The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-09-12
A THIRD SCANDAL
! IS TO Be PRObED
BY THE CONGRESS
This Week Congressional In
vestigation Of the Charges
Against Lorimer Are to Be
Investigated.
NATIONAL INTEREST
SHOWN IN THE CASE
Exposure Of Alleged Bribing Of
Legislature Members, Made
a Few Months Ago, Caused
Sensation.


ton authorized at the last session Of
congress will begin on September Is.
when the senate committee on privi-
leges and elections. of which Senator
Burrows. of Michigan, is chairman,
will meet in this city for the purpose
OF investigating the wholesale bribery
charges in connection with the elec-
ton of 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 Oklohoma. have both
occupied the attention Of congressional
committees, and have developed some
sensational testimony. It Is not be-
lieved, however, that the Lorimer In
quiry will be devoid Of sensations.
The fact that Leo O'Neil Browne.
Democratic leader in the Illinois legis-
lature IL to be tried again with brib-,
ing members Of the legislature to vote
for Lorimer has intensified the inter.
est in the investigation. This 10
Brownies third trial. the jury having
failed to agree in the first and second
trials.
Caused q Sensation.
Charges that Senator William Lori
mer. Of Illinois. better known as the
Blonde Boss" had been elected to the
United States senate through the
wholesale bribery and corruption OF
Illinois state senators and representa-
lives, were Arst 1ung 70 tho world on
June 80. Since then there have fol-
lowed Wholesale indictments Of men
who are alleged to have paid the bribe
money In he interests Of Senator Or
inner. OF men who accepted 1t and Of
the decision Of the United States SEN
ate to investigate the charges thor
oughly to determine II the junior sena-
tor from Illinois should be allowed o
longer grace that august body with his
presence.
The election of William Lorimer to
the United States senate was q matter
OF speculative gossip for months be-
fore Representative Charles A. White.
of st. Clair county, ILL.,, began hawking
his story Of how he had been bribed to
vote for Lorimer. among the newspa-
pers and magazines. Lorimer was
elected after the Illinois senatorial
contest had been In q hopeless dead
lock for days with the legislators de-
termined not to elect Albert J. Hop
kins to another term In the United
States senate.
Finally. Lorimer stepped in on the
scene, after Governor Deneen had re-
fused to be q candidate. and was elect
ed over Hopkins by the aid of votes
recruited from the ranks of the Demo
Gratis.
"confesslon" by White.
After Lorimer had taken his seat In
Washington and everything appeared
to have settled back to q normal calm.
came the confession" Of Repr.sen-
tative Charles A. White.
White plunged into his story with q
vengance and within q few weeks al
most every politician in Illinois was
mixed up in the bribery scandal in
some way or other. The Democratic
politicians throughout the state were
hit either by innuendo Or by direct &C
cusation ON the part of men who ad-
mftted 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 1000 to $2,50O. This
last amount was paid to State Senator
Holtslaw. banker and prominent mem
Der Of the Baptist church In his home
town. BY his own confession, received
$500 for voting for Lorimer and he
declared that the money had been paid
to him In Chicago by State Senator
John Broderick. west side saloon.
keeper Of Chicago. and q man who had
known Lorimer intimately for years.
The first charges made by White
came after he had written letters to
Senator Lorimer in Washington. init.
mating that he wanted money for sew.
eral purposes and also that he intend.
ed publishing . book Of his exper-
fences In the Illinois legislature. II
appears also from things which deve.
loped afterwards In the Investigation.
that Representative Leo O'Neil
Browne. minority leader In the Illinois
lower house and man known to Be
friendly to Lorimer 'interests" tried
to get White . position through Lori
mer.
| Others Aconfessed.s
Then came the charge On the heels
Of this that Lee O'Neil Browne Vas the
chief briber in the legislature and thai
he had bsibsd White to vote for Lori
msr BY paying him $1,000. This ''con'