The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-07-03
CASE
 GENUINE MIDDLE Some Big Witnesses Are Perjuring Themselves DEMEANOR ON STAND Funk and Hines Are Contradicting Each Others Testimony on
 Practically Every I'm
 pOrtant Point
By WALTER HARPER

Washington July 2.-(Special)-It is inn possible for any man to get heads oI tails to the L.orimer investigation. There is no question but that some of the star witnesses are lying, and lying barefaced- | ly. l have heard great deal of the testimony, especially that of the star witnesses Edward Hines and Clarence Funk These two men, both of them men ness and social world, swearing. posi- nes sand social world, are swearing posi- lively different stories about the same in- cident And it is not to save anybody s neck that they are doing it.
 l want to say right here that on the ev,- dence that have heard and that that has been so far produced, I consider that Sen ator Lorimer is innocent of corrupt meth ods or knowledge of corrupt methods in his election to the United States Senate. Not even the witnesses against him have attempted to show where any money was actually collected or spent in the election.
 Then there Is a difference In the sum- marized or even the full testimony as printed in the newspapers from day to day. and the actual hearing of 1t delivered on the stand. The demeanor of the wit ness counts for a. great deal. When two witnesses swear exactly oppositely on a given point you must resort to the manner in which the statements are made, the ev- ldent feeling and the probable interest in the case.
 Let us take the evidence of Hines and Funk, who are the star witnesses so far produced.
 Funk swears that on the day of the election of Senator Lorimer he was ap- preached by Edward Hines in the Union League club at Chicago who called him aside and told him that it had cost s100,- GOO to elect Lorimer to the United States Senate, and that about 10 of the big inter ests would be expected to put up the amount which he claimed that he had al- ready spent, as there had been no time for him ot get out and get the funds to- gether.. Funk swears that Hines wanted $1O,OOO from his concern. the International Harvester company. He says that he declined to contribute anything, and that they parted. Funk says that as they part ed Hines told him that if he decided
  Tilden. a lumber man of Chicago st
 Hines, who is president of the Edward Hines Lumber company, one of the largest lumber concerns in the country, says that after the election of MT. Lorimer, in which he admits that he was deeply in terested, he saw Funk in the Union League club and that Funk came to him and congratulated him on the election of Lorimer, that he realized that It must have cost some money, and that he would be glad to contribute something to help reimburse those who had put up the money. MT. Hines swears that he told Funk that he know of no campaign ex- pense, but would let him know IT ms as- sistance was needed. He swears that he was surprised that Funk showed any in- terest in the election of MT. Lorimer, az 1t was well-known fact that he and his company had been opposed to Lorimer. and thought very strange that he should desire to contribute to any fund to help him.
 Hines swears that he saw Lorimer later and fold him about the offer of Funk, and that MT Lorimer smiled and said that he did not smoke or drink, and that there had been no expense. Funk was so in- formed.
 Edward Tilden swears that he had re-
 (CONTINUED ON PAGE 3.l