The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-04-16
q. w. Rogers of Andalusia
Says Money Defeated Him
for Position He Sought
GOV. O'NEAL DETAILS
VARIOUS CONTRACTS
Gadsden Newspaper Man Fails to Give
Probers Any New Sources of
Information Upon Which
They Can Work
by L. $. BETTY

sf L. - hGtt
Montgomery. April 15-(speeial. -
Charges of bribery in connection with
he appointment OF DR.. t. f. Broughton
tc the position of resident physician at
The camp of the Henderson Lumber
tompany at Sanford We're preferred
bn the convict probe this morning by
IDr. w. T. Rogers, a physician of An
tlalusia, and were denied by Leon Me
,ord, associate member of the railroad
commission. and John Gamble of Troy,
whose names had been mentioned by
Rogers in his sensational disclosures
DR. Rogers told the board OF inquiry
that he had BEEN an applicant for the
,osition of resident physician at sam
ford and that he had been assured
by Oakley that. he would secure the
appointment He stated that on the
same day he was informed by Leon
+dccord that a check for $500, drawn by
y D. Henderson. had been presented
no Gamble to be divided equally be-
Fween him and Oakley.
Says Money Defeated Him
DIR. Rogers said that the payment OF
this money had defeated him for the
position of resident physician of the
Humber company at Sanford.
| FOLLOWING the sensational charges OF
Ipr. Rogers, Leon McCord and John
Gamble were immediately summoned
before the board by Examiner Charles
$1. Mccall Both Mr.. McCord and Mr.
Gamble denied emphatically that
|check had passed between Henderson
|pnd Gamble or that they had any
knowledge of any such transaction.
Mr.. McCord said he never heard of
|euch a transaction.
Verbeck First Witness
The first witness placed on the stand
|St the mornings session was c. e. YER
beck, editor of the Gadsden Evening
journal.
Mr.. Verbeck was asked to explain an
editorial which he had written to the
|cffect that the present probe was
|whitewash.
Editor yerbeck. while acknowledg-
|ipg tnat he had written the article, re-
Fused 80 give the names OF any per-
|suns who could throw any light upon
1.-The department, declined to give his
|nuthority for certain rumors and re-
|ports which he had heard, and failed to
furnish the committee with any proof
that the investigation was not con-
Quoted In thorough. honest and un-
binsed manner. Mr., verbeck was on
the stand. for more than an hour and
though urged by Major Steiner and the
ether attorneys representing the state
1ncluding the examiners present de-
clined to assist the state In securing ad-
|ditional information
He later Acknowledged that tho ad,-
torial was not intended as a criticism
OF the work of the examiners. but rath-
er as criticism in the manner in which
the probe was conducted. He said he
thought 1T should be conducted by
legislative committee.
O'Neal Takes Stand
Governor o Neal was on the stand in
The convict department probe more than
an hour this afternoon reading q state
ment relative to the various contracts for
the lease of convicts which have been
made during his administration
1t was the governors second appear
ance as a witness In the convict depart
ment irobe, his first testimony having
been siven In a written statement rea-
tive to his appointment of James G. Oak
ley to the position of president of the
board of convict inspectors which was
submitted to Chief Examiner of Public
Accounts c. r. Mccall last week.
Details Various Contracts
The governors statement today con-
tanned complete account of the entire
transactions leading up to the making
OF the contracts with the Pratt consoli-
dated Coal company, the Sloss- Sheffield
Steel and Iron company, and with other
mine companies, including the contract
with the lumbe and turpentine COM
panes.
With reference to the Banner contract,
the governor declared that since this con-
tract was made he has been constantly
trying to reduce expenses, and salaries
and eliminating all Unnecessary officials"
He declared that ''the result has been that
the expenses of the state have been re-
duced since the contract was made about
$4,000 per annum."
The governor then takes up the Sloss-
Sheffield contract, and gives at length
the correspondence between himself and
officials of the. company relative to the
making of this contract
The contract with the Sloss company
was made March 30, 1912.
In concluding his statement the govern
or gave an account of the effort made by
representatives and attorneys of the lum-
ber and turpentine companies of South
Alabama to prevent the removal of con-
victs from that section of the state of
North Alabama.
The governor said he told these COM
panes that he did not think the state
mas raceivfpv cufficiapt rnfpp n % tiop for