The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-04-27
tOrneys for the senate at the executive
session Just before dinner.
Editor Bloom Called First.

Senator Simpson stated as he was
not present at the close of the execu-
tive session he was somewhat cur
tailed in his knowledge of what he was
supposed TO do, as only upon his arrival
at the capitol last evening had he been
informed OF the unexpected honor OF
being the official interrogation had been
thrust upon him. But he said, !" as a
soldier he had never shirked his duty,
and was not going to begin now"
j. III. Bloom, editor of The Devils
Lake Journal, was the first called. His
attention was directed to an article
which appeared in The Journal which
was headed that the senate was fixed
to give Cowan whitewash, with sub
headlines running to the effect that
Senator Gibbons had been coerced and
refused to go back to participate In
the impeachment proceedings. Further
than this certain things were mention
ed in smaller sub headlines stating,
in substance, that the senate was fixed
even before converting to stand by the
Judge, come what may, and were stand
ing by Ed Patterson. proprietor of the
Mckenzie hotel, and "the booze
brigade
After Secretary Foley of the senate
had read the article aloud, Senator
Simpson proceeded with the examina-
tion. He asked the witness how long
he had been in the. newspaper business
and was told that the latter had thirty
years experience Mr.. Bloom answered
that he had resided In North Dakota
ten years, coming to this state from
the sister state Of South Dakota
Refuses to Answer.
When asked his residence before
living i'm South Dakota, Mr.. Bloom re-
fused to answer, because, ''he felt the
question was not pertinent to the is
sue" He said he was not acquainted
with Senator Gibbons, about whom
large proportion Of his story had
been written. and of which he acknowl-
edged the authorship as well as the
responsibility for the headlines.
He stated he had not attended any
sessions OF the trial, prior to his ar
rival in the city at noon the day before,
and that he had not read all the evil
dence, only what had appeared in the
daily reports in the newspapers OF the
state. The testimony Of Witnesses
Mann and Godward, he said he had
read directly from the journal, but the
rest Of the information gained Of the
proceedings had been from the news
paper comments and editorials and
common talk.
Mr.. Bloom referred to an interview
he said he had with c. HI. Baker of
Devils Lake, a brother of Senator
Baker OF the impeachment court. in
which he said the former had criticised
his senatorial brother for the manner
in which he was voting.
sGibbens' Story From Cub Reporter.
Senator Simpson inquired as to his
informant about the information con-
corning Senator Gibbons, and the rea-
SO for his charge Of coercion. Mr.
Bloom answered 1t was his reporter
Matthew Kelly, known as Matte"
Kelly, an 1s-year-oId. reporter on HE
paper who has been In his employ
about six months. A
He said the boy had no acquaintance
with Senator Gibbons, but had obtain
ed the information contained In the
story from his uncle, Jack" Kelly,
who appeared as witness for the
prosecution in both the chief examina-
item and the rebuttal The witness
stated he knew Mr.. Kelly very well
indeed and had every confidence in
what he said.
Then he admitted that though he had