Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-06-23
ARGUMENTS
IN THE BROWNE
BRIBERY CASE
STATES ATTORNEY WAYMAN As
SAILS ILLINOIS LEGISLATOR;
ERBsTEIN SEES 6LAckMAIE
PLOT AGAINST LoRIMER.

Chicago, June 22.-State'a AttOrney
Wayman resumed his argument In
the Browne case this morning. He
declared the evidence wiped out the
possibilities of presumption OF
Brownies innocence and said Whites
story Of the bribery was fully cor
robOrated by Representatives Beck
meyer and Link. Three OF Brownies
attorneys will follow Wayman, who
will then close.
Attorney Erbstein for the defense
made the open declaration that the
whole plot was blackmail and that it
was Lorimer and not Browne the plot
ters were after.
Mr.. Wayman in opening his argu.
ment said:
you gentlemen may live to see cor
ruption grown deeper than has been
manifested in this case, but when cor
ruption is deeper than is clearly
shown in that case, Illinois will have
States. Your verdict in this case
will straighten out the legislature OF
Illinois for thousand years. Your
verdict will not only straighten out
the legislature Of Illinois, but will
OuL luo IGS1SldLuTC III
every state in the union.
"Murderers can go unpunished, lar
ceny is often excused by the law, and
man may go out In tn night and
rob to feed starving family, but
there is no justification for brobery.
1t cannot go unpunished.
Democratic Votes for Lorimer.
"The fact that more than fifty
Democrats voted for Senator Lorimer
a Republican, shows in itself that
there was bribery. Representative
White was thus bribed to elect a
member to the only body in our fed
eral government that can declare war
or effect peace for the millions OF our
population.
1T was a gigantic moment for
Browne, the minority leader, when ho
tried to elect Lorimer. II he had fail
ed what amends could he have made
to his constituents? AS long as he
succeeded, the Democrats could go
back to their constituents and make
some sort of apology because he had
succeeded.
And now we come to the place
which is the venue Of this crime.
White and the defendant meeting
in the Briggs house in Chicago, White
goes to the room of Browne the day
after they arrive Browne is partly
dressed and hasn't got his coat on.
Hello, Charlie. I've been waiting
for you,' Browne says.
Browne then laid seventeen $50
| bills on the table and White picked
them up. He put them in an en-
velope and put that in his pocket
Browne says, You will need safety
pin to hold the envelope secure and
he gave White pin.
Browne had on a blue belt, bulg-
ing with money and White cautioned
him about such careless display.
Browne touched a revolver and said
| he was not afraid. Browne told
White then that he was going to the
| Southern hotel in st. Louis to pay
Lorimer money to other legislators.
White and Browne "Black."
"A floodgate Of imprecations will be
opened on White by the attorneys for
| the license in their arguments. But
! you can't make any different color out
Of White and Browne. They are both
black and both are guilty.
"The only thing before you Jurors
is whether Browne paid White $3.50 in
the Briggs house here In Chicago.
Browne paid $1,000 to Link and
Beckemeyer in st. Louis because 1t is
no crime to do so there. 1t is out of
| the Jurisdiction of Illinois. The laws
| of Illinois do not extend to Missouri,
| so he could, not be punished for what
he did in st. Louis"