The Neshoba Democrat., 1910-04-07
JACKSON.
BILBO TELLS HIS TALE.
Gives Details of His Alleged Bribery
Transaction.

Transaction.
In the senate Thursday Senator Bilbo
| opened his narrative. He stated that
| the plan to act as detective and ascertain
whether corrupt methods were being EN-
ployed in the senatorial campaign first
occurred to him about the 23d of JAN
| uary, when two women, guests at
| local hotel told him that he could sell
his vote for a good round sum; that he
communicated this fact to several of
ex-Gov. Nardaman's supporters, among
| them being Judge w. H. Potter, Ben
| F. Ward, Jr, T. ?. Barr and others,
and suggested that trap be laid to
catch the bribers; that they told him to
20 ahead and see what he could do. A
day or so later, said Bilbo, he arranged
to meet Mr.. Dulaney. For some reason,
| however, this arrangement was not car
ried out, but he finally opened nego-
tiations direct with Dulaney and agreed
to sell his vote for $1,000, a part to be
paid in advance and the remainder after
the settlement of the senatorial con-
| test.
|
made OH January 26, and amounted to
$3.50. A few days later he obtained an
other $3.50, and again, 500. The final
payment was not made until Il week or
so after the selection of Senator Percy,
on Feb. %, and amounted to $245. This
was paid, he said, in Dulaneys room
at the Edwards, and the latter remarked,
"Bilbo, don't you think this is enough
for you, old fcllow?" to which he re-
piled, Il guess this will serve my pur-
pose"
To corroboratc his own statement, Bill
bo claimed that DR.. Culpepper, the New
ton College president, occupied a room
Lemon; that he made DR.. Culpepper
fully acquainted with his plan, and
hoped to have him present when por-
tion Of the money changed hands, as an
actual witness, but did not succeed i'll
doing so. After receiving one of the
payments, however, he showed it to Dr.
Culpeppcr and told him that it had been
given him as a bribe, to change his vote
in the senatorial contest, and wanted
him to remember that the money had
been shown him.
According to Bilbo, his original agree
ment with Dulaney was to cast his vote
for eX-Gov. Longno, but to vote for
Percy on the showdown in the senato-
rial contest that he did not do SO, but
kept on voting for Vardaman.
Regarding the disposal of the bribe
money, Bilbo said that he told Judge
Potter that he had received it, and the
latter told him not to make any of the
facts public until after the senatorial
contest was settled; that he took $500
of the money home, gave it to his wife,
told her how he had obtained it. and
requested her to keep it until further
orders. The remainder he kept in his
own possession.
When summoned before the Kinds
county grand jury he took the entire
sum-$645-and turned it over to that
body. His wife had made a memoranda
showing the number of the greenbacks
in the bundle.
Senator Blbo stated that he had ac-
qualnted other supporters OF eX-Gov
Nardaman with the fact that he had OBJ
tained the money from Dulancy, and
cautioned them to remain silent until
he instructed them otherwise
Friends of Mr.. Dulaney declare that
they have evidence in their possession
that will tear his story to tatters.
Blbo was allowed to tell his story in
his own fashion, and was rarely inter
ruptcd with questions, except when they
were necessary to bring out material
points more clearly.