The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-10-07
Democratic Leader Denies All
 the Charges Made
NEVER GAVE ANY MONEY
Browne Tells Why He Went to See Diff
 ferent Legislators and Denies Any Connection With the Jack Pot Funds

| O
 mer to the United States Senate
 Browne was tried twice on a charge
 of bribing Representative Charles A.
 White to vote for MT. Lorimer, but
 did not testify in his own behalf. The first trial resulted in a disagreement
 and the second in acquittal. He has still
 to stand trial on an indictment mak-
 ing similar clfrges, returned at Spring
 field.
 There was stir when Browne's name
 was called by the senatorial commit
 tee, which is Investigating MT. Lori
 mer's election. The witness talked
 composedly. entering a sweeping de-
 nial of any wrongdoing in connection with the election. He is a lawyer, and l his attorney, Thomas Dawson, found
 little to do in advising his client as
 to his answers.
 | Browne said he was but slightly ac- quainted with White before the open
 ing of the legislative session, during
 which MT. Lorimer was elevated to the Senate by combination of democratic
 and republican votes. | During the session, however, he met White frequently and helped him with
 bills in which White seemed deeply l interested.
 "I felt for him." said the witness. | Securing Eorimer Votes
 The matter of securing democratic
 votes for Mir. Lorimer. the witness
 stated, was first mentioned to him in
 casual way by Representative David | Shanpahan. Later about three weeks | before the election, Shurtleff came to | his room and asked him, In effect,
 how many of his following among the
 democrats would be willing to vote
 for Mir. Lorimer.
 He asked me how many of my
 boys would vote for MT Lorimer,"
 related the witness. T told him things were in such a
 condition-the session had dragged on
 so long-a good many of them want
 ed to end the deadlock. As for my self, I could not tell how I would
 vote, not having considered the mat | ter.
 | f"I told Mir. Shurtleff and later MT. Lorimer himself that no democrat
 would vote for MT. Lorimer with my
 consent unless they Speaker Shurtleff
 and Mir Lorimer) would give me their
 words that no democrat should voto
 for Mr. Lorimer until his election was | assured"
 Browne testified that he saw Senator
 Lorimer and Speaker Shurtleff ire
 cuently after having decided to support the former and that he talked to many
 democratic representatives, including
 White. Beckeyemer, Shepherd, Link
 and Clark, all of whom have testified
 before the senatorial committee.
 T told MT. Lorimer that according
 to my best information there would | be 30 Browne democrats who would
 vote for him.
 This was on May 24 or possibly
 said the witness.
 Not All Interested | Continuing, the minority leader said
 he did not personally see all the mem- berS of his faction about their votes
 on the senatorship and that some of
 them were spoken to by Representa-
 lives O.. Ermack and J. R. Wardel
 He denied that he sent Representative
 Robert E. Wilson, alleged distributor of the jackpot" to St. Louis in July | He admitted he had spoken to several persons, expressing regret that he could
 not have been with Wilson. Reverting to l the election MT. Browne said he kept | list, several lists, in fact, of democratic
 representatives. who he expected to vote | for Lorimer. He read list of 30 names to the committee. explaining that he had not talked personally to Representatives | Abrahams, ,Geskewch, Frost and E. J. l Murphy s
 l Denies Giving Money Browne said he was In St. Louis June
 21, 1909, which has been fixed by other witnesses as the time and place when | 5000 packages of money were handed to | them. He said he met Representatives
 Henry Sheppard. Michael Link, H. J. C. | Beckemeyer and Charles Luke in the | Southern hotel. He declared that he did | not tell Representative White he was go- | ing there.
 | His purpose in going to St. Louis, he | said, was to confer with the representa- | lives named on the subject of state pat ronage for democrats, as at that time | Governor Deneen was taking up the ques- | tion of minority patronage Later he | talked with the governor on the same | subject.
 | Browne fatly denied that he>had given | Link or Beckemeyer any money In the | Southern hotel, St. Louis, June 21, 1909, as testified to by them. l "If Beckemeyer said you gave him 5000 | that day he lied, did he?" asked At 1 torney Austrian.
 | "No, would not say that" said | Browne, '1f I had been through what l Beckemeyer went through. with an in- | dictment held over my head. I might | have said what he said I would not want | to say he lied"
 | Did you give Link any money June l 21, 1909, in St. Louis? ?' | "No''
 | of he says you did, he lies does he?'' q wouldn't say so," said Browne. 'Tf I I had been through what Mike Link had | been through and had been threatened | in the states attorneys office, as he | had been, I might have fallen for 1t. | I would not say he lied | Austrian retorted. You have put men through these same ordeals, haven't | you?"
 1 "No, never"
 Have you not browbeaten lawyers of | less physique than you until they shot
 at you?''
 "No, never" replied Browne. Another Man Shot At Witness explained the question about | being shot at by stating that a man named Conway of Ottawa, Ill, shot at a man but it was not at the witness. l Browne read into the record letter | from Representative Ling. in which the | latter congratulated Browne on his recent aco,,ittal of the charge of bribing Rep-
 resentatkve White Link. like Becke- meyer. had testified to being bribed by Browne
 | Touching on his relations with White witness said he helped White draw up | bills and assisted his legislative labors because he saw that White was deeply