Omaha daily bee., 1910-12-14
LORIMER CHARGES UNPROVEN
Subcommittee Decides no Foundation
Exists for Charges.
ASSERT BRIBERY is NOT PROVEN
News of Action is Communicated 60
Colleagues IN senate, Although
the Members Refuse 90 Dis
cuss Result.

" AClnANAuION. ltGs Aas-Ane EuuN0Il-
mittee of the senate which has been in
vestigating the charges OF bribery in con-
nection with the election OF Senator VIII
liam Lorimer Of Illinois Monday decided
unanimously the testimony did not prove
any OF the charges made.
The committee took up the evidence in
its entirety at an executive session. 1t
canvassed the testimony weighed the evil
dence and the arguments and took into
consideration all the facts that have been
advanced In connection with the charges
! concerning the Lorimer election. The mem
bers decided there had been shown no
foundation for the charges that bribery had
entered into the election.
The motion finally was offered to report
to the full committee of the senate
On this motion there was no dissenting
vote. Following this action the subcom-
mlttees report will be prepared for the
full committee at once and will be sent to
the senate within short time.
The subcommittee consists OF Senators
Burrows, Michigan; Buckley. Connecticut;
Gamble South Dakota; Hepburn, Idaho;
republicans Frazier. Tennessee: Paynter.
Kentucky. and johnson of Alabama, demo-
Gratis
These men conducted the hearing and
practically all the testimony OF the case
was taken in Chicago The testimony Of a
few witnesses, taken in Washington de-
veloped little Of Importance.
Full Committee to Meet.
The fun committee may meet late this
week. to receive the subcommittee's report
but no session Of the fun committee has
been called.
The proceedings OF the subcommittee to-
day were executive, all members declin-
ing to discuss their action. A resolution
was adopted, by which all members agreed
not to divuge any Of the proceedings or to
discuss the vote until after the matter had
been submitted TO the full committee The
full committee consists entirely of lawyers
and II is expected they viii Judge the evil
dence from technical viewpoint, much the
same as a court would do. The report was
current about the senate that an informal
canvass of the committee had been taken
and not one member would vote to sus-
tain the charges. This. however, was not
confirmed.
There is no doubt that the action of the
subcommittee reported today is correct
Although the members refused to discuss II
publicly. news of the action was commune
Gated to their colleagues in the senate, who
are not members OF the committee.
History of Case.
The charge that Senator Lorimer had
purchased his seat in the United States
senate was first made when a confession
of Charles A. White, member of the Iui-
nos legislature from OFallon, a former
street car conductor and labor lobbyist at
Springfield, was published in a Chicago
newspaper April 30. 1910. The names of
State Representative Lee ONein Browne
H. ]. c. Beckemeyer, Michael Link ana
Robert f. Wilson were mentioned as hay
ing been involved.
White declared that he had been paid
$1,000 for his Lorimer vote by Browne, the
minority leader at Springfield White him
self was a democrat and Senator Loriner
had been elected by a combination of demo
Gratis and republicans after the legislature
had deadlocked for months in the vain
effort to elect a senator
To States Attorney Wayman of Cook
county, Beckemeyer and Link are said to
have confessed they had received money
after voting for Lorimer. At the same time
States Attorney Burke OF Sagamon county
took up an investigation Of the charges
and forced from State Senator d. w.
Holstlaw a declaration that he had been
paid $500 for his Lorlmer vote by State
Senator John Broderick a Chicago saloon
keeper and democratic friend of Lorjmer
| Indictments were returned against the men
IN Doth COOK ana Sagamon counties.
Lee o'Neill Browne was tried twice in
the criminal court of Cook county. The
first time the jury disagreed on June 2s,
after having been out for a longer period
than any other jury in the history of the
! county. His second trial ended September
s, when second jury returned a verdict
OF not guilty. Browne has been reelected
to the Illinois legislature from La Sale
| county.
As result OF the charges end subse,
quent indictments, Senator Shelby M. Cul-
lom introduced a resolution in the United
States senate asking an early and complete
investigation of the election III Senator
Lorimer. On September IS the senatorial
investigating committee convened in Chi
cago.
The formal charges OF bribery were pre-
sented by the Legislative Voters league.