The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1915-03-20
HOUSE GUSTS
REP. ROWLAND
COMMITTEE REPORTS PROOF OF
BRIBERY LACKING, EUT SUS-
TAiNs PERJURY CHARGE.
MESSENGER TESTIFIES
THERE WILL BE OTHERS IN
JAIL sOoN," THREAT OF AC-
cUSED MEMBER.
Western Newspaper Union News Service.

lower branch OF the State Legislature
when that body, by vote of 60 ayes
and no nays, five members being eX-
cused or absent, adopted the report of
the special investigating committee,
composed of Speaker p. b. Stewart
and Representatives Boone Best, p ID.
Nelson, e. V. Dunklee and Hugh
Taylor.
The report stated that the commit
tee had been unable to determine def
nitely that Rowland had accepted
money as a bribe, but that it found
him guilty of perjury and recommend
ed to the House that he be expelled
as member of the House as being
guilty OF conduct unbecoming mem
Der of this body and that his seat be
and is hereby declared vacant"
Meantime Rowland is in Jail, being
unable to find anyone to go on his
bond of $1,000 pending his trial on a
charge of committing perjury before
the county grand jury in telling two
stories iu explanation of the receipt
of money by him on the floor OF the
House the afternoon of Feb. 9.
Rowland has declared that he is pre-
pared to 'let things ride" but to Rep
reSentatiyes Ardourel and Daley,
Democrats, who went to visit him at
the jail, he is said to have declared,
bitterly, "I'm the first representative
to land in jail, but I'll not be the last.
There'll be more of you soon"
Because OF Howlands arrest and
facts adduced before the grand jury,
the House investigation committee
Monday asked that it be continued,
with all plenary powers to conduct
further investigations and hearings
into the case in hope of getting at the
real truth of the whole transaction.
The request was granted unanimously.
Denver. March Representative
William w. Howland of Denver was
arrested Saturday afternoon on an in
formation filed with District Judge
Denison by District Attorney John A
Rush, in behalf of the county grand
jury, charging Howland with deliber-
ate perjury in his testimony before
the grand jury, relative to his receipt
of money Feb. on the floor of the
House chamber at the state capitol.
was taken to the county Jail.
The Howland case took an interest.
ing turn Saturday as the result of tes-
timony Friday night before the House
probe committe by DR.. Mary L. Bates
of the Women's Protective League, to
the effect that she had sent $15 to
Howland to be transmitted by him to
Mrs. l.. l.. Hartzell, private detec-
tive engaged by her to investigate Ju-
venile Court officers and matters,
when Judge Ben B. Lindsey of the Ju-
! venile Court notified District Attorney
John A. Rush that he would ask for
warrants for the arrest of Dr. Bates
r. p. Rollins. undertaken; E. X.
Whitehead, secretary of the State HUI
name Society, and Frank l.. Rose, on
charges of couspiring to defame Lind
sey's character.
| District Attorney Rush stated that
he would issue no such warrants until
Judge Lindsey presented evidence suf
iicient to satisfy the district attorney
hat his charges can be sustained in a
criminal action.
| The arresa Friday of Carl Gibson
a messenger boy of the Postal com
pany who disappeared soon after the
! Rowland probe started, brought out a
story so entirely different from any
told previously that the investigators
| confidently anticipate startling devel
| opments in the immediate future.
Gibson testified before the grand
jury that he carried the mysterious
| package containing currency on Feb
| 8, from an t:fice in the Denver Gas
&; Electric building to Howland on the
| floor of the House, delivering the
message to doorkeeper. He declared
| inability to remember the office tc
| which he was called, nor could he de
scribe the person who gave him the
,ackage to deliver to Howland,
For the first time since the begin
ming of the case the word "bribe' was
| connected with it directly, when the
information against Howland stated
that the grand jury had been investi
eating certain matters with reference
to accepting and receiving a bribe by
the said w. w. Rowland This in
fers that the grand jury has discov
cred evidence stronger than that
brought out in the House of Represen
tatives probe, and which leads to po
litical influences higher up"
Two of the higher ups" were re
ported to haze left the city Saturday
and the grand jury refused to chance
Howland's remaining in Denver over
Sunday.
George C. Waterman, Howland S
close friend and partner In the
framed" story first told to the grand
jury and the House investigation com.
mittee, was before the grand jury Sat
lrday, and later was closeted with
District Attorney Rush, prior to How