The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1910-06-23
BRIBERY DEFENSE
SUDDENLY RESTS
States Attorney Wayman Begins
His Closing Argument.
CASE REACH JURY TONIGHT
Brownies Counsel Introduce But Few
Witnesses - impeachment of
Whites Testimony Depend
ed on for AcquittaI.

Chicago, June 22.-The closing chap
ter in the Browne bribery trial wal
begun before Judge McSurely, afte
the defense, torn by quarrels between
counsel and Misunderstanding had
crumbled like house of sand.
States Attorney Wayman began hin
address to the jury by explaining tn.
statute which covers the charge o.
bribery made against the minority
leader. He will be followed in orde,
by Attorneys Charles E. Erbstein, w
s. Forrest and P. H. O'Donnell.
Wayman Attacks Legislators.
The prosecutor made a savage at
tack on members of the Illinois legis-
lature in his address.
Murder is often excusable, the
statutes say So" he Numbered.
Larceny is sometimes justifiable.
"a man may be excused for stealing
to feed a sick child or an invalid wife.
But the legislator who sells his vote
has sunk to the lowest depths of degra-
dation, and only the man who buys II
can reach the bottom with him.
Asks Verdict Of Guilty.
ut is your patriotic duty, gentle
men of the jury, to bring In verdict
in this case that will be warning not
only to bribers in the Illinois legisla-
ture, but to the members of the law
making bodies in every state in the
Union"
Attorneys for the defense offered so
little evidence for their client that they
will be necessarily short in their con-
Guiding arguments. and the summing
up of the states case will require only
short time.
The case will probably be in the
hands of the jury by tonight.
Forrest Asks Case to Be ouashed.
Before Wayman began his closing
address Attorney Forrest made six diff
ierent motions to quash the indictment
against Browne and various parts Of 1t,
and in each instance was promptly
overruled by the court
When court convened Lieutenant
Governor John G. oglesby was on hand
to testify in regard to the alleged "po-
litical plot"
The sudden shift in defense plans
caused Mr.. Oglesby to be sent home,
and so other witnesses under subpoena
to be excused.
The fact that Browne himself did not
take the stand caused establishment
1t left the defense without any direct
denial made of Whites story that
Browne paid him $3.50 in the Briggs
house.
The case is being sent to the jury
with Browne depending on the testi-
mony of character witnesses, and the
attempts at impeachment of minor
points in Whites testimony
Reports Quarrel With Lorimer.
The failure Of Senator Lorimer to
take the stand and the abandonment
by Browne of the line of defense out
lined in Mr.. Lorimer's speech in the
United States senate caused a report
that Browne and the senator had fallen
out Color was given to this by the
refusal of Attorney Patrick H. ODon-
neil, Mr.. Lorimer's friend, to take part
in the conference of lawyers which i'm
mediately preceded the announcement
that the defense rested.
Browne called his lawyers about him
to confer. O'Donnell refused to join
the group. He said he refused, not be.
cause of any animus against the de-
PENDANT or his other lawyers, but be-
cause Judge McSurely had overruled
him in what O'Donnell thought was an
unwarranted manner.