The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-09-11

THICAGO. Ill. Sept 10.-The third
4 sensational congressional investi-
cation authorized at the last ses-
sion or Congress viii begin on Sep
TENDER 20. when the Senate committee
on privileges and elections. OF which
senator J. G. Burrows or Michigan Is
chairman, viii meet iu this city for the
purpose Of investigating the wholesale
bribery charges I'm connection with the
election or Senator William Lorimer Of
Illinois. TO the United States Senate.
The Ballinger-Pinchot investigation
and the Gore inquiry into the sale OF
Indian lands in Oklahoma. have both
occupied the attention OF congressional
committees, and have developed some
sensational testimony. It is not be-
lieved. however. that tine Lorimer in
duiry will be devoid Of sensations.
The fact that Lee ONeil Browne
Democratic leader in the Illinois legis-
lature has been acquitted of the
charge Of bribinE members Of
the legislature TO vote for
the investigation. This is Brownies
second trial. the jury having failed 60
agree iu the first.
Charges that Senator William Lori
mer Of Illinois had been elected to the
United States Senate through the
wholesale bribery and corruption or IL
linOis state senators and representa-
tives. were first flung 60 the world on
June 80. Since then there have fol-
lowed wholesale indictments OF men
who are alleged to have paid the bride
money i'm the interests or Senator Lori
mer. OF men who accepted 10 and OF the
decision Of the United States Senate 10
investigate the charges thoroughly 20
determine II the Junior senator from Il
linOis should be allowed 20 longer grace
that august body with his presence.
4 Matter Of GOSSIP.
The election or William Lorimer to
the United states Senate was matter
Of speculative gossip for months before
Representative Charles A. White or st.
Clair county. Illinois. began hawking
his story of how he had been bribed Go
vote for Lorimer. among the newspapers
and magazines. Lorimer was elected
after the Illinois senatorial contest had
been in a hopeless deadlock for days
with the legislators determined not to
elect Albert J. Hopkins to another term
in the United States Senate. Finally
Lorimer stepped i'm on the scene. after
Governor Deneen had refused to be n
candidate, and was elected over Hop
kins by the aid OF votes recruited from
the ranks of the Democrats.
After Lorimer had taken his seat in
Washington and everything appeared to
have settled back TO normal calm.
came the confession" of Representa-
tive Charles a. White. White plunged
into his story with a vengeance. and
within few weeks almost every poll
tician in Illinois was involved in the
bribery scandal i'm some way or
other. The Democratic politicians
throughout the state were hit either by
part OF men who admitted they had
been bribed to vote for Lorimer.
According to the stories told by those
who had been drawn into grand jury
nets. the price paid for LOrimer votes
ran from $1,000 to $500. This last
amount was paid to state Senator Holt
slaw. banker and prominent member Of
the Baptist church I'm his home town.
BY his own confession he received
$500 for voting for Lorimer and de-
clarcd that the money had been paid
20 him in Chicago by state Senator John
Broderick. a West Side saloonkeeper
Of Chicago and man who had known
LOrimer intimately for years.
Tries to BIncISnpau Lorirner.
The first charges made by White
came after he had written letters to
Senator Borimer in Washington. init
mating that he wanted money FOR sew
eral purposes and also that he Intended
publishing book Of his experiences in
the Illinois legislature IL appears also
from things which developed after
wards in the investigation. that Repre-
sentative Lee O'Neil Browne. minority
leader In the Illinois lower house, and
man known TO be friendly to Lori
mer interests" tried to get White a
position through Lorimer.
Then came the charge on the heels
Of this that Lee O'Neil Browne was the
chief briber in the legislature and that
he had bribed White TO vote for Lori
mer by paying him $1,000. This CON
fession" on Whites part led TO confes-
sion from several other legislators
among whom were Michael S Link OF
Mitchell and II. J. c. Beck emeyer OF
Carlyle. They told the story OF how
they had been bribed TO vote for Lori
mer and Of how the money for their
votes had been paid to them by
Browne
Into this whole mass OF alleged cor
ruptiOn came stories OF extensive h-'l