Los Angeles herald., 1910-05-01
United States Senator from Ill
inoiS and Others FIay
Their ACCuSer
WHITE SWEARS HE GOT $1,000
SoIon Tells of Legislative lack
Pot from Which He Drew
5000 in st. Louis
[Associated Press1

| ~ HICAGO, April 3O.-Representative
Charles A. Whites sworn state
~ ment that he received $1,000 to cast
his vote for William Lorimer for the
United States senate and that he also
accepted 5000 as his share of an al
legged legislative Jack pot" met with
| general denialS today.
| The Chicago Tribune, in a copy
righted story printed this morning,
! stated that it has in it's possession a
sworn statement by White, a men,
ber of the lower house of the Illinois
| legislature from the Forty ninth dis
trict. charging that Lorimer was elect
| ed to the United States senate last
May by bribery and corruption. White,
| who is Democrat, says the money
was paid him by Lee O'Neil Browne,
| Democratic leader of the last legisla-
ture.
Browne, alleged by White to have
been the distributor of the Lorimer
money, arrived here today, as did SEN
| ator Lorimer. Browne declared that
White had rushed into print because
he had failed in an attempt to use
the story to secure hush money. Both
| Browne and Lorimer denied emphatic
ally the use of bribes.
| Robert E. Wilson, Democratic rep
| resentative from Chicago, declared by
White TO have doled out the Jack
|
of denials Browne admits having
been at st. Louis at the time White
| alleges the 'jack pot was distribut-
ed, but declares the Democrats who
assembled there were partisans of
| Browne who wished to arrange a ban
quet for him at his home town Browne,
according to himself, frowned on the
enterprise of his partisans and the ban
quet was called off.
SAYS BROWNE WAS LOBBYIST
According to Browne, White was
formerly a street car conductor at
East st. Louis, and later appeared at
Springfield as a lobbyist in favor of
labor bills. Then he was elected to
the lower house.
White in his charges stated that the
public might expect to hear him called
a bIacl1mailer, but that he was pre-
| pared for that; he was willing to suf-
fer ignominy in order to expose the
corruption which he declared exists at
| Springfield.
| In the course of an interview today
| Browne said:
'Since l became acquainted with
| White at the last session of the legis
lature he appealed 20 me several times
for loans saying he was in debt, hard
up, etc. On three or four occasions /
let him have $50 or So for which
hold his notes. Finally this borrowing
habit of his became too common and
| L wrote him a letter, advising him to
go to work and earn a living, like
other people. / even secured a posi-
ton for him, but it paid only SIS, and
he refused to take it. Then a coolness
sprang up. The next thing to come
from him was a remarkable letter. 1t
ran this way:
"T have written full story of my
experiences at Springfield at the legis-
lature. Those who have seen it de-
clare it is the best story the world has
seen. l wrote it for publication.
have used your name in ii with deep
regret, for 1 cannot avoid it and still
set forth the facts. I also have told
Senator Lorimer about it,
DID NOT ASK FOR MONEY
"He did not ask for money" con-
timed Browne "but the intimation
was as plain as if it had been in scare
heads that unless money was paid the
story would be published 1t was my
first intmation that he had gone into
the thug business. I looked at the situ
alton from every angle, and at last
concluded there was but one thing to
do-to ignore the letter and it's writer"
White was interviewed by States
Attorney Wayman today but the latter
would not divulge the nature of the
talk. White however, is expected to
tell his story to the special grand jury
next week.
The tribune tomorrow will say that
in relating his charge White gave the
names Of four other Democratic mem
bers of the general assembly who met
with him and Representative Robert
%. Wilson of Chicago in the Southern
hotel at ST. Louis, when a portion OF
the alleged bribe was paid.
The names mentioned by White are
Joseph S. Clark of Vandalia, Michael S.
Link of Mitchell, Henry S. Shepherd of
|
i Nashville, all of Illinois. Luke is now
dead.
The Tribune declares that in order to
ascertain what these men knew of the
! matter it sent an experienced cinvesti-
gator to each of them twice and sent
two of its stan TO eacn oL lhen On an
other occasion.
NAMES ARE ON REGISTER
If was first discovered, according to
the Tribune, that the register of the
Southern hotel showed that Robert F.
Wilson was there on July Is, 1909, the
date on which White declared that
Wilson paid him $500 as a bribe for
/ voting for I4orimer. Tslis money, White
/. said. was paid him by Wilson while In
a bathroom occupied by Wilson in tho
hotel
sentative in the legislature that elected
Lorimer admitted at his first interview
with the Tribune investigator that he
had talked with Wilson alone in the
bathroom. When asked If he had re-
Hceived any money from Wilson, he re-
plied
'Tt's nobody's business If received
money or did not"
In a subsequent interview Link said
he desired to withdraw that statement,
as receiving money under such circum
stances would be accepting bribe.
In an interview with Representative
Clark he declared he was unable to re-
member the ST. Louis meeting with
Wilson. He could not recall receiving