The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-02-16
AN OPERA BOUFFE
Leahy Investigation Reaches
Comic Opera Stage.
ReOpened by Senate Today at
His Request.
SAYS HE WAS AFRAID.
Prompted by Fear That Record
Would Be False.
Senator's Are InterrOgated by
Governors Secretary.
VIM. Allen White Declines to
Testify.

l0SGIlye
Another installment of the Leahy
drama is being given to the public to-
day and the senate will probably de-
vote the entire afternoon to a further
investigation of the charges of the
governors private secretary. At
o'clock this afternoon, Leahy was still
doploring the political conditions of the
legislative halls as being unsanitary
and subject to grave suspicion
Leahy sent to Richard ]. Hopkins
president of the senate, statement
that the Tuesday records were beng
doctored and asked that further
hearing be held and an opportunity
Given him to examine witnesses.
No sooner had the Leahy letter DeeL
read than Stdvely, of Usage, moved
that the governors secretary be given
a hearing at A o'clock this afternoon.
Brewster substituted a motion to give
Leahy an immediate opportunity TO
testify and the sergeant alarms MADE
a hurried trip to the Office of the ch1er
executive to notify Leahy that his evil
dence could be produced.
Leahys letter to the senate is as
follows:
February 16, 1911:
Hon. Richard Hopkins, President of the
Senate.
NV Dear Sir:-I have absolute know
ledge that false evidence is about to
go into the record of the hearing taken
under senate resolution No. 40 which
record was provided for under reso-
luton offered by Senator Stavely.
1 desire to be heard on this matter
either by way of a written statement,
under oath, or by oral evidence SUD
mitted personally before your BODY, IN
order that the full facts may be made
plain to the senate and the public.
have also heard it stated that
had opportunity to examine and, II
&ecessary, to impeach interested wit
nesses in the hearing, butItrust that you
Will remember that when 1 suggested y
should have some witnesses to prove
the statement in my interview ana
should have the right to cross-examine
witnesses upon the stand. 1 was de-
MED that right.
now ask the honorable senate,
through you, for the privilege of exam
lining and cross-examining witnesses
in support of the assertions made be-
fore the bar of the senate in my di-
rect and closing evidence so that the
record provided for under the Stavely
resolution may be urged of false evil
dence and the full facts brought out.
1 prefer that the scope of this testi-
mony be extended to my interview in
full but if the senate should object to
to the paragraph of my interview in
cluded in the Stewart resolution and
upon which 1 was cited to the bar of
the senate for contempt
will promise in this connection, the
interest of expedition of state business,
to be very brief in the questions shall
propose to the witnesses.
hope and trust the senate will see
in my request a duty We all. as citi-
zens, and officers of the state, owe to
Of TO
ciples of truth.
Very sincerely,
DAVID D. LEAHY,
Secretary to the Governor.
Leahy Again Appears.
At 1925 Leahy appeared on the
floor of the senate with a typewriter
paper and a clipping from the Wich-
ita Eagle in his hand.
For two hours, the newspaper cor
respondent struggled along with an al
legged investigation. The only visible
results was the steady fall of bricks
upon the heads of the administration
and a drubbing for the Wichita man
that will burden the records with per-
sonal expressions.
Leahy's first misstep was to back up
on his feature charge that the records
were fixed. He declared that Moore had
testified falsely Tuesday afternoon but
though the statements went to the
printer in the proper form. The COVER
nor's bosom official then introduced a
few senators as witnesses, but their
statements only put new tacks in the
rubber tires of the StubbS machine.
Then a few witnesses were subpoe-
naed by the alleged CROOKED, corrupt
and grating standpat senators. Will
lam Allen White. editor of the Empor-
ia Gazette, an official reform publica-
ton, was subpoenaed. 1t was White
who wrote the pork barrel editorials and
his testimony is wanted to complete the
new comedy drama. Although White
was in the state house, he forthwith
notified the senate that it could take
it's investigation and go to Europe but
as for him to appear as a witness
hardly.
senator Carey declared that Stubbs
in ehe role Of a reformer had received
the persistent support of the Hutchin-
son corporations and that the one DO
Htical mistake of his life had been to
support the red haired Quaker in the
1910 campaign
]. T. Reed, senator from Smith coun-
ty, produced an anonymous letter,
charged Leahy, Stubs and the entire
crowd with political juggling and una
deulterated cussedness. These were
Leahy's witnesses. While the secretary
was preparing a question, Reed filed
in the intervals and fed the lobbv with
campaign fodder
The testimony of Senator SteUya rt
was of little value to the Stubbs forces
Immediately Reed of Smith county
moved that subpoenas be issued for ].
N Dolley. bank commissioner; Cliff
Matson, representative from Sedswick
county; w. T. Watson representative
from Allen county and an assistant
bank examiner; Joe Mercer, live stock
commissioner, and William Allen
White, editor of the Emporia Gazette
Leahy then stepped forward and
moved that Emerson Carey, senator
from Reno county be called to the
witness stand. Carey took the stand