East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1908-04-02
Couy Of Old Affidavit Regard
ing Penitentiary Deal is In.
earthed.
BELDHN II. GRANT SAYS
@sEER TOOK THE MONEY.
Reuiifasaence Of II. T. Geer's Term as
G3Ut6nSor OF OregOn-As Candl-
dlnteSfor Congress the ex-GOvernor's
HseUorl Is Closely SG'utinlzed-
Voters Have a Right to Know the
HNcts-COpy OF Affidavit by Beldcn
II. Giant Is Submitted.

The East Oregonian herewith pub
Mshes a copy Of an affidavit made by
IBelden II. Grant, deputy sheriff OF
Polk county Oregon, 1896 to 1898,
regarding the sale of the office OF the
superintendent of the oregon peni-
,4ehtiary by Governor T. T. Geer TO
II. b. Plummer then sheriff OF Polk
county. for the sum of $1,000. $2ee OF
which Mr.. Grant declares was passed
in his hearing in the sheriff's office
at Dallas.
The East 0regonian had heard This
charge made against Mr.. Geer, but
not until recently did II come into
possession of actual facts regarding
the same. As Mr.. Geer is a candidate
for the highest office in the gift OF
the people OF this congressional dis
trict, II is only fair and just TO the,
voters that the facts In this matter
be made public and a copy OF the
affidavit of Mr.. Grant is published
that the voters may know Just wnat
the charges are against Mr.. Geer, in
this matter The copy of the affi-,
davit is as follows:
Affidavit.
State OF Oregon. County Of Polk.
I. Belden H. Grant. being first duly
sworn according to law. depose and
say: That / am at present time n
resident of Pullman. Wash. Keeping
store In that city: that l was "A dep
uty sheriff OF Polk county. Oregon,
commencing in July, 1895, and ending
in July. 1898; that I have read the
denial OF Governor T. T. Geer as pub,
lished in the newspapers regarding
the matter of the purchase Of the Of
flee OF superintendent OF the state
penitentiary by Mr.. Plummer
Affiant further states thar During
the time he was deputy sheriff as
aforesaid, he became familiar with
certain facts regarding the purchase
as follows. towit: That on or about
the 11th day OF March, 1898, Mr. Geeri
came to Dallas to make a politicali
speech and while he was here Mr..
Plummer came to me and said that
Mr.. Geer would be over TO the office,
that morning; that he (Plummer) had
made Geer proposition and that
Geer would be over to answer It, and
at said time Plummer asked me to.
be present where / could hear the
conversation.
Shortly afterward Geer came to the
office and Plummer said, What do
you think Of the proposition Geer
answered that he thought It would be
good politics. At this point stepped
out OF the private office where we
three were. and partly closed the door
behind me. l remained in the gen.
4, eral office at my desk, which stood
'close to the door leading to the pri-
"vate office. The rooms were very
rsmall and I could hear their CONVEX
rsation.
~Plummer told him, "all right that
Fhe, could pay him 5000 down and the
balance OF the $1,000 after the con-
wention. They were talking about the
penitentiary at this time and Geer
then said that In consideration of
tin0se payments he would appoint
Plummer superintendent of the peni-
tentiary during his (Geer's) term Of
OnrtQe.
I'm said conversation Geer said he
needed the money to use in one of the
eaIem precincts. and that IL he had
this 1890 now he was sure he could |
elect delegates from that precinct ia |
vorable Ito his candidacy. At tnat
time I heard Plummer open the safe
and ooeut out some money. l do not
know Row much, but at this time 1
was bOOsokeeper Of the sheriffs Of
flee and Kept the cash account and |