The Sentinel=record., 1912-01-16
LIFE STORY
 OF LORIMER
ILLINOIS SENATOR IS COOLEST MAN IN ROOM DURING GRILL
 ING EXAMINATION
Flatly Denies Some of the Testimony Already Given Before the Iaves- tgatno Committee of ths
 Senate.

Washington, D. C., Jan. 15 .--Sena- tor Lorimer, in his testimony today before the senate committee inyesti- gating his election. was dramatic in the extreme. He told the story of his life, not quite n iihe way he told 1t in his speech in the senate and with many homely details.
 Backing boots at the age Of ten to support a widowed mother and five brothers and sisters, then a cash boy. a laborer wheeling coal housepaint- CT. street car conductor and build ing contractor, were the successive setps he detailed in his progress to his present position as president of a na- tiona bank He traced his way in politics from constable to a seat in the United States senate.
 The man under fire was the coolest person in the room while he told the story His voice was unshaken ex- cept when he spoke of his mother TWO years dead
 Then his eyes gIistened and his words were bit hoarse. brhe ticking of the cloak was audible between the sentences.
 Why did Charles A. White vote for you as senator?' was one of the questions asked today
 White was former member of the Illinois legislature, whose alleged con fession of bribery, published in Chi cago newspaper. formed the founda- tion Of the inquiry into Senator LOT imer's election.
 He came to me and volunteered his vote.' replied Senator Lormer s'Tt was about ten days before my cleo i tion'
 Did White suggest he ought to have something for his voter
 He never mentioned such thing !"
 This portion of Senator Lorimer's testimony conflicted with the state ments of other witnesses. White tes- tified to the committee that he had never heard Lorimer mentioned as a senatorial possibility until two days before the election, when, he testified, Lee O'Neil Browne, who was charged with having handled the Lorimer money, came to his room and liked it up.' Browne, in turn, before the commit tee, denied Whites story of bribery and declared that White had pledged his vote to Lorimer a week before.
 White denied all that and swore that he had never seen Lorimer or dis cussed his candidacy with anyone,
 Why didn't you testify in your own behalf at the former Investigation ?'' asked Judge Hanecy. The fact that he did not testify is said to have had much weight in influencing the sen ate's decision to order the present re- hearing.
 Why, in the first place, counsel for the Chicago Tribune were prosecuting the case" replied Mir Lorimer, "and they stated they did not intend to connect me personally with any briD- cry or corruption. felt that 1t was below the office I was holding to go l on the stand to deny a charge which had not been made against me, and that it would establish precedent of calling senators under oath to testi- | fy about any charge or lie that might 1 be made against them"
 ''Did you take into consideration the countrywide interest in your case?, asked Senator Jones
 We had that in mind. but 1t might not have the same effect on me now, I have lived through this sort of a storm a good many years and I sup pose I thought if all the people lived in Chicago they would not think this assault unusual"
 The story of his life was given in response to a question by Senator Jones At the close of the story, Judge Hanecy turned Senator Lorimer over to counsel for the committee for cross-examination which had only started when a recess was taken un-