The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-10-01
In Screaming Voice, Senator
Mixed Up in HanIy Charges,
Asks Further Investigation
Of Case.
DECLARES REPUTATION
AND CHARACTER AT STAKE
Senate Delayed Several Hours
Before Adjournment Owing
To Investigation Findings
Are Vague.

y. indianapolis, Oct. $50 much Tor
the governors special session. 1t ad-
iourned yesterday afternoon and last
night. 1t adjourned in sections. First
the house quit and then the senate.
The senate would have quit at the
same time as the house. at 3:15 but
for the fact that Senator Wickwire
found joker in the report which pur-
! ported to exonorate him, along with
the governor and representative Knise-
ly, on the bribery charges. 1t was
not exactly a joker, either, because
one did not need to search very hard
~ find the cloud that was cast upon
senate found it necessary to have an
in yestigating committee of its own,
which investigating committee spent
three hours in arriving at the conclu-
sion that both Knisely and Wickwire
were honest in their beliefs but that
there was a misunderstanding and
that Senator Wickwire did not intend
&c make any improper proposal to Mr..
Knisaly." The senate then quit at
6:15 after ratifyiug it's committees
report, though flag had been draped
over the face of the clock and the
official adjournment time recorded as
3:15, the same as the house.
So much for the session. Some
things it has accomplished, some
things it has not. The county local
option bill has been made into a law.
This was, of course. the real object of
the session. The danger of state in
stitutions finding themselves without
funds because of an oversight in the
appropriation acts of the regular ses-
sion, was removed There were two
other reasons for the session-the i'm
minent danger of Indiana being night
ridden and the need of rerea ing the
act by which Vincennes university
was given $120,000 at the regular ses-
sion. The Senate passed a bill to ap-
propriate $4,000 for a secret constab-
ulary to deal with the night riders.
The house traded the bill off for the
privilege of adjourning one day earlier
than might have been the case. The
vincennes bill never got hearing,
anywhere, though there were repeated
rumors of Governor Hanly and his big
/ lick. It was never, introduced in the
senate and never came from commit
tee in the house.
Committees Finding.
Eut out of the noise and confusion
OF the sensational short session, Gov
-ernor Hanly came forth with the
things he really wanted. No person
doubts this very strongly. 1t looked
for time that Hanly had soiled his
hands In his labors with the unwilling
house on local option, but the investi-
eating committee removed that i'm
preston, officially. Here's the COM
mittee's very words:
I'VE further find that there is no
evidence in said record that the Hon.
J. Frank Hanly. governor of the state
of Indiana, offered or rendered Rep
resentative Knisely any position, Off
cial or otherwise, or any consideration
to influence his vote on the county
local option bill. nor did he authorize
any other person to make any such
offer.
i asfWe further find that Senator Wick
Re and Represe NATIVE Knisely had
tain conversations prior to the pas
10 OF said local option bill relative
his vote upon said measure (the ev-
nee as to what was said at said
\ he's and places being conflicting)
kk6m which Representative Knisely
hferred that certain improper induce
hofn ~,
luence his vote on said local option
6ili; but from all the evidence we
lind that Representative Knisely did
bot intend to accept any position if
ny were rendered and that Senator
Nickwire, IL he rendered or offered
ny position. had none at his disposal
hor did he have authority from any
bther person to make any such offer
br tender.
your committee deprecates the
naking OF affidavits, such as the one
Involved in this investigation. from
1hich inferences of improper conduct
hight be drawn"
This satisfied the Governor and Rep
xssentative. Not so, the Senator. and
Hat Is not strange. Senator Mating
~, who had been counsel for Wick
5ire before the committee made a
3trong speech. attacking the finding.
TIE was followed by Wickwfre hix11f.
! Who, starting out mildly, woundE 5Eft
impassioned an appeal as to r
8 .teever heard, for justice at tk1c
n HIS fellow senators. The
q 1ecIared, neither cleared
|yficted him; to effect comp