The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-08-15
O'DE[L TELLS IF
 CAMPAIGN FUND Declares Hartman Gave J Large Sum DENIAL BY COLONEL Roosevelt Brands Charge as Dishon- est and Untrue, and Says Har-
 riman Was Never Asked
 for a Dollar

Washington. August 14-Theodore Roosevelt in 1904 invited Edward Harri- man to the White House for talk about campaign funds and few days later the railroad magnate raised S24OoW and turned it over to the republican national committee, according to deelara- tions made today to the extraordinary Senate committee of inquiry by Benjamin E. Oaell, former governor of New York.
 Mir. OdeH's story 70 differed from that told by c. R. Sheldon that the committed men asked for explanation. Odell ex- plained that Cornelius Bliss, republican treasurer in 1904, might have told some white lies" to MT. Sheldon with whom he was unoffioiaily associated. MT. sheldon became treasurer in the 1908 campaign He had testified that Mir Bliss and MT. Hartman arranged for contribution and that President Roosevelt did not know about 1t until after the election. Odell testified that of Harrimans contribution s2O0,0o0 was spent in New York.
 Tn october of 1904" began MT. Odell, 'T was requested by MT. Hartman to lunch with him. During tine luncheon Hartman showed me letter from Presi- dent Roosevelt asking him to come to Washington. I was chairman of the state committee at that time MT. Hartman asked me what 1 supposed the President wanted. l told him my opinion was that MT. Roosevelt wanted Nto consult with him as to New fork and the financial condition of the national committee.
 MT. Hartman said he did not want to go but after talking 1t over he told me he would. Mir Hartman came to Washing ton and a few days afterward l again luncheon with him. He told me that the President was anxious about the financial condition of the national committee and would like to have MT. Harriman's help
 MT. Odel detailed the subsequent action leading up to the actual contribution of the sum specified.
 Mir. Odell said in 19Ot an agreement was reached between himself and the national committee, represented by MT. Corteiyou and MT. Bliss, which provided that the committee was to give the New York state committee s500ooo. During the cam paign he had received sS0O,0oo of the amount Then MT. Cortelyou told him the natlOndl committee EOulu nul urilNCi tiic remainder. Mir Odell said he was certain both state and national tickets would win, but what embarrassed me" was that he had promised district cnairmen along the Hudson and in the Long Island counties districts containing s0000a voters, the soO,0oo owed him by the national committed MT. Harriman's contribution solved the dilemma.
 Roosevelt Denies Charges
 Oyster Bay, N. Y, August 14-The testimony of ex-Governor Benjamin B O'Dell of New York today before the Senate committee, which is Investigating campaign funds was contradicted tonight by Colonel Roosevelt
 T am not interested in Mir. O'Dell s hearsay statements" Mir Roosevelt ex- claimed. He declared that any man who attempted to refute statements he had made in reply to the allegation that he had requested b. H. Hartman to raise funds for the 1904 campaign branded him self as dishonest and untruthful.
 Colonel Roosevelt dictated this state ment.
 'I have not thing to add to what was contained in my statement contain ing the letters published at that time. These letters speak for themselves. MT. Sheldons testimony absolutely bears them out. I never uiitttly VT ihhii7Seis oSaNSN MT. Hartman for dollar, and he never spoke to me about giving a dollar to the national campaign fund. On tho contrary, he asked me to help him get for ODell and the state campaign fund some large sums of money from the national cam paign committee on the ground that my election was safe anyhow, that 1t was essential to help O'Dell carry the state ticket Let me repeat that every fact forth in full and in detail hv me six years ago while Mir. Hartman was alive. This statement was contained in my letter written at the time to MT, Hartman and neither Mir. Hartman nor MT. ODell ever attempted to answer this communication of mine and no hu- man being can so much as attempt to refute any statement I therein made with out branding himself as dishonest and untruthful. MT. Sheldons statement. which he on his own accord volunteered to make corroborated eevrything that l said. I was glad to have it published, but the letters that I gave needed no corroboration."
 Arrange Coloners Tour
 Senator Dixon, chairman of the progress give national committed: George W. Per kins of New York and Medili Mccormick of Chicago spent several hours at Saga more Hill today, continuing the confer ence begun yesterday. A large part Of the time today was spent in arranging Col onel Roosevelt's tour through the west and south. Most of Colonel Roosevelt's speeches will be made at state fairs or progressive state conventions. The col onel hopes to be back at Sagamore Hill e week or two before etection to devote the last part of the campaign to New York and the neighboring states.
 Colonel Roosevelt said tha. he would leave New York for Providence, R. L. at l D. m. on Friday to make the opening speech of his campaign.