The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1911-05-05
SPEAKER
VlNINC
In Frank Statement Tells How He
Became Involved I'm Legis-
latlVe Scandal.
Nye Worms His Way Into CeIina's
Mans Confidence I'm Order
Work Bribery Game.
[From Columbus Special to Cincinnati
Times-Star, May /.

From Columbus Special to Cincinnati
Times-Star, May /.
Speaker Samuel j. Vining today an
nounced that he is opposed to any leg
islative investigation of the bribery
scandal. II believe this Is a matter
for the grand jury only, as a legislative
probe always results in a whitewash, 1"
said Vining.
Vining this morning for the first time
made a detailed statement of his con-
nection with tho various transactions
leading TO the arrest of the three Burns
detectives Saturday night Vining
made this statement after a midnight
conference last night with Attorneys
O.. E. Beicher and John A. Connor and
Representative George b. Nye and A.
Clark Lowry. Said Vining: This
matter started about four weeks ago
when DIR. Nye came to me, saying, DO
you know there is bribery going on
around this legislature?' / asked Nye
what he meant and he told me there
was a couple of fellows over here at the
hotel who are trying to pull off stunt
on the Green nine hour bill. | told
Nye to get after them and to be sure
and get the evidence against them. l
advised him not to take any money
from them except in the presence of
reliable witness. Atthis same meeting
Nye asked me to put him on the house
Steering committee. A few days later
Nye came to me again and said that he
thought he could get those fellows sure.
! again repeated my instructions to
him and told him would help him.
"a day or so later NYe came to me
and told me he had got some money
from those fellows. He did not say
how much. He said, however, that he
had taken the money without a witness
being present. At that meeting we dis
cussed having two other members of
the legislature in on the deal so as to
get better evidence against these men,
David Barry and A. Bailey, whom l
regarded as a set of bungling lobbyists.
DR.. Nye suggested the name of DR..
Lowry as a good man, and l agreed
that he would be just the right man.
No other name was mentioned.
Early last week, Monday, 1 think,
Nye came to me again and said there
was another man at the Chittenden
who was crooked. He meant the man
Harrison. 1 told him to go ahead and
get him. On the day of the Democratic
caucus, which was last Wednesday,
Nye again came to me and said: Ihave
got some more money from those fell
lows. 1 want you to keep it for me.
Let's go back to the Cities committee
room, where we can be alone
I'VE went back there and Nye hand
ed me sealed envelope. Here are
$780, he said. i want you to hold it
O.. 7 IL. L.
and mine on the envelope, and 1 made
parallel pencil marks on the back of
the envelope, across the flap. 1 then
took the envelope to the Office of the
clerk of the house. have a drawer in
the safe for my use. My son, V. e.
Vining, who is voucher clerk, had a
key to the drawer. He put the envel-
ope in the drawer and locked tup. The
envelope is still there. do not know
what it contains. 1 will turn it over to
the grand jury upon demand.
''At that same meeting last Wednes-
day, Nye told me he had taken DIR.
Lowry over to see the two men Barry
and Bailey, and they had offered Low
ry $500 to help defeat the nine hour
bill. After Nye gave me the envelope
we decided to get ready to arrest the
men. We did not arrest them at once,
because we wanted to get more evil
dence. had intended to tell the gov
ernor about it today (Monday) and
have the three men arrested tonight.
II went to my home in Celina Friday
night. Saturday morning 1 received a
long distance call from DR.. Lowry who
said, How quickly can you get to Day
ton to meet me2' l asked him what was
the trouble. He replied, Don't ask
questions. When can you get to Day
ton?' / told him / could get there by
noon and l did. l was met there by
Nye and Lowry. Nye said, 'Those
fellows are planning to leave Columbus
and unless we move quickly they will
escape
"T urged that we go to Columbus at
once and have them arrested. We
reached Columbus at 6 o'clock in the
evening. Lowry went to his home in
Portsmouth that night. On Nye's war
rant the men were arrested at midnight.
did not know they were detectives
until the next day. At no time did
Nye make any remarks about the mat
ters touched on in Harrison's statement
concerning the senators.
II understand the governor says he
spoke to me about bribery when he
called me in to complain that the Steer
ing committee was holding up bills.
What happened as near as 1 can re-
member was this: Monday of last week
Gov. Harmon called me in and in an
cry language declared that big bills
were being held up by the Steering
committee ] had appointed. | asked
him what bill he referred to. He named
the Edwards tax bill. replied, when
l appointed that Steering committee
told them / did not want any bills
held up and had their promise to put
out any bill that l asked them to bring
out. When do you want the Edwards
bill2 1t was put out by the committee
the next day.
"As a matter of fact had an under
standing with every member of the
4 eering committee before appointed
them, with the exception of Republican
Floor Leader Lawrence X. Langdon
and Democratic Floor Leader Price
RUSSELL The other five members of
the Steering committee, Calvy, GUS
weller, Irwin, Nye and owen j Evans,
promised me they would bring out any
bills ! asked to be brought out
Dir. Nye was in consultation with
Speaker Yining this morning, but he
refused to make any statement, confin-
ing himself to the remarks II am sat
isfied with developments. I will not
answer any questions, but 1t will all
come out in the grand jury investi-
CATION
Choice ear seed corn, seed potatoes,
Hungarian and millet seed at MODEL
MILL1Na Co., Celina, o. Phone 48.