The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1911-07-25
LORIMER SCANDALS START
EDITOR kEELEY or eHyr..o
TELLS OF PUBLICATION
says White Brought Him voiuntarn, a.,
- Confession Of Bribery -''Trlhune"
spent s7O.OtO In Investigation
Bribery pict to Reflect Vo,L,,.

spent s2O. .OtpO In In>es,,ss,,o,
Bribery Pict to Reflect Hopkins
WARRINGTON, July 24--James ko,,..
general mana ger and editor of the Tn c,s,
Tribune. testifying to-day befn,o -,
Senate committee which Is invest -,,,,,
charges Of corruption in the election
OF senator Lorimer OF Illinois, told ~.
efforts Of that news paper to EXPOSE The
corrupt conditions prevailing AZ Sn-no.
field and to prove the charges of t-ibarv
in connection with Mr.. Lorimer's cla, lion
The Tribune on April ~. 1910. published
for the first time the LEGGED confession
of William A. White. a Democratic -ram.
ber Of the Illinois Assembly. who al.
mitted having received money :. vo,s
for Mr.. Iorimer. Since that date ,hs
Tribune has been active in its crissaa
against Senator Lorimer. Mr.. keel.v
gave more details Of the alleged sttamr,
to bribe Democratic members ~ tho
Legislature in 1909 to vote for the 70.
election Of former Senator Alher, !.
Hopk ins. which has been referred 10 in
previous testimony.
The Tribune, Mr.. Kelley saiI. had
never been friendly to Mr.. Lorimer. al.
though it was shown that Two day. fo.
lowing his election to the Senate IL printed
an editorial article. which TO certain
degree was complimentary to Mr.. Lori.
mer. In explaining how the Tribune
obtained the White confession Mr.. keelay
said:
In the first week Of March, 1910. nv
secretary told me that a labor man had
called and said that he had a rale of cor.
rlption in the Legislature. told him
to return the next day. az I was busy
and could n ot see him then. He came
| to me unsolicited and said that he had q
story to sell He further told me that hs
had conferred with labor leaders and
they reached the conclusion that ths
| Tribune was the best paper in which to
have the story printed. read ths
story and told him that II it could bs
substantiated and IL We could agree
upon price We would print it.
We sent out reporters and detsctlves
and spent about $4,000 in verifying ito
statements. I felt that it wa more
than a newspaper story and that it was
my duty to submit it to the States
Attorney. which I did about April I. a
month before it's publication. | told
White that he was a lf-confessed law.
breaker. aud he said that he would 90 to
Jail il necessary. After investigating
the story We felt that We had made out 3
prima facie case. We made a contract
with White under which he was paid
So $50 an printed the story"
Mr. keeley said that the original con-
fession written byuWhite contained much
irrelevant matter which the Tribune did
not print The original. MIR. Kelley said.
is in safe in Chicago. A. the request
of John H. Marble. counsel for the COM
, it. Mr., Keeley added that the confession
came to him without solicitation and that
he had nothing todo with obtaining other
similar confessions from members OF the
Legislature.
confession. Mr.. Keeler added. the Tribune
continued its efforts 10 Obtain more facts
about the corruption u Springfield He
told how tie Tribune submitted lis; Of
question: d ,siGned to elicit rforma. icn
on this point to Edward F.. hines presl-
dent of the Edward Hines Lumber Com
pany: Roger Sullivan, Oemocratic ma.
/ tional committeeman from Illinois and
. f. s. Conway. vice-pre',ident of the "
: kimball Piano Company. MIR Sullivan
. and Mr.. Conway denied knowledge of the
allegations of corruption ard Mr. Hne.
declined to answer the questions and
threatened the Tribune with a libel suit
. if it published anything damaging to his
' reputation.
+ What was your attitude toward the
3 investigation Of Mr. Lorimer's election
, by the United States Senate?- asked Mr..
Marble.
we desired a complete and thorough
investigation. | tried TO find ou, who
I contributed the money to the jack pot
i at Springfield ! asked many persons
\ and printed in the Tribune notice Of a
ireward for information.
hp allpUad uffamnf IN niirChQSp Dpnln-
o cratic votes for the reelection Of Senator
Hopkins. Mr.. Kelley said took place in
= the ST Nicholas Hotel at Springfield
. His information on the subject had been
O editorial writer on the Tribune. who Was
s formerly legislative correspondent al
Springfield, and from Representative Ira
o c. Copley. member Of Congress from
r the Eleventh district OF Illinois. Accord.
O ing to his information Mr. Keeiey said
! field to purchase Democratic votes. but
O Speaker ShurtleR Of the Illinois Assembly
and Roger Sullivan got wind Of the pro-
X posed deal and threatened to expose ih'
q members who had offered to sell their
n votes if they attempted to carry out the
d agreement.
Representative Copley was a witnes.
/ before the House committee Of the Illinois
Legislature which last spring inNes'i
gated the election Of Senator Lorlmer
AT that time he was unable TO give tns
committee any information a. to the
- purchase Of Democratic votes in aid o'
o the Hopkins candidacy. He will prob
ably be asked TO appear before the Senate
r. committee to give any additional infor'
nation which he has acquired since then
le At the morning session OF the comniittee
v Mr. Hines was cross-examined He pro-
= duced an unsigned postscript to letter
v which he received from former ReFr'-
"a sentative Henry s. Boutell, now Minister
ys to Switzerland, This postscript rean
Id as follows:
Il should like 70 have the Senator know
e. who was the only man in Washmgon
I'd TO go TO the President in his behalf aho
,e bring of the goods"
From this postscript and from suose
quent conversations with Mr. Boutel
Mr. Hines said that he received the I'm
tr preston that Mr.. Boutell had seen Presl
IN dent Taft and succeeded in obtaining
y the Presidents support for the LorIme
a. candidacy
rn Did YOU understand that the Pres
:" dent favored the election Of a Repuh!.
can or the election Of Mr., Lorim"r'
!. asked Senator Jones.
- Both the election Of Republican an
a. the election of Mr.. Lorimer," rePhe'
'' Mr. Hines.
Mr. Boutelrs name has been frequent !
IN mentioned in connection with the cas-
k.ak. 80 h tNFor1