The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-03-30
Newspaper Publisher Says
100000 Was Put Up to Sc
cure Election of LOrimer.
DECLINES TO TELL HIS
SOURCE OF INFORMATION
President Taft Denies State
ment Made by Witness in
Bribery Investigation.

SPRINGFIELD, H.. March 90
Three highly important points dcvel
oped at today y two meetings of the
senatorial bribery investigating com
mittee. The first was the refusal of III.
II. kohlsaat, publisher Of the Chicago
Record Herald, to violate confidence
and name the man whom Mr.. Kohsaat
says Informed him that 100000 had
been raised to elect William Lorlmer TO
he senate.
The second was the failure of former
Senator Hopkins to appear in response
TO Il subpoena issued by the commit
tee, and the issuance Of a further order
to compel his attendance next week.
The third point was the method used
in questioning State Senator Robert j.
McElvain of Murphysboro whereby
Attorney Hcaly of the committee indi-
Gated that he holds further evidence in
this connection.
The position taken by Mr. KohIsaat
is said to have been great surprise
TO members of the committee. 1t also
has confronted them with Il problem
which many seemed to think will be
difficult to solve.
Various members of the legislature
believe Mr.. Kohlsaat's s attitude will
have no little effect upon the iDvestiga
tion. Others have taken up study of
the legal aspect and its possible effect
as concerns Mr.. kohlsaat personally.
Determined to Get Evidence.
The present temper Of the committee
was indicated in the instructions To At
torney lIealy to use force If necessary
in compelling the attendance of former
United States Senator Hopkins. Mem
bcrS Of the committee insist that all
those who have been or who will be
SY,l, 30
and that no excuses Will be accepted.
Attorney lIealy is said to hold a con
siderable amount of new information
bearing upon Mr.. Lorimer S election
which has not been made public. Those
who arc watching the investigation
closely say the trend of his questions
while examining Senator McElvain in
dicates the presence of hidden informa
tion.
1t is difficult now to estimate the OK
tent or scope of the investigation. Sub
poenas are said to have been issued for
one hundred and fifty men, nearly all
of whom have been prominent in Hi
nois politics.
ANY man who will violate a conf.
dencc is not worth a snap said Mr.,
Kohlsaat. "No newspaper man can
violate confidence. This is my code
of morals. -
' You have been demanding this in.
vestigation and now you refuse to aid
us. 80
~ appreciate the position, but |
will not violate this confidence con-
cluded Mr. Kohlsaat.
The committee then went into execu.
tave conference.
Again Mr. Kohlsaat refused abso.
lutely to answer the questions.
The doors were then reopened and
Mr.. Kohlsaat was given third oppor
tunity to answer. This he again re-
fused to do.
Mr.. kohlSaat was excused until 10 |
o clock Thursday morning. lie was in
formed by the committee that its mem
bers had agreed that he must answer
the questions regarding the money.
Senator Robert j. McElvain of Muir
physboro was the only witness examined |
this afternoon. He testified that he knew
nothing OF alleged corrupt, methods used |
In the election OF Lormcr 10 the United !
States senate
Hopkins Fails to Appear.
Contrary to the plans of the commit
tee, former United States Senator AL
bert ]. Hopkins Of Aurora did not appear |
today as witness.
Attorney Healy was instructed by
Chairman Helm to write II letter to Mr. |
Hopkins informing him that he Is cX
pected TO appear ana that unless he does
senate.
Senator McElyaln testified that he was !
n member of the legislature at the time |
OF Mr., Borimer election,
Attorney Ucaly then asked Senator |
ir the latter had talked with |
any OF his friends or nciehbors near Muir
physboro regarding alleged corruption In |
the federal scna torial election. Senator /
McElvnin denied that he had done so,
Throughout Senator McElvain's further |
along this line no said he |
had no knowledge either before or after \
Mr. Lorimcr's election OF alleged corrup-
tiOn,