Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-05-21
Senate Committee Finds
Lieutenant Governor
Free of Guilt.
EVIDENCE is REVIEWED
Davis Condemned for Attempt
to BIaCken Character of
Official.

Springfield, H., May 21.-The special
senatorial committee appointed to in
vestigate charges of immortality
against Lieutenant Governor Barratt |
O'Hara today reported its finding to
the senate O'Iiara was eXonerated !
from blame, and Miss Mitde Robin |
son and Sam Davis of Springfield were
charged with attempting TO obstruct |
the work Of the senate white slave |
After reviewing the evidence sub !
mitted by all witnesses examined, the |
committee concludes: Your COM
mittee finds, in view of the evidence,
that the said Sam Davis, one Of the
said witnesses, procuretd said Maude
Alberta Robinson to sign and swear
to the said affidavit, which was skill
fully framed and adroitly designed to
convey the impression that O'Hara,
president of the senate, who is chair
man OF said committee, had been
guilty of improper conduct with said
Maude Robinson, that the affidavit
was procured by Davis with the idea
of using it for the purpose of hamper
ing said commission in its investiga
ton of vice conditions in Springfield,
and that Davis was moved to do this
by what he regarded unfair and
abusive methods in the examination
of certain witnesses, particularly Wit
ness Derby, before the commission at
its meetings in Springfield.
DENIALS CORROBORATED
THE said improper conduct charg-
ed by insinuation in said affidavit was
positively denied by Maude Robinson
in her testimony. and positively de-
MED by the president of the senate,
who also appeared as witness.
"Such denials were fully corrobor-
ated in the testimon yof o.her wit
nesses, and your committe finds that
| there was no foundation for the
charges inferentially and insinuating-
| ly made in said affidavit that said
| O'Hara was guilty of immoral con-
duct.
"This committee further finds the
conduct of said Sam Davis in procur-
| ing said affidavit and threatening to
use it in a manner and for the pur-
pose as clearly shown By his own tes-
timony and corroborated by the tes-
| timony of other witnesses was i'm
proper and unjustifiable, that it was
an effort on his part to place herself
in a position to attempt TO intimidate
the president of the senate and ham
per and obstruct said commission in
the work OF investigation and cast dis
credit upon members of the commits
sion, particularly upon the chairman
thereof"
COMMISSION CRITICIZED.
This committee further finds that
the said senate vice commission, so
called, in the conduct of the examina-
ton of witness Derby, as 1t appears
from the transcript of this proceeding
at the session held in Springfield
April %, is subject to criticism as ex-
ceeding the bounds of judicial pro-
priety; that the commission did not
permit witness Derby to present fully
his side Of the question then under
consideration and treated with undue
severity both the witness and the man
ufacturing concern which he repre-
sented, and that the language employ
ed by the commission on this occasion
was Incorporate.
your committee, however, finds
that such conduct of the commission
although subject to criticism, was not
justification for the act of a witness
in procuring and attempting to use
the affidavit of Maud Robinson afore
said; that if said witness complained
of improper examination, he had prop
er legal remedy recognized in legisla
tive inquiries and courts Of law, an
should have invoked the same instead
of resorting to the Objectionable prac
tice adopted by him.
DAVIS Is CENsURED.
> your committee therefore reports
that O'Hara was not and has not beer
guilty of improper or immoral conduc
at the time or place mentioned in SAT-
affidavit.
'Your committee further reports tn,
action of said Sam Davis reprehensi
bic, and he should be and is hereb.
censured and condemned.
Your committee further recon
mends that in the event Davis or an
other person subpoenaed to appear a
. a witness before the vice comnnissio,
shall endeaTor by the same or simila
5 practices to hinder or obstruct tn
= work of this commission, then in tha
: event, said person or persons shoul
= be brought before the bar of the SCI
l. ate and punished for contempt an
d otherwise dealt with in accordance I
law"