The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-07-14
An Entirely Different Yer sion of the Telephone
 Conversation
EXECUTIVE SAYS HE
 OPPOSED LORIMER
Had Fifteen or Twenty Conferences With Him, But Lorimer Never Said Whom He Would
 Support

vestigation being made by the Senate I special committee He declared that | he did not assist in the election of Sem | ator Lorimer some of the Senator's l friends claimed but fought against 1t
 to the last He flatly contradicted the
 version which Edward Hines, Chicago
 lumber man, who is charged with hav-
 ing asked for a Lorimer election fund
 contribution, gave the famous telephone | conversation between the two on the
 day Senator Lormer was elected, May
 26. 9o9
 l MT. Hines had testified he (CHines) | telephoned from Chicago to Deneen ts-s
 he had just come in from Washington
 and was on my way to Springfield to
 bring the message to you CDeneen),
 from Senator Aldrich and the President. urging upon you to do all you possibly
 can to assist in the election of sena-
 tor at the earliest possible moment.'
 and that they understood that y.ori-
 mer could be elected If you will assist" Further Mir. Hines testified he under
 stood Deneen to say that he would as-
 sist in Lorimer's election and would ] see Lorimer in 10 minutes. Governor Deneen testified today that |
 report from the President in reference
 to Lorimer, Hines having said MT. Taft
 had sent message to support Lormer T asked him." continued Governor
 Deneen, if he had the message. and 4 he answered mo- He said the Presidep/
 had sent it and he had intendes
 come to Springfield himself
 missed the train by five minu "1 asked him if President Tl that message, for 1 thought 1t for the President to tell me tn
 said why, he sent it through 1 Aldrleh-of course. he would nc l i' to yoi, directiy--who would
 sl.f4es.ee fttit You through Geofge Re5u
 holds of the Contiental bank?'
 "I said, very well.'"
 Did you receive d communication
 from Seator Aldrich or MT. Reynolds?"
 asked Attorney J. J. Healy, who was
 conducting the examination for the i committee.
 l "No, sir"
 l Governor Deneen denied Hines ver-
 sion of the conversation in regard to 1 the identity of Hines on this occa-
 sion and added he was not certain that
 it was Hines talking, but regarded the ltalk just as he would an anonymous 1 communication. | Did you tell. Mir. Hines that you
 would assist MT Lorimer?" asked Mr. Healy.
 'T did not"
 "Did you tell him you would see Lormer?"
 'I did not"
 Talked With President Governor Deneen said he had talked with President Taft later about the incident but he declined to give the conversations until the President was to be called as a witness. In denying that he. at any time, as- sisted In Lorimers election, Governor Deneen testified that the night before the election he had attended a con ference in which he tried to hold mem- bers in line for Hopkins. After the election he told of Senator Lorimer coming to him and asking that hc wipe off the slate" in the interest of republican harmony In the state. The witness swore that Senator Lorimer said he intended to see Editor Hinman of the Chicago Inter-Ocean and Speak CT Shurtleff of the Illinois house and have them agree to the harmony also. The governor declared the first time he ever heard about proposed expose of corruption in the legislature was in August or September, 1909, when Edwin R. Wright, chairman of the Federation of Labor. in Illinois, told him that a member of the legislature proposed to tell all about it in a book or magazine article. He denied any part in the preparation of Wrights statement.
 Governor Deneen discussed the | Jackpot or corruption fund, which, he said, was reputed to have been di- vided after the legislature to those who voted right" during the session. Are you willing to stake your rep utation as governor on there having been a jackpot fin the legislature?' fn- quired Senator Kenyon.
 "I think anyone would be safe in doing
 that"
 Favored Hopkins Governor Deneen said he favored the reelection of Senator Hopkins in the pri- maries and gave his version of the politi- cal differences between him and former Governor Yates, which had only an in- direct bearing on the Lorimer case.
 Fifteen or twenty conferences occurred between Deneen and Lorimer between their talk on January IS. 1909, and the sen- atorial election on May 26 Governor De- reen said he had expected disappointment at the support he received in the guber- material election contest carried before the legislature. For a long time Senator Lorimer case no expression of what his postion would be in the contest, but at last made light of the contest" Gov ernor Deneen said. "Preceding the election, at the or eanization of the legislature and the election of a United States senator there was a bipartisan alliance, before which | felt helpless in the legislature" declared the witness. He described the objective point of this alliance to be to nominate Yates for governor, but if De- neen won over Yates then to vote for the | democratic candidate for governor and If beaten then to organize the legislature | against Deneen. l Governor Deneen said it was reported | s5oy, 900 was raised to defeat him at the l gubernatorial primary. Did Lorimer support you for gov- | ernor?' q don't know how he voted, but his | friends were against me" | The committee adjourned until tomor- | TOW, when Governor Dcneen again will bs