The Topeka state journal., 1911-07-21
KERN SEES WHY.
Democrat Candidate for Vice
President in 1908
Gets Light on His Defeat at
Lorimer Inquiry.
CONTRIBUTORS LIST
To the Taft Campaign Fund
Fills 12S Pages
As Reported From N. Y. Secre-
tary of States Office.

Washington, July 21.-The Office of
the secretary of state of New York was
brought into the Lorimer investigation
today when c. F. Wiehe, one of the
central figures in the present hearing
before the senate Lorimer committee,
testified that $1,000 had been asked of
him as the price for a copy of the list
of contributors to the Taft campaign
fund in 1908 on file in Albany.
He testified that he had been in
formed by telegraph from either the
secretary of state or his office, that
the list, consisting of 128 pages, had
been destroyed, but later an offer to
furnish it for $1,000 was made. Wiehe
explained that he wanted to know if
Cyrus H. Mccormick had contributed
to the fund, but said he did not con-
slider the information worth $1,000
Attorney J. H. Marble, for the com
mittee, directed attention to the night
when Wiehe asked ". W. Cook and
William o. O'Brien, at Illness request, to
keep out of the way while the grand
jury was in session in Chicago.
Did you know 1t was violation of
the law to advise persons to avoid
subpoenaS? ?" asked the attorney.
Il didn't think about it at that time /;
1 was just a messenger for Mr.. Hines. "
Chairman Dillingham; wanted to
know whether as a matter of fact
been issued Attorneys for Hines
stated they had not been but Senator
Kern led the witness to say that Hines
said to him that night that he was ad-
vised subpoenas had been issued.
Did you say that night that MIR.
Hines was talking too much about the
Lorimer case?" asked Mr.. Marble.
Il might have. I knew Mr. Hines
felt that by his message to Governor
Dencen he believed he had been iniu-
election Of .nTifQPr and i
thought, as has been shown. that il ne
kept repeating his part in the election
he would get Lorinler's enemies down
on him.
night, Wiehe declared that one of the
reasons why he asked r. J. Shields, the
afidavit collector, of Superior, Wis, to
meet him in Chicago about 10 days ago
was to discuss sending him to Albany,
n. Y.
why did not you recall that yester-
day?" asked Mr.. Marble.
Il don't know
Wiehe explained that the Hines COM
pany desired to ascertain if Cyrus Nc
Cornick contributed anything to the
Taft campaign in 1908 and that he had
been advised the list of contributors
was on file with the secretary of state
at Albany.
Il had wired the secretary of state
and had got a reply that the list was
months" said the witness.
''Since coming here I have received
a wire from Albany saying the list
would be furnished for $1,000
Wiehe did not think the charge was
solely for copying the 12S pages of con-
tributors.
DO you mean to say there are 12S
pages of contributions to the Taft
campaign fund.-" asked Senator Kern,
late vice president candidate on the
ticket opposed to Mr.. Taft.
yes, sir" replied the witness
4 see how it happened then" re-
sponded the defeated candidate.
Wiehe was asked why he had called
IN Shields about the Albany matter. He
said Shields claimed to know someone
at Albany that might nelp him get
the list.
Haven't you men in your Office who
could get the list without calling a man
all the way from SUPERIOR" Wiehe
was asked
Yes, but I talked over other mat
ters to Shields" he replied.
Wiehe said he thought Shields