The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-07-14
Deneen Makes
 Many Denia|s
Governor of Illinois Furnishes a Field Day in the LOrimer
 Probe

Washington, July 14-Gov. Charles S.. Deneen of Illinois was a witness yesterday before the Senate committee investigating the election of William Lorimer, and gave his version of poli- to the choice of Mr. Lorimer to the Senate by a combination of Republi- cans and Democrats in the Legisla- ture. Gov. Deneen declared that he did not assist in the election of Sen- ator Lorimer, as some of the Sena- tors friends asserted, but fought against it to the last Goy.y Deneen also flatly contradicted the version which Edward Hines, a Chicago lum- Der man, who is charged with having asked for a Lorimer election fund contribution, gave of the famous tele- phone conversation between the two on the day Senator Lorimer was elect ed May 26. 1909.
 Mr. Hines has testified he (Hines) telephoned from Chicago to Deneen that he had just come in this morn ing from Washington" and was on "my way to Springfield to bring the message to you Oeneen) from Sena- tor Aldrich and the President, urging upon you to do all you possibly can at the earliest possible moment and "that they understood that LorimeF could be elected if you will assist Further, MT. Hines testified that he understood Deneen to say he would assist in Lorimer's election and would
 Gov. Deneen testified that MT. Hines asked him if he received a report from the President in reference to Lorimer. He said Taft had sent a message to support Lorimer.
 q asked him. continued Gov. Den- cen, .if he had the message, and he answered mo- He said that the Pres ident had sent it. and that he had in- tended to come to Springfield himself, but had missed the train by five min utes.
 q asked him if the President sent that message, for I thought it strange for the President to tell me that. He said: Why, he sent it through Sena- tor Aldrich-of course, he would not send it to you directly-who would communicate to you through George Reynolds of the Continental Bank said Very we'll D
 Did you receive a communication from Senator Aldrich or Mr. Key nolds?" asked Attorney J. J. Hea1y. who was conducting the examination for the committee.
 ''No sir.''
 Gov. Deneen said he had talked with President Taft later about the incl dent but he declined to give the con- versations unless the President was to be called as witness.
 The committee got some idea of the power MT. Lorimer-the "blond boss'' of Chicago-had in local poli- tics from what the Governor told them. He said that after a Democrat ic combination with few Republi- cans known derisiVelyA as the ''holy alliance"-had defeated his plan for the organization of the Legislature through his few supporters. known as the Band of Hope, by electing MT. Shurtleff Speaker. he so feared that he would be actually thrown out of the Governorship that he was induced to confer for five hours with his old enemy. Lorimers
 At that time MT Deneen's election to the Governorship was being con- tested, though his recorded plurality was 23,OOO, and he explained that he feared the combination steered by MT. Lorimer and MT. Shurtleff would oust him. MT. Lorimer he said, was non- committal at the conference and no definite results were reached.