The weekly soliphone. (Paragould, Greene County, Ark.) 1907-1918, 1915-06-25
Startling Exposures Come to
Light In Probe at State House

had left Stoddard came to me and
stated that the committee had fired
Thomas; that the committee had
gotten on to the fact that they had
furnished Thomas the money on
his unpaid vouchers; that he did
not know how they had gotten the
information unless Earle Hodges
had told it, as he laways talked
too much.
con Saturday, June II, Stod-
dard came through the office and
instructed the stenographer not to
allow anyone on the line, and after
he had botten into DR.. Dickinson
private office l heard him call for
long distance. After having a con-
versation with someone over the
phone he came back and informed
me that they were going to fix the
committee; that Thomas was going
to make an affidavit stating that
the reason that the committee fired
him was because he would not
agree to make an adverse report on
Hodges office at all hazards.
cat $50 a m. June IA Mon
day., Dickinson, StOddard and
Hodges held a conference behind
locked doors in DR.. Dickinson's pri-
vate office, and again on Wednes-
day morning, June IS, the same
parties, together with others, in the
same office and in the same man
ner, held a consultation, and it
was only a very short while until
the report was generally known
over the statehouse that Mr.. Hodges
had stopped the accountants from
work in his office.
(Signed) GA. J. McAMIS."
State of Arkansas, County of
Pulaski, SIS.
Subscribed and sworn to before
me this, the 18th day of June,
1915.
(signed) "vERNE McMILLEN,
Notary Public"
"My commission expires Febru-
airy 8, 1916"
HODGES IN TEXAS.
I'VE call attention to the fact
that when Stoddard found out the
committee knew all about the mon
ey transaction between Thomas and
! the officials of the auditors office,
| Stoddard Immediately suspected
Hodges had been indiscreet in Civ
ing it away because he always
talked too much This was on the
18th day of June, and strange to
say, Mr.. Hodges was in Texas and
had been for several days, and if
he knew anything at all in this
connection to talk too much about
he must have known same before
leaving here several days prior to
this time.
Mr.. Hodges stated in the Dem
ocrat of the 18th inst, that he was
j surprised and chagrined when he
saw Thomas affidavit in the pa
per that morning. Yet on Monday
morning, the 14th, he stated that
he was expecting the affidavit and
/ If THEY got it he would not allow
the damn committee to audit his
! books Mr.. Hodges came into Lit
tie Rock from Texas last Sunday
night and he admitted today to Mr..
Gentry, one of the committee. that
/ he learned of the affidavit as soon
as he got in town Monday morning.
Yet, III the face of these facts. he
tells the public on the Wednesday
/ following, that he was surprised
aud chagrined' at seeing Thomas
affidavit published in the paper
/ that morning.
PETTY POLITICS" ANSWER.
In the Gazette this morning.
MIR. Hodges says that the com
mittee in the future should try to
avoid employing a man whom il
took five months to find out that
he is not the right sort. We an
preciate Mr.. Hodges fatherIv ad-
vice, We admit, too, that it took
live months to find out the weak
ness of Mr.. Thomas. We Justified
ourselves, however, in the fact that
as soon as our mistake was discov-
cred we admitted it to the public
and righted the mistake the best we
could by dispsening with the SER
vices of Mr.. Thomas.
MT. Hodges stated in his news
paper article that it is unfortunate
for the people of Arkansas for pet
ty politics TO influence investiga
ton of the states affairs, or that
the committee should be composed
OF men that want to get even with
some and force concessions from
Others
This committee has known no
friends or enemies since it began
It's work, and we feel that this fact
alone is responsible for all injunc-
ton proceedings and other obsta-
Giles that have been employed to
stop oVr work. The public can
judge, and we are sure it will
Judge rightly whether or not this
dirty deal was caused by the com
mlttee playing petty politics or
whether it was the result of the
committee discovering this crooked
deal before it was pulled off. We
ASK the public if it believes Mr.