Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-10-14
W0MACk Tells
0FDE|M|0CRAT|C
[OR|MER VOTES
State Senator Was Amazed
When Members Of His
Party Bolted on Recall;
Not Asked to Join Them.

Not Asked to Join Them.
Chicago, Oct. Estate Senator JAS.
A. Womack of Equality, under inter-
rogation by United States Senator j..
w. Kern before the Lorimer investi-
cation committee today, testified that
IF he had trained with the Lee O'Neil
Browne crowd in the legislature that
he believed he would have been Of
fered money to vote for LOrimer."
Womack related graphic story OF
the desertion Of democrats who
changed their votes from Stringer to
Lorimer without warning.
Il was amazed when Senator D. W..
Holtslaw Of Ioka, and Senator Albert
E. Isley Of Newton, voted for Lori
mer," said Womack.
"One sat at either side of me IN
the senate chamber, and both were
from southern Illinois, from my sec
ton of the state, and We're close
friends of mine.
.But neither told me before he cast
his vote what he had made up his
mind to do. Neither sought to have
me vote Tor LOrlmer.
my suspicious were aroused from
the time of that roll call"
Henry A. Sheppard, Jerseyville, ILL.,,
banker and former member Of the leg
islature, was the first witness on to-
days list. He was recalled for furth-
er examination after spending five
hours on the stand yesterday.
Among other witnesses who waited
to be called were State Senator John
Broderick of Chicago, State Senator
Edward J. Glackin of Chicago, State
representative Robert e. Wilson Of
Chicago, and State Senator James A..
Womack, of Equality.
Two score members of the legisla-
ture who are in Chicago as delegates
to the convention of the deep warter-
way sociation. today aysdeserted the
meetings of that organization to join
the gallery at the Loriner hearing.
When Sheppard resumed the stand,
he was closely questioned regarding
details of his visit to Chicago, April
13, 1910.
'sDid you see or communicate with
Attorney John brennan during that
visit 2" asked Senator Kern.
'sNo, did not" replied the wit
ness. "My sister-in-law from Detroit,
whom met here at that time, was a
friend OF the brennan family and she
may have stopped at the brennan
residence that night. but ! don't know
that she did"
did she take any message from you
to Drennan?"
"No, she did not"
Attorney Hanecy, counsel for Mr..
Lorimer declined to ask any questions
of Sheppard and the witness was ex-
cused. During a five hour cross ex-
animation yesterday Sheppard was
forced to bare the escapades which he
had managed to keep secret through
two grand jury inquiries and a pre-
Lorimer election.
Sheppard admitted, under close In
terrogation by United States Senator
Luke Lea that he used fictitious
name in registering at a Chicago hotel
in April, 1910, because ne was accom-
panied by woman who was not his
wife. Until this time, Sheppard had
insisted that his object in using the
fictitious name was to avoid news
paper reporters.
William II. Sturmer, manager or the
Briggs hotel, Chicago, was placed on
the stand to identify transfer"
book of the hotel showing the record
of Lee O'Neil Brownies stay there
during the spring and summer Of 1910.
Attorney Healy Of counsel for the
committee, questioned Sturmer re-
garding various telephone calls and
telegrams. The record showed that
during one week in May, Browne had
charged to him one hundred and five
local telephone calls, ten long dis
tance calls and number Of tele-
grams
w. S. Lawrence, Fairfield, ILL.,, real
estate dealer, was called to the stand
to tell of his business relations with
State Senator James A. Womack OF
Equality. Lawrence testified that
Senator Womack said that he (Wo-
mack) had been offered $1,000 to vote
for Lorimer. The witness related in
cidents Of a railroad journey with
Senator Womack, which occurred sew
eral months following the election OF
Lorimer. 1t was during this trip that
Senator Womack was alleged to have
told Lawrence of the $1,000 offer. At.
torney Hanecy cross questioned Law
renee at length In an effort to show
that Lawrence had been coached as
witness"