Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-06-06
Lorimer Agent Says He
Got Cash but Used
it Honestly.
GRAND JURY WITNESS
States Attorney Burke Still
Digging Up Interesting
Bribery Evidence.

Springfield, m, June 6.-The grand
jury will not meet until afternoon.
F. ]. Traut of Beardstown said this
morning the money received by him
was spent in legitimate manner for
lobbying purposes incident to the at
tempt of the fishermen to defeat the
license bill. He fatty denied any of
it was given to any legislator to in
fluence his vote
IL LOrimer Managerf
Springfield, Ill, June Estates At
torney Burke yesterday Unexpectedly
found a new trail which may lead tc
startling disclosures in the bribery
scandal
The prosecutor was hunting for
jackpot evidence in Beardstown when
he ran into a new path. Frank j.
Traut of that town. treasurer of the
fishermen's corruption fund, is mana.
ger downstate of the Federal Construc.
ton company. the Lorimer contracting
corporation. Traut and a certain other
democratic leader in Cass county are
credited in Beardstown with persuad-
ing A NJ. Foster, democratic repre-
sentative from that district, to vote
for Lorimer
Kept the Money.
Traut told Prosecutor Burke that he
received the $1,000 fund of the fish
men to kill the fish bill in the last
general assembly. He asserted that
he kept il. When this became known
several FISH men gathered in to con.
suit with Prosecutor Burke Three
of them who had contributed declared
they had been promised that their
money would be returned If not needed
and with an Illinois river oath swore
that Traut would be compelled TO re.
fund. They discussed holding a mass
meeting.
Goes step Further.
Springfield, ILL.,. June Estates At
torney Burke Saturday night advanced
a step further in the investigation of
the $3,5OO fund alleged to have been
contributed to aid in the defeat of the
fish license bill which died in the clos
ing hours of the legislature. r. J.
Traut of Beardstown, for a long time
identified with fishing interests. ad-
mitted to Mr.. Burke at Beardstown
that he received the money from John
Dixon of Peoria, one of the alleged
collectors of the fund, and that he sat
beside Representative Foster when
the bill was slaughtered.
Have Mystery 10 Solve.
Beyond these admissions, the final
of the fund is a mystery
which the grand jury will be called on
to solve.
The trip to Beardstown was decided
on by States Attorney Burke after
John Dixon and Henry Lemm had told
their stories to the grand jury. The
chain of testimony relative TO the
money in the alleged fund is now re-
garded by Mr.. Burke as complete, ur
to its receipt by Traut.
Lemm has admitted paying 5000 to
Dixon; Dixon has admitted receiving
the money to defeat the bill. and
Traut declared that he had received
the fund from Dixon, according to the
Sangamon county prosecutor.
Resume Quiz Next week.
The final solution OF the mystery,
the fund was passed along to
a legislator or remained in the last
hands to which II has been traced.
rests with the grand jury.
After Mr.. Burke had talked with
Traut. he declined TO see newspaper
men, but unofiSially authorized a
statement that the money which came
to him was spent in legitimate man
ner in connection with the lobby
which was working against the bill
through the session. Mr.. Burke made
no comments on the explanation or
legitimate expenditure Of the collected
find