Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1909-05-05

GAME WARDEN DECLARES STATE
CHAIRMAN ASSURED HIM OF
SECRECY.
A RESOLUTION BY CHAIRMAN
MARSH TO CALL EDMONDS
FOR CONTEMPT.
Madison, April %.


That State Chairman E. A Edmonds
had promised him that his name and
his connection with the disbursement
of $4,000 in the interest of Senator
Stephenson would not be exposed was
Ole of the most important statements
of State Game Warden j. W. Stone
before the senatorial Investigating
c}3nmittee yesterday afternoon. Mr..
Stone occupied the witness stand dur
ing the entire afternoon and the COM
mittee received further valuable tes-
timony regarding Stones part in the
primary campaign and the disburse-
ment of the $4,000 received from Ed
monds.
The feature during the morning ses-
sion of the committee was resolu-
ton drawn by Chairman Marsh, in
which the name of E. A. Edmonds
was certified to the senate and the
legislature for disregarding subpoe-
Edmonds is now in Washington, D..
c.. and in the opinion of the members
of the investigating committee ne mas
wilfully disregarded the summons to
bring him TO testify. The committee
recommends that he be cited for con-
tempt of the senate and the leglsla-
ture and that proper steps be taken
at once.
An interesting feature in the cross
examination of Game Warden Stone
was a statement, that Deputy Bowman
of Waukesha had told him during d
conversation in the primary campaign
that ".Jim'' Thomas, present assem-
blvman from Waukesha, ought 10
have some help, as he has a hard nsn'
before him. This was after Bowman
had received the Stephenson money
h,,+ stone could not state whether ne
baa Given Thomas any financial help'
MORNING SESSION.
piobor5 Never of Lancaster,
Grant county, Assistant casnler VI
the Union State bank, was the hrs1
witness to be called before the IN
vestigating committee yesterday
morning. He had worked for Ste
nbenson during the primary cam
naisn and had received in all the
sum of $500 in two installments'
5000 and $500. The 5000 had come
IN him after the primary election.
did you receive any money from
any of the other candidates. asked
Senator Marsh.
Il got a check for 500 from Mr..
Cooks headquarters, said Mr.. Mey-
er. 'Mr. Orput, Cooks manager IN
Grant county, tried to persuade me
to work for Cook and wanted 10
know how much money | would
need. I told him / didn't want any
money and that if l expended any
money for Mr.. Cook / would send MIN
a bill. They sent me some htno-
graphs which l did not post ana
afterwards l got the check for SlOO.
AS | hadn't done any work for Mr..
Cook. I returned this money 10 Mr.
Ornut through Mr.. Webster, the
postmaster of Platteville."
How did you expend the Stephen
son money!
81 gave $500 to Mr.. Webster, the
pos master. l did not give him any
specific instructions and did not get
anv statement from him as to how
he had spent the money. | don't
know what he kept for his personal
services
What became of the rest of the
money!"
"One hundred and fifty dollars l
gave to Mr. AL. Phillips, lawyer OF
Bloomington, to expend in the inter
est of Mr.. Stephenson in that part
of the county. l don't know how
he spent that money. The last $50
/ kept myself for personal expenses
and my services
Did you know at the time you
spent this money that Senator Steph-
enson would be required by law after
the campaign to file a detailed state
ment of his money expended? And
old not YOU know that he wouldn't be
able to do so if you did not keep
track of your disbursements and ex-
penses?" asked Senator Marsh.
Il did not know it at that time"
The witness could not remember
anv of the details of his money ex-
penditures but thought that some
went for livery hire, travelling ex-
penses, postage. etc.
Upon questioning by Senator Marsh
it developed that Mr.. Meyer had dis
tributed the money to Webster and
Phillips after the primary election,
and that these people had spent their
own money previous to this.
Would you have spent any money
for Stephenson or hired any workers
for him if the $500 had not been
promised to your"
Il certainly would not have spent
my own money and would not have
hired any help"
That division in the stalwart fac
ton in Grant county was the real
cause of Meyers lining up for Steph-