Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1909-02-24

lifted more than seven counties, be
said. my plurality would have been
nifty thousaa.d instead of what it Is
now.
As you travelled did you make any
arrangements for assistants in carry
ing on your campaign?"
No, replied tn, senator
/ Did you make any disburse-
ments!'
No.
Did you make any contributions
to organizations
The senator admitted small contri-
buttons made 10 churches and char.
table organizations. He did not re
member the amounts nor whether
the payments we're in currency or
checks. Later the candidate averred
that the contributions had no politi-
cal significance
Then started severe quizz in re
gard to the duties and the instruc-
tons of the managers. Senator
I Stephenson stated that he placed
$4,000 in the Marshal & Ilsley bank
lin Milwaukee. upon which Edmonds
drew for campaign funds Mr.. J.
Puelicher is the cashier OF the M.
waukee financial Institution
Did these men make any written
report of how they spent the money
entrusted to them?" the chairman de
manded.
No"
Did you make any agreement with
Mr. Puelicher, or Mr. Edmonds as to
their services or their disbursement
LOT the money?
The senator replied in the negative.
He let all the details to them, in
structing Edmonds to keep within
the bounds of the law. In amplit-
cation OF the report filed with the sec
re,ary of state the attorneys for
Stephenson gave a list of the expen-
ditures in which the total is Sill
.3S5.4s.
Senator Stephenson read .hese
sums FROM a batch of bank notes he
had With MIN. The amount in sever
.ai Instances had to be read to him by
his attorneys. The committee asked
for the stubs ii these bills. but the
senator said that they Were not in
mis- possession. The fac of the
checks did not show the purpose for
which they were issued and the sen
ator admitted that the stubs bore no
evidence OF what Ike checks covered
The notes were taken from check
books that are used for all other
business matters of the senator.
How did you know that these
were the checks that applied to the
campaign fund.-" the chair asked
i remembered that l signed them
for that purpose
Were these checks kept with other
Cancelled checks?"
Yes"
Who picked them out for the
present use?"
"My private secretary, Miss Mary
Stringham."
How Miss Stringham knew that
they were the ones used for cam.
paigning purposes and when they
were selected out took a long series
OF questions and answers.
The senator from Marinette couId |
not say what correspondence was
carried on between himself and his
manager. He keeps some letters on
file and almost always has carbon
copies made of his own letters. He
could not say if there were any in his |
Office at this time bearing on the cam
paign. He was asked to prepare ma
terial, in addition to the checks he
produced yesterday, which the com
mittee will call for soon. Assembly |
man Reynolds. it was brought out in
the investigation, received $3.50 for ex-
penses in the Stephenson campaign. |
Senator Stephenson did not remember
when the payments to him were made. |
but he thought they were paid in two
sums of 500 and $50
did you pay him before he became
candidate for the legislature?" the
senator was asked on this point.
Il think so"
Before he was nominated"
Il think it was" he answered after
some hesitation.
Senator Husting carried on some
cross examining after Senator Marsh
finished his guizzzing He wanted to
know if the items enumerated includ
ed money paid out to newspapers.
Senator Stephenson did not know.
Does the sum of your expenditures,
as presented today. include money
spent in newspapers or any daily that
wa are interested in financially"
asked the senator from the thirteenth
district
The senator replied that it did not
include the appropriations made 10 the
Milwaukee journal. One of the assem-
biymen of the committee interposed
the remark that no such expenditures
were included in this campaign. In re
Ply to Senator Hastings question why
the expense account was not filed
earlier, Senator Stephenson replied
that the attorney general said he did
not have to.
WAS it ready before last week."
No
"As a matter of fact it is not ready
even now"
The Marinette solon admitted that