Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-14
HINTS AT WHITE uES ST|MS0N ON GRILL
Former Gov 0deI Tells of War Secretary Quizzed by
Hartman Contribution. Committee on Ray Case.
DIFFERS FROM SHELDON COURSE HIGHLY IRREGULAR
Bliss Might Have Mnformd So Describes Action of High
Former Witness. in Withholding Papers.
REVEALS ROOSEvELTS PART POLITICAL INFLUENCE HINTED
and
York Situation by Sending De- Charges
to France he Says Missing.
Former Gov. 0deII Tells of
Hartman Contribution.
DIFFERS FROM SHELDON
Says Bliss Might Have Misinformed
Former Witness.
REVEALS RO0sEvELT'S PART
President Agreed to Help New
York Situation by Sending De-
pew to France, he Says.

pew to France, He Says.
Former Gov. Benjamin 3. Odell of New
York today told the Senate committee in
vestigating campaign funds a story o
Edward III. Harriman's $40 900 contribu
ton of 1904 so different from that tolC
to the committee by George r. Sheldon
s. that members of the committee asked Mr.
Odell how he accounted for the variances
- The former governor remarked that Cor
= nelius y. Bliss, treasurer of the republi
can national committee in 1904, Nigh
81: have told some white lies to Mr.. Shell
don about IL. Sheldon was associated
with Bliss unoff1cially in 1904, and wa!
treasurer in 1908.
The substance of Mr.. Odells testimony
was that President Roosevelt asked MIR
Hartman in 1904 to come to the White
House TO talk about campaign funds
Following that talk. said Mr.. Odel, Mr.,
Hartman raised $780, 900 for the cam
paign and turned it over to tho Tepub-
lican national committee. Mr.. Odell said
he received $4,000 of that contribution
for the New York state campaign and the
balance remained in the hands of the
national committee.
Promised to Help Out.
Mr. Odell testified that Mr.. Hartman
had told him Col. Roosevelt had agreed
that. if necessary, he would help out in
the New York senatorial situation by
: appointing Senator Chauncey NJ. Depew
! ambassador to France, thus leaving the
senatorial contest clear for Frank S.
Black. former governor of New York.
Mr. Sheldon had testified that the con-
. trlbutOn had been arranged between Mr..
Bliss and Mr.. Hartman, and that Col.
Roosevelt never knew anything about
IL until a long time after election He
denied that it had been a subject of cor
respondence between the former Presi-
dent and Mr.. Hartman. Mr.. Sheldon had
further testified that Mr.. Odell had come
10 Mr.. Bliss to see about raising money
for the state campaign. and that later
Mr.. Hartman and Mr.. Bliss had got to-
sether about S25O,0O0 which was handed
over to the state committee and never
went to the national committee"
Clapp Introduces Subject.
Chairman Ciapp introduced the SUBJ
ject of the Hartman contribution by
asking the former governor what he
knew of Mr.. Hartman having stated in
letter to Sidney Webster that Mr.
Roosevelt asked Hartman to come TO
u.
In October. 1904 began Mr. Odell, 81
was requested my Mr.. Hartman to lunch
with him. l went to his Office and during
lunch ne showed me a letter from Presi-
Gent Roosevelt asking him to come to
Washington. / was chairman of the state
committee that year. Mr.. Hartman ask
ed me what | supposed the President
wanted.
Il told him my opinion was that he
wanted to consult with him as to New
al Of he
national committee. Mr.. Hartman said
ne did not want to so, but after talking il
over he told me he would. l requested
MI. Hartman to bring the Presidents
attenCon to the senatorial situation in
New York. and tell him that the organi-
sation was in favor of Gov. Black for
senator, but Yet had a kindly feeling
coward Senator Depew, and would like to
Roosevelt could do so it would be a happy
solution for him to appoint Senator De-
pew ambassador to France.
Came to Washington.
Mr.. Hartman came to Washington
and a few days afterward l again lunch
ed with him" continued Mr. OdelI. His
narrative was uninterrupted by aues-
lions, and every senator gave close atten-
ton.
He told me l was correct-that the
President was anxious about the financial
condition of the national committee, and
would like TO have Mr.. Harrimans help.
MIR. Hartman said he asked about the
senatorial matter, and the President said
that If il was necessary he would do as
| requested.
Mr.. Hartman said he was ready to
help the national committee. suggested
that he wait until the committee exhaust
sd other resources before he gave as
came TO my office and said he was unable
to raise the rest of the money for the
state committee. The rest amounted to
about $4,000. l said it was an embar-
RAISING situation for me and he asked if
could help out. l replied / would see.
Later, / called up Mr.. Hartman and
.old him II he desired to help the ma
.ional committee that it was the prop
>r time to do He asked me to have
Mr.. Bliss and Mr.. Cortelyou come down
20 see him. L communicated with them
and they went Later that day Mr.
Hartman telephoned me that he had
made arrangements for the raising of
money and had raised $4,000, which
re had turned over to Mr.. Bliss. That
same day Mr.. Bliss came over and
gave me the national committee's
check, signed by himself as treasurer,
,or $500. 000.'
Agreement on Funds.
After his story of the contribution Mr.
odell explained his relation with the ma
ional committee that -ear. He said that
July, 1901. an agreement had been
made between himself and the national
committee. represented by Mr.. Cortel-
rou and Mr.. Bliss. whereby the national
committee was to give the New York
Itate committee $4,000.
Early In the campaign, Mr.. Odell said
he got $4,000 from the committee for
canvass of New York city and later
$1,000 for manning the polls during reg
stration. In all. 100000 OF an expected
10000 was turned over before Mr. Cor
:eiyou called on him. Odell, to say he
vas unable to pay the rest.
There was no question In my mind
TO the success OF the national and
tate tickets that year" Mr.. Odell con-
inued. What embarrassed me was that
had agreed to give to the various dis
riot chairmen in New York along the
hudson river and in the counties on
>ong Island, consisting of 1880 dis.
riots. and containing 10000 voters, this
100000 the national committee owed
ne"
Sheldon's Testimony.
Chairman Clapp called attention t.
George X. Sheldon's testimony that Mr.