The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-06-04
'[0R|MER CASE
OPENED IN THE
SENATE TODAY
Senator Kern Representing
the Minority of the Com
nittee the Speaker.
DEFENSE WILL Be BASED ON
QUESTION OF RES JUD|CATE
Lorimer Weak From Recent r,Iress
is in His Seat to Hear the Arcu.
mentS Against Him Retaining of
His Seat i'm Senate.


His Seat i'm Senate.
Washington. June 4-Senator
kern's speech today leading the at
tack on Senator Lorimer's election
nrlngs the case actively before the
senate. where Il is likely to be the
principal consideration for at least
the next two weeks. and possibly NAV
prolons the session of congress.
Senators Lea and Kenyon, who
with Senator Kern are the minority
OF the LorlIner investigation comlnit-
tee holding the Illinois senator's cleo
tion was brought about hv corrup.ion
are ready to Join in the fight against
inc majority report which completely
eXonerates Lormer
While the whole question of the
validity of the election is the prjnci-
pal consideration before the senate.
an important feature, which promis-
es 10 precipitate the first fight and
me hrst test of strength. is the, con-
| tenflon that Lorimers case is res
Judlcate' or has been decided ono.
ny the senate and can not he reopen
~ Inc majority OF the committee
which made the second investigation
holds that Senator Lorimer can not
he tried again on practically the same
charges on which the senate by vote
OF 40 to 40 acquitted him on March
j. i'l /. The minority holds this
reasoning does not apply to Lori
mer's case.
The complexion of the senate has
been altered considerable since Lori
mers vindication and this leads to
much speculation. 1t has been re-
ported that poll made by Lorimers
! friends convinced them they could
, not expect more than forty votes and
that many senators had declined 20
indicate their views. and that Lori
mer had been advised to resign.
In the two years Senator Lorimer's
election has been under fire it has fur
nished probably more sensations than
any other case of the kind. Lorimer
was elected by the Illinois legislature
on May 27, 1909. after PROLONGED
deadlock in which the names of more
than 100 candidates. democratic and
. republican, had been presented un-
successfully. However. it was not un-
til nearly year later that the validity
OF his election was challenged. when
the now famous confession of Charles
A. White. member of the Illinois
legislature. was published. II was
charged that he received 1000 from
Lee o'Neil Brown. democratic mem
Der of the Illinois house of represen-
tatives in return for his vote for Lor-
inner ana also 5000 as share of tho
! general corruption fund" Then in
rapid succession followed sensa tom
ial series of confessions by other mem
hers of the legislature. These confess
sionS. however. later We're modified
or lepudiated. with the exception of
White. The other men claimed they
had received money out of the gen
eral fund but not in return for their
Loril1e. vote and in some cases ii was
charged that intimidation by Cook
county authorities had laen resorted
to to wiring the confessions from
them
Lee O'Neil Browne was charged
With the distributing of the Lori
mer money" but was acquitted by III,
jury. and the other indictments were
ouashed. Charges of jury hrihine in
the Browne cas-" We're uns,lstained in
court.
a committee of United States soma
tors reported that the charges of cor
ruption We're NOT proved and held
lorimer's title Ia seat valid. Imme-
diate1y afte" the Illinois legislature
appointod a committee of its own to
investigate. and this committee re-
ported that Senator Lorimer Was not
elected with bribery and corruption
and the Illinois senate ll a Vote of 80
to 10 endorsed that View.
In the meantime after a series of
notable debates in the United States
senate Lorirner Was vindicated there
by. 46 To 40 with five senators not
voting. Tho Second Investigation
brought ont the charge that Edward
Hines the millionaire un1 berman,
had raised fund Of 100000 to put
Lorimer over hut the majority of tho
Hines as we'll AS Lorin,er.
Worn and weak Senator 1.orimer.
the central figure in the greatest Grim
inal contest fought o,.t in congress for
MANY years resumed his seat in the
senate today.
Senator Lorimer reached Washing
ton early yesterday and rested in his
hotel until late in the afternoon whsn