The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1913-07-04
IN
WEST VIRGINIA
bRIBE SCANDAL


State Senator Ben 4. Smith, Of
Roane County, was found guilty by
jury in the Webster Circuit Court
tonight of accepting bribe from
Guy Bddinger, detective, during
the last session OF the State Legis-
lature, to influence his vote on the
pending election for United States
Senator
The jury rendered verdict at
9:45 o'clock tonight, after five hours
of elaboration
Senator Smith heard the verdict
with little emotion as it was read
and the jury poled, but later, af-
fectod by the breakdown of his wfs
gave way TO tears
He was taken into custody of the
Sheriff and Will spend the night In
the county Jail The penalty Is from
five to ten years in the penitentiary,
Probably the most bitter ienun
citation ever heard in q West Vir
GINA courtroom was launched this
morning when Attorney Robert l.
Gregory, Of counsel for the defense
declared that the charges against
the accused Senator was the result
Of diaholical conspiracy concocted by
Prosecuting Attorney Townsend,
William S Edwards William NJ o.
Dawson. William Il Glasscock, Grant
7 Hall and Guy b Biddinger.
Detective is Denounced
Gregory charged that Biddingef
had been brought 10 Charleston dur
ing the session of the Legislature
for criminal purposes, and that when
the plot was exposed Senator Smith,
with the other defendants, was ar
, rested to save the conspirators Bid
dinger was characterized as too
, mean to tread West Virginia soil p"
Prosecuting Attorney r. c. Town
send aud Grant 2. Hall, important
witnesses for the state, were desig-
mated as towards for the part they
PLAYED ip the entrapment of the
accused Solons, former Governor
| Glasscock as "the most hated man
who ever left the Governors office, "
and former Governor w NJ O. Daw-
son as "the most despised man in
the state"
Prosecuting Attorney William l..
Wooddell, who followed Gregory for
the state, defended tho integrity of
Prosecutor Townsend and the state
witnesses
"Frcm the very inception Of this
case, said Wooddell, ct have known
| that there was NO defense, and coun-
sci for the defendant have attempt
cd TO resolve the case into a ques-
tion Of the integrity of counsel They
have undertaken to impuen the mo-
tives Of Prosecutor Townsend, man
who had the courage to undertake
! TO clean UP Legislature. They at.
tack William Seymour Edwards, q
| patriot. a martyr, and he benefactol
Of every man woman and child in
West Virginia"
ELOQUENT Appeals Made,
Judge Samuel e Burdette and
Congressman Avis made the closing
arguments for the defense. Bur
dette. besides appealing eloeueutly
to the sympathy of the jury, attack.
ed the states witnesses, and asserted
that the mention Of the name O
Colonel John r. McGraw in connec
ton with the investigation of /;
former legislative graft scandal was
"a most scandalous and internal eff
fort TO drag honorable men into tht
prosecution
| Congressman Avis IN closing re
view the testimony and dwelt upor
the admissions of the defend
ant that he had accepted $1,000 from
q detective who had represented
himself to be an employe ot tht
Standard OF Company and who had
Acknowledged that he believed Il
wrong to accept the money.
Dir. Ben A. Smith, State Senator
from the Fourth District and form
er member Of the House of Delegates
! was arrested during the session OF
the Legislature last winter on the
charge of selling his vote to Guy B.
Biddinger. detective, ostendbiy
the confidential agent of William
Seymour Edwards, then candidate
for the United States Senate. Smith,
along with four other members Of
the Legislature, were trapped and
arrested with the money in their