Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1911-05-05
NOT LOBBYISTS
BUT SLEUTHS
MEN ARRESTED HAD BEEN EN-
GAGGED IN EFFORT TO CATCH
BRlBE TAKERS.
BOODLING RUMORS HEARD IN COLUMBUS
Holding UP of Important Measures
Advocated by Governor Harmon
May Result In Causing Solons
to Make Explanations.

giverS was followed later by the start
ling disclosure that the men arrested
are Burns detectives and that they
have been engaged for some time in
an effort to catch bribe solicitors and
bribe takers among the members of
the state Legislature. AS a result,
1t is said, that at least score of
the members of the general assembly
will be asked for an explanation.
The men arrested gave the names
of F. s. Harrison Of New York and
David H. Berry and A. G. Bailey of
Chicago. They were taken into GUS
tody on a charge that Bailey and
Berry gave DR.. George B. Nye, repre-
sentative from Pike county, $100 to
use his influence to defeat Senator
Green's nine hour working day bill for
women, now on the house calendar.
Harrison is alleged to have given
Nye $100 to help secure the passage
of the Whittimore house bill relating
to the admission of foreign mutual
insurance companies Of Ohio. Many
of the most important measures on
the governors legislative program
have been held up in the legislature
and the rumors of boodling has been
current for some time.
Harrison, Berry and Bailey told of
their dealings here for the past month
in the very room in which they paid
out the money. In telling of his brib-
cry of Nye, as the doctor charges, Har-
rison also told of his other work as
well as the labor performed by his
associates.
''Mr. Berry and Mr.. Bailey have been
here the greater part Of the time for
the last five weeks" he said. II came
here last Monday Bailey and Berry
came to make n preliminary survey Of
the situation. In few weeks they found
things extremely rotten that they
yelled for help. Things had reached
the point where some one was needed to
take different tack. Berry and Bailey
had become acquainted with Doctor Nye
and others, and after getting their re-
ports / picked on the mutual insurance
company bill as q good one to answer
the purpose had in mind. Berry, meet
ing Nye the day l reached Columbus,
suggested to him that there was man
quartered at the Chittenden who was in
terested in the mutual insurance bill.
He said that the man, meaning myself,
might be in position to do him some
good The doctor, SO Berry reported to
me became most ANXIOUS 10 NlSlt me-
He came down to the hotel / asked
him II he knew the bill / was Interested
in. He said he did. said bill 534. He
said that was the bill he meant. l
asked him If there was any chance to
get it out of committee. He said, Yes,
but said 1t might cost some money.
How much will 1 have to spend to
get it through the house? 1 asked. He
replied he didn't know. l spared while,
incidentally making play about how i
thought the bill ought to go through on
Its merits. There was talk back and
forth and finally / said to him that ]
was ready to spend a little. not much. !
suggested $2.500. He said 1t was worth
$1,000. There was considerable argument
about the matter. Finally / raised my
offer to SO 900. Nye then said he thought
he ought to have some extra compensa-
tion for himself. 1 asked him how much
he wanted. He said he thought he ought
to have $1,000. I told him he was toe
high, that I'd give him $500. He was
insistent and so persistent in his demand
that finally, since I was dealing in stage
money only, except 500 cash which
gave him, that finally said 1 would pay
him the 1000 on condition, that he be for
the bill until after its passage. The 500
paid him was an evidence of good faith
and to get the bill out of committee,
which was to cost $500. Meantime the
committee had reported the bill out and
when Nye came to see me the next day
j said that $500 had been knocked of
the price.
"'yes,' he said. and now the boys are
kicking themselves all over. They see
money in sight. But then you know the
people who voted 1t out of committee will
have to be seen when the bill is on Its
passage. The question of getting the
bill on the calendar then came up.
asked him how much that would cost
He said $500. He insisted that this money
a IT, l.,A, all larl.t
providing he brought the people 1 was
dealing with to me personally. Nye
wanted to handle all the money himself
/ don't know whether he was heading out
on me or not But he didn't like my
dealing. ] insisted and he departed.
Understand now that we have steno-
graphic copies of every word that passe<
between ourselves and Nye and the other
men involved In this matter. The evil
dence was secured by means of a dicto-
phone. You know what a dictophone is
1t is number OF sensitive discs con-
structed so that the sounds spoken In G
room in which the receiving apparatus 4.
located can be carried 40 to 80 feet by
means OF wires copnected with an cleo
tric battery and the sound transmitted
met Nye In this room; in the next room
was a stenographer. door connected
the two rooms In front OF the door
placed a couch in my room. The dicto
phone was under the couch, the wirei
running into the next room. where thu
stenographer sat with a phone receiving
arrangement on his head. Wheneve
Nye or anyone else whose conversation
I wanted recorded entered the room IN,
tip to the stenographer was the usua
stereotyped greeting, extended unusually
@~~~~-~-~~-~-~S~-r~~-~s~I s~I~-~S~s~~-~-~--e>~~~S~I~
Eleven Die In Railroad Wreck.
Easton, Pa.-Eleven persons lost
their lives in the school teachers
special excursion train that was de
rallied and burned on the Pennsylvania
railroad at Martins Creek, N. ]. Three
OF the dead have been identified. The
bodies of six others are in the morgus
and two male passengers are missing
It is expected that their bones will
be found in the debris. The accident
was probably due to weak track ant
the high speed of the excursion trair
in roucding the curve. The road bee