Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-08-12
~. ls,,ds55 illinois limo, Senate Investigat-
''''0'sH s.s's Committee Holds 4
zi...A Brief Session~sN
DUKE AND PICKLER
OFFER STATEMENTS
Both Deny That They Can
Give Evidence Of Graft sy
in Vote Machine Deals

tsssSs. sss vi ~ !1V's =. n
"A sworn statement OF his counees.
with H. w. Barr Of the Empire votiI
Machine Co, and copy OF the con-
tract entered into between the coua.i
pany and the three Ottumwans, was
made this morning by T. H. Pickler to !.
the Butts investigating committee OF.
the Illinois legislature. N. L. Arrison
and John W. Gray refused to appear
before the session and l., l. Duke
made a verbal statement IN which he
declined to testify because his clients
We're his informants and they refused
to give testimony before the COM
mittee. . Pill
The session while slated for 10 Z,
M and later gathered at noon, did not
get organized until p. m. and was
over with in half an hour. The iii.
nois men returned home on Burlinxton
No. 8 at 1899. No evidence beyond
the statements OF Pickler and Duke
were taken.
A fist fight featured the late morning
previous to the gathering OF the com.
mittee at the Ballingall hotel. The
rumpus was started by the story that
appeared this morning IN the Chicago
Inter Ocean In which the writer In
ferred that the Ottumwa men were r.
hiding Sunday s Ri
Mr. Pickler took offansa on tho
grounds that he had held teiephone
conversation with the newspaper man
liast evening and ressntod being termed
gutter and one who would run,
Upon the return Of the reporter "a
the hotel with other members of the
newspaper profession from Chicago, hs
was met at Green and Main streets "
Mr.. Pckler who took him to task Yoe'
his story. Blows were struck ana
friends OF Mr.. Picker pulled him away
from the fray after the AFFAIR began To
gather crowd. The men were sspA1-
lated and both were taken into the
hotel and the crowd dispersed.
| The advent of the investigating COM,
mittee with Chicago attorneys ana
newspaper men gave rise to the pros.
pect for an interesting session here To-
day. The Illinoisans came In on Bur.
lngton No. this morning with the
exception OF Attorney F. w. Walker.
representative Of Andrew Lawrence
3. e. Marriott, representative OF the
| Chicago Examiner and B. G. Clarke 81
the Inter Ocean. These came eurilor.
the latter being here all day Sunday.
! Held Conferences. s.
| The hearing was scheduled for 10
o'clock this morning in the Ballinxalj
hotel, but did not materialize at that
hour. One reason for this was con-
ference held between Chairman Butts
of the committee and former Governor
Deneen, attorney for the investigating
body, and T. H. Picker. The meeting
was held in the office OF John w.
Gray.
The three Ottumwans. Picker, Gray
and Arrison, were all seen by Messrs.
Butts and Deneen OF the commission.
and there was no disposition to hide
made manifest by the local men. Cray
and Arrison maintained their attitude
of silence today and refused to have
anything to say to the commission Ii,
the hearing investigating the alleged
voting machine scandal.
/ Judge McEwen had nothing to say
for publication, but was willing to
spend an evening with the reporter
and speak OF generalities. He alluded
to the story of Chicago buying voting
machines through the influence OF OF
tumwa brokers. and the alleged scan.
dal that has resulted, as a wierd tale
and largely Chicago political and
newspaper fight. He said 1t was i'm.
material to his client whether testi-
mony was taken or not, but that hO
came in advance to get knowledgo
Of the local conditions because ho
happened to have a day at hia dis-
posal.
PickIer's Affidavit.
State Of Iowa, county of Wapello. -:
I, Thomas H. Pickler, being duly
sworn, on oath say that In view OF the
statements containing my name with
the Chicago voting machine contract,
I desire to make the following state.
ment. In this statement include all
Of the matters with reference to said
contract OF which have any personal
knowledge, and all matters In which I
have had any connection, but do not
intend to give reports to those things
which have come to me through hear
say and in which / have had no part
/ whatever. 4 NJ
have known H. w. Barr, agent for
the Empire Voting Machine Co.. for
several years. During the winter OF
1910 and 1911, I saw him several times
in Ottumwa, and frequently talked
4 with him about his business and other
4 matters. On one occasion during said
i time, I, with two mutual friends. met
4 Mr.. Barr on the street. We all engaged
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