was
anxious to dispose of it or might get as
s1stance in buying it himself.
Senator Bailey said he secured an option
on the property and later closed the option
with the understanding that the deal would
not be consummated until after his cam
paign for senator had closed.
Later Gov. Francis transferred his Pecos
county lands to Mr.. Gibbs and the Gibbs
property was transferred to Gov. Francis
who had furnished the greater part of the
There remained due to MIR. Gibbs about
$500, of which he paid $4,000, obtained
from the Red River National Bank of
Gainesville, and the balance was paid to Mr.
Gibbs out of the sale of the crops
There was also a debt of $4,000 on the
cattle, and later he negotiated, with the
help of Gov. Francis, loan of $4,000 from
st. Louis bank with which he paid debts
of $4,000 and 1900 owed to Texas banks
Senator Bailey also stated how he had
settled the Indebtedness for the Gibbs ranch
and cattle by reading part of his testimony
at the investigation in 1901. He also ex-
planned how he had paid the st. Louis debt
by the sale>of cattle.
Senator Bailey explained that after it
had been charged that he had received the
Pecos county lands as a fee from the
Waters-Pierce Oil Company he had deter
mined to relieve Gov. Francis of possible
further embarrassment so he persuaded
Mr.. Gibbs to deed these lands back to
Francis. He said Francis neither made
nor lost by the deal.
Senator Bailey said he cleared about $780,
600 and would have made more could he
have held the land. but. not having the
money and the political differences arts
| 10 nrpf9rrpd n
Senator Bailey said Gov. Francis never
discussed any legislation with him or
sought his aid for any measure except the
worlds fair appropriation. He had never
known Of any legislation in which Francis
was interested, directly or indirectly, ex-
cept good citizen or democrat He
said Francis had never mentioned H. C.
Pierce to him except through the letter of
introduction.
He said Francis and a man named Cobbs
had asked his support for the worlds fair
appropriation. and he told them they were
wasting breath. as he was unalterably OPP
posed to appropriating public money for
any such purpose. He said he thought he
had been paired when the proposition for
the s5.O80,O0O appropriation came up.
When the proposition came up the sec
ond time he was in the Senate. and he had
resisted it and almost defeated it, offe. ding
his st. Louis friends, who had thought he
would support it because of a provision
| relative to shipment of cattle which had
been made part Of the bill.