Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1911-07-29
$1,000 Asked For LIST of
6iyerS to Idft'S Fund.
t,R. EtRN'S SLY COMMENT
Zines Partner Injects New Scandal
Into Lorimer Investigation in
Telling How They Tried to
Get Mccormick

"A sshngton, July z2.--The office Of
the secretary of state of New York
was brought into the Lorimer investi-
cation when c. r. Wiehe, secretary Of
the Hines Lumber company, one OF
the central figures in the present hear
ing before the senate Lorimer com
mittee, testified that $1,000 had been
asked of him as the price for a copy
of the list OF contributors to the Taft
campaign fund in 1908 ON file at Al
bany
He testified that he had been In
formed by telegraph from either the
secretary of state or his Office that the
list, consisting of 1873 pages, had been
destroyed, but later an offer to fur
nish it for $1,000 was made. Wiehe ex-
planned that he wanted to know If
Cyrus Mccormick had contributed to
the fund, but said that he did not con-
slider the information worth $1,000.
Wiehe was subjected to a detailed
cross-examination as to the part he
and Edward Hines, president of theI
company, took in the Lorimer cleo
ton
Attorney j. II. Marble, for the COM
mittee, directed attention to the night
when Wiehe asked w. H. Cook and
William OBrien, at Hines request, to
keep out of the way while the grand
jury was In session in Chicago.
Did you know 1t was violation of
the law to advise persons to avoid
subpoenas?" asked the attorney.
Il didn't think about II at that
time; | was just a messenger for Mr.l
Hines"
Chairman Dillingham; wanted tol
know whether as matter of fact sub
poenas for Cook and. O'Brien had BEEN
issued. Attorneys for Hines stated
they had not been, but Senator Kern
led the witness to say that Hines said
to him that night that he was advised
subpoenas had been issued.
Ibid you say that night that Mr.
Hines was talking too much about the
Lorimer case?" asked Mr. Marble.
Hines Talks Freely.
Il might have. | knew Mr.. Hines
felt that by his message to Governor
Deneen he believed he had been infiu-
entail in the election OF Lorimer, and
| thought. as has been shown. that III
he kept repeating his part in the cleo
ton he would get Lorimers enemies
down on him"
After thinking of the matter over
night Wiehe declared that one of the
reasons why he asked X. j. Shields, |
the affidavit collector of Superior. !
Wis. to meet him in Chicago about
ten days ago was to discuss sending
him to Albany. ". Y.
Wiehe explained that the Hines
company desired to ascertain II Cyrus
Mccormick contributed anything to
the Taft campaign In 1908. and that
he had been advised the list OF con.
tributors was on fle with the secre.
tary OF state at Albany
Il had wired the secretary OF state
and had gotten reply that the list
was destroyed. only being retained for
fifteen months said the witness,
Since coming here | have received a
wire from Albany saying the list
would be furnished for $1,000"
Wiehe did not think the charge was
solely for copying the 1913 pages of
contributors.
DO you mean to say there are 1873
pages of contributions to the Taft
campaign fund.-" asked Senator Kern,
late vice presidential candidate on the
ticket opposed to Mr.. Taft.
Yes, sir" replied the witness.
Il see how it happened then" re-
sponded the defeated candidate.
Wiehe was asked why he had called
in Shields about the Albany matter.
He said Shields claimed to know some
one at Albany that might help him get
the list
In reply to a question from Senator
Kenyon, Wiehe said he thought
Shields would come to Washington to
testify il requested to do so.
Chairman Dillingham; interrupted to
say that several inquiries had been
made recently as to whether Shields
was in hiding He stated that not un-
I'll now was a suggestion made to sum
mon him.
81 think he should be a witness"
declared Senator Kenyon.
so do |. and we will be obliged for
information as to where Mr. Shields
! may be reached" said Mr.. Dillingham;.
| No one, however, was able to state
his whereabouts.
AVIATOR BREAKS RECORD