The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-04-05
VT. DEMOCRATS IN
WARM SESSION
LAST NIGHT
Ex-MayOr Burke Attacks 7.
H. Browne
LATTER IS INDICATED
Burke Charged Browne With Having
Msappropriated Campaign Funds
Four Years Ago

Burlington, April 5.-National Dem
ocratic Committeeman Thomas II.
Browne of Rutland was last night
publicly charged with misapprQpria-
ton of nearly $1,000 in camLaign
funds by ex-Mayor James e. Bnrke
of this city at a meeting following
the meeting of the democratic state
committee at the New Sherwood no
tel. The attack on Mr. Browne fol-
lowed the executive session Of the
state committee called for the pur-
pose OF fixing a date and place for
the state convention and took place
after the regular meeting of the COM
mittee. The meeting was public
one, held in the large hall Of the ho- i.
tel and for more than three hours
bedlam reigned throughout the hall
The charges against Mr.. Browne
followed the sending out through the
state by Mr. Burke of a circular let
ter charging Mr.. Browne with not
having accounted for the $1,000 cam
paign fund furnished him four years
ago by the national committee, when
Mr.. Burke was a candidate for gov
ernor. Mr. Burke had previously
mailed copies of this letter to every
democratic county committeeman and
/ there were rumors about the hotel all
the afternoon that trouble was brew
1 ing over the allegations that had been
made by Mr.. Burke that Mr.. Browne
/ had not properly accounted for all
/ the money he received from the nat
! ional committee. Before the meet
/ ing was over last night Mr.. Browne
had refuted every charge made by
| Mr. Burke and had been INDICATED
by the democrats and others present
by vote of 76 to four
Before the whole fracas was over
II appeared that the charge brought
against Mr.. Browne by Mr.. Burke
grew ont of dissatisfaction on the
part Of the latter over his defeat for
governor at the election four years
ago. Mr. Burke tried to show that
his defeat at that time was due to
the fact that Mr.. Browne had not
spent the money he received from the
national committee. In other words,
Mr.. Burke's attitude seemed to be
that because he was defeated in his
race to be governor Mr.. Browne
could not have spent any money on
the campaign. According TO the ar
gument advanced by Mr. Burke If the
$1,000 he claimed Browne received
had been spent in what he termed
proper way he (Burke) could not
possibly have been defeated
The turmoil was not over until
midnight, and the state committee
men, with aching heads agreed to
leave the matter Of the date OF the
convention TO be decided at some fu.
ture time. At the close of the meet.
ing, Mr.. Browne was surrounded by
a crowd of admirers and congratula.
ted on the outcome of the controver.
sy.
The executive session of the com.
mittee was held at eight o'clock.
Montpelier was decided upon as the
place where the democratic state
convention will be held, but the date
Tor II was not fixed, being left with
the committee for decision later p.
NJ. Meldon OF Rutland was chosen as
temporary chairman, with II. c..
Shurtlen OF Montpelier as temporary
secretary and Frank Pratt of Brattle.
. boro assistant secretary The com.
mlttee on resolutions was named as
! follows Harlan b. Howe of ST Johns.
: bury Charles d. Watson of ST. AL.
bans, 7. w. Moloney of Rutland. V.
A. Billiard of Burlington and Fred C.
, Brown OF Pownal. For sergeant AZ
arms, Dr. l.. W. Clough OF Enosburg
Falls was chosen, and for the second
district congressional committeeman
from Vermont. v A. Billiard of this
city. No arrangement for the dis.
rlot conventions were made last
night, this matter being left until
today. Emory S. Harris of Bennlng.
ton was In the chair last evening
with NJ. G. Leary Of this city as sec.
? rotary