The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-02-15
Plot to Change Record Referred
to the House.
MAKEPEACE INCIDENT.
Clerk Says That It Happened
Two Years Ago.
Doesn't Remember Name of Man
Who Approached Him.

Gradually piece by piece David d.
Leahy's charges of legislative corrup-
ton and crookedness, rampant
manipulation and graft faded away be-
fore the fierce examination of lawyer
senators and after five hours of evil
dence, the private secretary to the
governor was shorn of all but his off,
cial title. Doggedly the veteran news
paper correspondent fought for loop
holes in the words corruption and
graft. Defiantly Leahy excused him
self for not laying his charges in the
hands of the attorney general and
governor. The witnesses who followed
moved the lone charge on which Leahy
based his story and at the end OF the
grilling examination the case stood
threadbare and careworn.
Leahy admitted that in the six
weeks of the present session that the
only charge of graft which he could
of1er to the senate was the approach"
OF Doc Moore of the Pittsburg Head
light.
1t developed that the main difficulty
surrounding the alleged bribery had
been to prevent the opposition of Rep
resentative A. 81. Mccormick to
waterworks bond bill. The town of
Pittsburg voted 100000 for a new
plant. A technicality arose. A special
act of the legislature was necessary to
fix matters. Mccormick, who repre-.
sents the Pittsburg territory, was OPP
posed to the bonds. Therefore friends
of the bill secured the assistance of j.
H. Cassin, who represents another sec
ton of Crawford county. He intro
duced a bill in the house after the
Porter bill had passed the senate and
been killed in the house, of which Nc
Cormick was a member. Tho CaSsin
bill went to the local judiciary COM
mittee, was reported favorably and is
now on the calendar. It was to save
opposition by Mccormick that Moore
wanted the name of the author of the
bill changed to Casey so Mccormick
wouldn't recognize it. Leahy, in his
charges, based a conversation on this
matter as grounds for belief that he
| had been approached with a bribe to
defeat public utility legislation. All
this happened, however, in the house.
Moore Says Leahy Suggested Change.
The testimony of Doc Moore, the ac-
cused man, was identical with that of
Leahy, except that the governors pri-
! vate secretary had himself suggested
that the name Casey be substituted for
/ CaSsin in bill to deceive Mccormick.
He declared that he went to Leahy in
good faith and that his assistance was
sought through prolonged friend
ship. Cassin, Makepeace, Akers and
even Mccormick helped remove the
! fringes from the highly decorated
story of the newspaper correspondent.
| Mccormick became obstreperous
and put the administration cause in a
/ bad mole. lie refused TO Q1VuIR6 Ine
name of an informant, who he said
was a member of the house and had
told him that doc Moore was in the
house to do him Dirt Robertson
man from the coal town stood pat. He
urged the Rawlins lawyer to pro-
| ceed. He snapped at Brewster and
Price when they asked close questions
didn't like Moore and admitted it.
Perhaps the 130 pounds Pittsburg
representative didn't like Leahy much
| better. He denounced his newspaper
Mccormick insisted on sticking pins
| in him.
1t was Price who led the examina-
| ton of the witnesses and it was Price
suage of the lanky Wichita scribe.
Each witness who was called to the
/ stand was asked:
'sNow, I want you to state If you
| know" asked Price as he read from
the Leahy article in the Wichita Eagle.
anything of the following which Mr..
/ Leahy stated to the paper: Political
crookedness is rampant I know of
few days ago to falsify a legislative
record in the interest of a public
utility graft, and I have it first hand
that one man was three times offered
| a bribe to juggle with sacred legisla-
tive documents. The daring of po-
litical crooks about the capitol is moro
reckless than it was in the palmy days
of the long ago."
Leahy Had Lobby With Him.
That was the basis of the Leahy
hearing. Only Leahy took the cork
under. Most of the witnesses looked
foolish and stammered mo-" This us
ually brought laugh from the crowd
and it was only Leahy who proudly
expanded his chest and pointed to an
alleged guilty culprit.
The governors private secretary
started strong. As he walked to the
speakers table in his new store
clothes, the big crowd in the lobby
prepared for a circus. They were look
i ing for vaudeville-not for a real test
of merit. When Leahy answered Judge
Prices first question and declared that
Moore had approached him in refer
: ence to a utilities graft, the crowd
, gasped. There was silence. and a few
, minutes later when Leahy declared
that the senate was crooked, applause
; burst from the galleries. The lobby
!. was with him. Price led the accused
, correspondent through the general
4 charges, brought out many details and
!. outlined the case Leahy hit back
straight from the shoulder and the
; visitors were jubilant. Apparently
Leahy had laid q trap and the stand
pats had walked deliberately into its
e mouth.
' Then Brewster tried. He scraped
the same ground Price had covered.
S Each time he went little deeper.
v Gradually Leahy began to dodge. He
| muffed an easy pick up when he ad-
|, mitted ignorance in not reporting his
case to the governor and attorney gen.
I, eral He saw an avenue of escape on
determination between corruption and
t, tcrookedness He parleyed with the
d Troy lawyer. But to no avail Stead
ily the curly headed member followed
x<S-,$sr,.a6 IN p1Oa rcirsa