The Oskaloosa herald., 1911-08-03
CONGRESS PACKS
LOR|MER TRIAL
Distinguished Audience Hears
White ReteII His Story.
RAIL FAVORS ARE RELATED
Former Legislator Accuses Lee O'NeilI
Browne Of Paying Him $1,000 to
Vote for Illinois
Senator.

Washington, Aug. 2.-Charles A.
White, former member of the Illinois
legislature and confessed bribe-taker,
told his story of legislative corruption
IN Illinois to the senate committee
which is Investigating the election of
Senator William Lorimer.
The room was packed to the doors
senators and congressman were
crowded in with the curious and Or
binary" and they drank in the de-
tails of Whites famous confession.
Attorney Marble, counsel for the
committee, led White to tell his story
in narrative form, taking all events in
their chronological order.
By way of introduction White threw
some interesting light on the "oddi-
ties" of legislative life in Springfield.
He said that soon after he took up his
duties in Springfield in 1909 he re-
ceived railroad passes from the Chi
cago & Alton, Illinois Central, Wa
bash, Chicago & Great Western, North
western and other lines. An attorney
for the Illinois Southern asked him to
return the favor of the company's pass
by voting against bill to make final
the finding of juries in personal injury
cases.
White received Pullman passes.
Transportation could be exchanged
among members, and destinations on
Pullman passes could be altered to
suit the convenience Of the holders.
Whites "Friend Never Worked"
White had a friend of his, one Otis
Marlborough, put on the state pay roll
as janitor at two dollars a day He
never worked an hour for the state"
said White.
There are 1876 others of the same
kind on the pay roll, according to
Whites story.
Then the committee took up the
actual confession. White said that on
the night of the twenty-fourth, 1909,
Lee O'Neill Browne, Democratic lead
er, first asked him to vote for Lori
mer.
He told me there wouldn't be any
chicken feed in it," said White.
Mr.. Browne cautioned me to be
quiet. He said he was suspicious of a
little place above there called Joliet
told Otis and Sidney Marlborough about
it, and they advised me not to vote for
Lorimer, but l said was going to do
1t.
THE next day Browne saw me
again. | asked him what | was going
to get out of the proposition. He said,
You're to get $1,000, and it's all ready
cash, too He also said the jackpot
three months after the close of the
session.
The third day was the twenty sixth.
When the senate marched into the
chamber of the house, Browne came
over to me and said, Now, this comes
off on the first ballot. Don't forget.
On the first ballot, l voted for Lori
mer, and he was elected.
SCOT $1,000 From Browne"
Browne gave me 500 about the
time the legislature adjourned, few
days later. | saw Browne June 16, at
the Briggs house, in Chicago. He gave
me $50 that night, and told me to call
again the next day. | did so, and he
gave me $3.50. making 81, 900 in all. He
wore belt, in which he was carrying
about 100000"
When he got back to his home town,
O'Fallon, ILL.,, White showed the money
to several persons. He received a
number of very friendly letters from
Browne. On July IA of that year, he
received telegram from Representa-
tive Robert E. Wilson, asking him to
be at the Southern hotel, ST. Louis,
the next day. 1T was for the distri.
button of the Jackpot" said White.