The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1915-07-02

One TolIefson Says Someone
Tried to Get Him"
STATEMENT BY c. ]. BUELL.
Attorney General States That II Is MOI
His Place to Bring Matter
Before G. ].

Minneapolis, June &C.. J. Buell.
of st. Paul. county option advocate,
following the announcement by him in
speeches Sunday and Monday of what
he declared was the nefarious infiti-
ence of the liquor interests in legisla-
tive matters, announced last night
that he will confer with =. ID. O'Brien.
county attorney of Ramsey county,
relative to a grand jury investigation
"f the ATTEMPT he says was made TO
bride Representative Thomas Toilet
son of Dodge county.
Mr.. Tollcfson over the long dis
lance telephone last night announced
his willingness to testify before a
grand jury that 5000 was offered him
II he would vote for II. II. Flowers
for speaker.
Claim Bride Was Offered.
A few days after a conference nj
the Merchants hotel i'm St Paul last
November when he pledged his sup
port to Samuel Y. Gordon. a man liv
ing I'm Dodge county, Mr.. Tollefson
explained, telephoned him to come TO
ST Paul at once. Mr.. Toliefson met
this man. They went to dinner. +.
!. Truman. n West Concord attorney
took dinner with them After the din
ner Mr.. Truax left and Mr.. Tollefson
and the other man went to the Ryan
hotel. On the wav there the bride
was offered. according to Mr.. Toilet
son. In q room at the hotel Mr.. Toll
lefson said they met third man from
Austin and that the two worked with
him for two hours to change his vote
but that he refused. Some time aft
erward he told Mr. Truax of the ut
tempt ut bribery. Mr.. Truax in Min
neapolis yesterday corroborated the
story.
Statement BY L. A. Smith.
Lyndon n. Smith. attorney general
said he did not believe 1t was his
place to take action. but that the case
should he placed i'm the hands OF the
county attorney of Ramsey county.
Mr.. O'Brien said he had no informa :
tiOn OF bribery but that II Mr.. Buel
or anyone else who had such knowl-
edge of IL would bring the matter be
fore the grand jury he would see that
thorough investigation was made.
Mr.. Buell. says he does not doubt
but that II the Ramsey county grand
jury should undertake an investiga-
ton other legislators would come for
ward with reports of attempts at brib-
cry. Now that the news is out. he
declares, there should he general i'm
vestigation.
viii Not Tell His Name.
In his address on Sunday at the An.
d'torium under the auspices OF the
county option campaigners in Hen.
nepin county Mr.. Buell. declared thai
: in the speakership fight i'm the LAS
legislature several offers OF brides
were made. When the county option
bill came to vote, however. the II.
| quor interests were more careful ant
| approached only one man that h,
! knew OF. This man, Mr.. Buell. de
clared. was offered $1,000 to vot.
against the county option bill and de
clined to take IT, He Is not prepared
al this time TO tell the mans name
Mr.. Flowers, who was i'm. ST. Pau
| last night attending the convention o
/ the State Bankers association. said
h"I can't believe any offer was made I,
buy Mr.. Toliefson. If so. Il was don,
without my knowing about it,"