The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1909-04-30


committee but in every case the tes-
timonyl seemed to justify their recall.
AS an instance of this, Henry Over
heck. former state game warden, who
during the first inquiry told of the ex-
penditnre of a large sum in behalf of
Stephenson in the primary, appeared
and told of money paid out by him to
aid Stephenson while the deadlock was
on in the legislature. He testified that
he received SS13 from State Chairman
e. A. Edmonds, $145 of which he paid
to d. H. Davis, private detective,
whose work it, was to watch the mem
bers' comings and goings and in a few
cases talk Stephenson to them. Be-
sides this sum, Davis received an ad
ditional sum, under $780, from Ed
monds. the check passing through
Overbeck's hands.
"MoraI Suasion" Work.
G. G. Wayland, business partner OF
EdmOnds, also remained in Madison
during the deadlock, his expenses be-
ing paid by Edmonds. He had charge
of portion of the moral suasion''
work, and he denied vigorously that
he had offered any brides or done any
thing illegitimate during the deadlock.
He admitted calling Assemblyman
TOWne, Democrat, out of the joint
convention On the day of Stephenson's
election, and holding him in a small
room adjoining the assembly chamber
while the roll was being called. 1t was
the absence of Towne and two Demo-
cratic colleagues, Farrell and Ramsey,
that really caused the election of Ste
phenson on that ballot
Richard White of Milwaukee told the
committee that LaFollette had prom
iSed him the United States marshall
ship of the eastern district of Wiscon-
sin, but hadn't kept his word. He
also said that his hiring of Democrats
in Milwaukee to work at the polls for
Stephenson was nothing unusual; that
it was customary" Some of these
men, it turned out, were also election
inspectors.
Letter Caused Amusement
E. L. lmmel, former game warden
of Blair, Trempealeau county-the us
trict formerly represented in the as
sembly by H. l.. Ekern-said Frank
Brown, another warden, asked him to
contribute to Governor Davidson's cam
paign fund and told him he conld get
it back by padding his expense account
and charging it up to the state I'm
mel said he refused to contribute and
later resigned Amusing in this con.
nection was Immel's production of
letter written to him by Chief Warden
Stone after the latter had received his
last installment of Stephenson money
The letter warned lmmel that the lat
ter was trying to- keep this depart
ment out of politics.
On Thursday Assemblyman thinner
man told of hearing Assemblyman
Domachowsii say that he believed the
three Democrats had stayed out of the
last joint convention because they got
something He also said he heard
Assemblyman Leuch of Milwaukee say
that an agent of Stephenson offered
him anything he wanted if he would
vote for Stephenson.
leuch Corroborates Zimmerman.
The next day Leuch corroborated
Zimmerman. saying the agent in ques-
ton was Davis, the Stephenson private
detective Davis, he said, did not ask
him to vote for Stephenson, but offered
him anything he wanted if he would
only remain in the chamber to help
keep up quorum-that he didn't care
whether Leuch voted for Stephenson or
not. Leuch said he refused
Following Leuch, Warden Stone
again appeared, and among other
things he said that after he had paid