The Oskaloosa herald., 1910-09-29
.LOR|MER SCORES
AGAINST HIS foes
Senators Bar Hearsay Evidence
in Bribery Case.
WILL AFFECT JACKPOT TALES
Committee Rules Accuser White Must
! Not Testify to What Others Told
Him Concerning Bribe
] Charge.

b Chicago. Sept. 2S.-United statet
Senator William Lorimer, whose right
TO his seat in the upper house OF con
gress Is TO be determined by a senate
committee, won a series of victories
Senator Burrows, chairman of the
committee, ruled that no hearsay evi
dence relating to bribery in the cleo
itlon OF, the senator could be given BY
the witnesses at the inquiry In prog.
ress.
The decision was given after Mr.
Burrows had read a long decision
made by similar committee which
investigated the election of Senator
George e. Spencer on charges Of hav-
Ing obtained his seat through bribery
and corrupt practises, and found him
not guilty. The precedent decision
pointed out that II could not be estab-
hshed that Spencer ever paid money
for vote or had knowledge Of bribery.
In both trials of Lee O'Neil Browne,
who was charged with purchasing a
vote for Lorimer, efforts were made
by the prosecution to show that the
senator had cognizance OF the alleged
corrupt practises. This alleged con.
nection between the senator and the
alleged bribe-takers and bribe-givers,
however, was not shown.
In all published accounts of corrup-
ton In Springfield no link was ever
forged to connect Lorimer directly
with the men who are said to have
purchased votes for him All that was
shown was that he had told certain
Democrats he would be thankful to
them II they supported him. t..
Status Of "Jack-pot" Tales. d..
Under the ruling of the commit
tee neither White nor any other Wit
sness can testify to anything that any,
other member OF the Legislature told
him This will affeet the Jack pot"
evidence in that each witness will be
allowed to tell what he received in
the st. Louis hotel bathroom, but will
not be allowed to say what any other
member said he got
To testify with regard to the
Jackpot" at all every witness will
first have to establish that the money
he received in st. Louis was part of
his consideration for voting for Lori
mer.
The decision followed long argu-
ments by Attorney Hanecy and Attor-
ney Alfred s. Austrian, who is pre-
senting the case against Senator Lori
mer. It hinged on a statement of
White that Representative Joseph s.
Clark of Vandalia had told him on a
boat trip that he received 81 900 for
voting for Lorimer
Loriner Gains Second Point.
Immediately after the decision was
given White was placed on the stand
1t required quarter of an hour for
the committee to decide whether to
admit a question put to White by At
torney Austrian. This was:
After receiving the money from
Lee O'Neil Browne in Chicago did
you exhibit It to anyope?"
After wrangling between attorneys
Chairman Burrows ruled in favor OF
Attorney Hanecy. marking a second
victory for Senator LOrimer.
Tells of Selling Story.
White was allowed to tell of the
terms under which his statement was
printed In the Chicago Tribune. He |
said that he first submitted the manu-
script TO Doubleday, Page & Co.. |
Ridgeway's and the Kerr Publishing !
company, by all of whom 1t was re-
jected.
He then took It to the Tribune, who
agreed to publish 1t, according to a
letter signed by the managing editor
and produced In court, the considera-
ton to be $3,250.
White Manuscript Ruled Out.
The original manuscript. said to
have been written by White, which he
sold to the Tribune, was offered In
evidence by Attorney Austrian. Mr.
Hanecy objected to its being intro
duced into the record.
The committee sustained the objec-
ton of Attorney Hanecy. Chairman
Burrows refused the plea of the prose-
cution's contention of the manuscripts
by saying:
"A statement of the witness in
writing cannot be Allowed at present"