The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1909-10-22
BRIDGE GRAFT is
AGAIN TALKED OF
AT GRAHAMYILLB
Barkley's Compromise Of the
Smedley Shortage With
Bonding Co.
LiehtfoOt Cement Plant is
Under Lease.
OLLIE JAMES Is IN THE COUNTY.

Disregarding the request of his
friend, Alben Barley has made the
affidavits an issue in the county cam
paign again, and last night in the
debate between Thomas ". Hazelip
and Alben w. Barkley, candidates
for county Judge, at Grahamville, the
people had the first opportunity to
hear both sides OF the bridge graft.
Rapt attention was given both speak
ers, while Mr.. Barley used jokes as
a means TO gain applause, but during
his address proper not even Col Gus
G. Singleton applauded.
When Mr.. J. T. Ollphant, presi-
dent OF the Vincennes Bridge COM
pangl made his AFFIDAVIT he requested
both speakers not to use his name
and the name of his company in the
county campaign any more At Mas
sac neither Mr.. Hazelip nor Mr..
Barkley mentioned the bridge graft
in their main speeches, but in the re-
say that Mr.. Hazelip was through
with the affidavits and with sarcasm
said, Bud. YOU have got enough of
the affidavit business" Last night
Mr.. Hazelip said he regretted that It
was necessary for him to disregard
the request of Mr.. Ohphant, but Mr..
Barley had dragged It into the cam
paign and it was necessary for him
to defend his side.
From the first Mr.. Hazelip dis
cussed the bridge graft as he had
gathered from the records, and
showed how the committee had gone
east on the junket. and on the re-
turn decided TO build two concrete
bridges. He said that Bert Johnson
did not stand for reelection as road
supervisor, but became a bidder for
the work. He recited the difficulty
that was had in giving the bid to the
Vincennes Bridge company, and how
hard the fiscal court tried to keep
the lowest bidder from giving bond.
Mr.. Hazelip produced the affidavit
of w. l.. Bower and read II to the
audience, and then he told the COM
plete story of how Mr.. Oliphant took
Mr.. Bower into his confidence. On
the night of August Mr.. Bower
walked into saloon and around a
table sat Mr.. oliphant with a crowd
of county officials. They laughed,
and remarked that Mr.. Bower re-
sembled Mr.. Oliphant, and for sew
eral hours Mr.. Bower remained with
the party. During the conversation
Mr.. Oliphant remarked that he want
ed to purchase a tract of land. Fol-
lowing this, Mr.. Bower told him OF
land in the county he owned, and
that night arrangements were made
with the Tully Livery company to
furnish a rig early the next morning.
ON August 4.
On August 4 Mr.. Oliphant and Mr..
Bower drove to the county, and after
| inspecting the land returned to the
city. and on the return Mr.. Bower
swore that Mr. Oliphant made the
statement about the fixing of the
gang. Mr.. Hazelip showed that the
same day Mr.. Bower told prominent
Democrats of the statement, and II
was the talk OF the streets before II
was mentioned in the campaign.
Mr.. Hazellp said Mr.. Bower was a
man who would be in Paducah every
day, and that he was a man whose
veracity was never questioned except
by Mr.. Oliphant. He said Mr.. Bower
was a citizen who had no interest in
the bridge graft, while Mr.. Oliphant
has not Vet received his money for