The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-04-04
Very truly yours,
William Lorimer.

WY liuiy yOuiS,
William Lorimer.
In his testimony before the com
mittee, White admitted that in send
ing the letter to Senator Lorimer he
hoped to receive a reply that would
be of advantage to him, adding, 81
had no evidence against Senator Lor-
inner directly and had no dealings
with him" He subsequently sold the
article to the Chicago Tribune for
$500 and the publication of por-
ton of the same, that relating to his
own alleged infamy In accepting
bride from Browne. became the basis
for the investigation ordered by the
Senate of the United States.
Upon the strength of Whites
charges, Browne was indicted for hav
ing bribed him to vote for Senator
Lorimer and was duly tried upon that
charge, White testifying at the trial,
but Browne was acquitted by a jury
Of his peers and it is a significant
| fact that he has again been elected
to the Legislature of Illinois by his
constituents and is now a member of
that body White was not only i'm
peached by that verdict but stands
impeached by numberless circum-
stances surrounding his actions. In
addition to the money which he says
he received from Browne, he says he
received $500 from one Wilson, also
member of the Illinois legislature,
and this he admitted he supposed
came from a corruption fund in the
legislature, known as the Jackpot"
a fund extorted from parties interest
ed in pending legislation in consider
alton OF aid in retarding or speeding
legislation, as the case might be.
Three other members OF the ILL
nois Legislature were dragged into
the controversy in some way or ano-
Their charged with having received
money in consideration of having vot-
ed for Senator Lorimer, all of whom
say that they received money either
from Browne or Wilson, or from both
substantially at the same time and
under the same conditions as those
narrated by White. The only question
to be determined was whether the
money which they and White so re-
ceived was paid them because they
voted for Lorimer or whether it was
from the so-called Jackpot" and for
other and entirely different reasons
= Upon this question the seven United
States senators before named sum
moned and heard every witness
whose name was suggested. They
came face to face with all the wit
nesses and had full opportunity tC
Judge of their character and truth
. fulness.
Having fully weighed the evidenc,
and reached their conclusions, Sena
=, tor Frazier was found to stand alon,
in his opinion that the facts and cir
: cumstances surrounding the trans
! actions warranted him in believing
= that they received the money as
hriha in copefd ovation for 4I,ofr 10,
ing voted for Senator Lorimer, al
though as before stated, he had faile,
TO find that Lorimer was PERSONAL.
guilty OF bribery, or other corrup
practices, or that he was cognizant o
J. such actions on the part of Others
Senator Frazier's six associates
4 however, were unable to agree wit
n him in his conclusions but were 0
:, the opinion that these men did no
\. receive such money in consideration
for having voted for Senator Lorimel
s. gave careful study to all the ev
dence in the case and am impresse
: ! with the conviction that however COZ
!. rupt these persons may have beer
p the money that was paid them cam
from sources unconnected with tn
Il Lorimer election and was received b
y them for reasons wholly unconnecte
with their reasons for voting fo
Senator Lorimer
/ To analyze the testimony in tn
case would be to occupy the entir
space of the Herald and News and
have been obliged to content myse
with giving this brief outline of tn
case and the grounds upon which
reached my conclusions want I
add, however, that it is a signifcar
fact, and one that confirmed me /
my judgment, that when the TO
was called in the Senate Senate
Cullom, who has served the state
Illinois for forty years with distin
ton and courage and whose privat
life has been unblemished, voted /
favor of the proposition that his CO
league was entitled to retain his sea