Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1911-07-25
Sensational Story Of Earlier
Illinois Corruption
KELLEY TELLS COMMITTEE
Previous to the Election of
Senator Lorimer $4,000
Had Been Raised to Buy
Democratic Votes for Al
bert j. Hopkins.

Washington, July PA detailed
account Of the reputed attempt to
buy enough democratic votes in Il
linOis legislature to re-elect Albert j
Hopkins to the senate was told on
the witness stand today before the
senate Lorimer committee by James
Keeley, general manager of the Chic
ago Tribune.
1t was the sensation Of a day of
sensations in the hearing. 1t followed
Keeley's testimony as to how he hap
pened to buy the confession of
Charles A. White, the legislator,
whose story about the graft at
Springfield, resulted in the Lorimer
investigation. 1t was subsequent to
testimony by Edward Hines that
Henry 5. Boutell, now American
minister to Switzerland, told him that
President Taft would assist in the
election of Lorimer.
Hines had been placed on the
stand to tell about visits he paid
last winter to E H Gary. r. S.
Lovett, successor to E. II. Hartman
and ]. S. Bache and company, brok-
ers in New York. None of these
visits, the witness claimed had any
thing to do with the Lorimer case.
Keelcy said what he knew about
the Hopkins story was obtained
from Clifford Raymond. then repre-
senting the Tribune at Springfield
and Ira Copley, representative in
congress from Aurora. He testified
that Charles Wheeler, another Chic
ago newspaper man at Springfield,
came to Raymond during the legisla-
tive session of 1909, and told him
the story which Raymond told Keeley,
the witness testified, Raymond said
had been told him by Wheeler.
Kelley said: Raymond told me
that the story was that on a certain
night Speaker Shurtleff. Dan Shan
ahan and some others whose names
/ do not recall. met in a certain room
in the ST Nicholas hotel, Spring
field, and that the meeting was caus
ed by a report being received that
a certain man had come to Spring
field to buy certain democratic votes
on a certain day for Hopkins; that
Representative John c. Wardell, and
Anton Carmack were called in that
Speaker Shurtleff told them he knew
what they were doing; that an at
tempt was being made to buy demo-
cratic votes, and he read them a list
of fifteen or twenty men who. were
to be bought and the prices that
were to be paid. The list was head
ed by Nanny" Abrams, the Bell
wether, l have been told.
Shurtleff said: Now we know
what is going on and you can't put
it through If Nanny Abrams votes
for Hopkins tomorrow l will suspend
the roll call and will announce your
names and will read list Of the men
to be bought. If you try that, that
is what 1 will do
The story goes that Roger Sulli-
van had been telephoned to go to
Springfield. His train was due to
arrive about midnight. He rounded
up his followers and told them he
would blow them out of the political
waters if they attempted such a
thing"
Keeley said Raymond told him the
story prior to the Lorimer election
and that S2S,OOO or $4,000 was re-
puted to have been taken to Spring
field. He read from a memorandum
that on September 21st, 1910 Rep
resentative Copley and John NJ. Glenn
came to his office; that COpley and
Hopkins came from the same town
and they hate each other healthily
and Viciously" The witness pro-
duced a memorandum of what Cop
ley had said. 1t was to the effect
that Daniel Byrnes, formerly of the
Chicago Northwestern was the man
who tried to put throught the dear
and that the money had been taken
to Springfield by a resident Of
Wheaton, Illinois.
Keeley testified that he had been
questions on May 9, 1910 to Hines
Fred NJ. Blount. According to the
memorandum Copley said he had
called upon Governor Deneen-Deneen
had agreed to call in twenty of his
republican allies and If the demo-
Gratis voted for Hopkins to have these
twenty switch from Hopkins
Keeley said that he sent a list Of
and L. S Conway asking about
the Lorimer contributions. Mr.. Con-
way said he knew nothing about
them. Mr.. Hines" said the witness,
declined to answer" He came to
my office that night with Mr.. Wiehe.
and asked If this list Of questions
was a joke. He said he had repu-