The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-07-12
G. ). F. State Chairman Is Questioned By-State s At torney Cummings at~Open- ing of Inquiry in Hill's Election.
E. J. Hill Uneasy As He Waits For Proceedings To Begin, While Donovan Sits Calmly Reading Newspaper.
Special to The Farmer

Stamford, July 12-J. Henry Roraback, chairman of the Re- publican State Central commit tee, was star witness, this morning, in the Hill election contest, which opened in the law office of StateS At torney Homer Cummings, who Is counsel for Mfr. Donovan.
 MT. Roraback- was sharply. questioned by Mir. Cummings, as to whether,thes witness knew thateit was illegal sfoH one poll tica1 committee toscontribute to another. Mfr. RoGaback. said he did not known that such con tributions weresi11egal.
 The action is taken on charges that E. J. Hill, in sob- taining an election to congress collected and expended large sums of money in violation of the corrupt practices act. MT. HdlI was the hrstEof the eprsin-
  companded by Charles Greenwood, llir secretary; Arthur c. Wheeler, his pc- hticaI agent, and two of the three a6- torneys representing him. Milton B'e1= genden Of Stamford and yVf1IAam E. Henney of Hartford.
 U. Henry Rorabeck wz1o 3s essotlns as counsel for H1I1 arrived late. 1Grs Donovan and States Attorney Gum mingsL representing him. came in after MT. Hfn and MT. Donovan met and exchanged a few pIeasaI1sriea and then the eIawyers went into MT. Cum nningS private office for conference, leaving MT. Fill with MT DonoVan 1n the law hbrary-
 The conference lasted many nnall- utes, during which Congressrnan Don ovan calmly pera1sed a. neHBpaper- MT. Hill sat across the room in an arm He seemed greatly relieved when tt | was over.
 Walter McGutre 8 notary rga5tlc. 1s taking the testimony which will be put dn the form of dispositions. Mir. Roraback went on che stand.
 He said he is a resilient of Canaan and a lawyer. For three years, he said, he has been chairman of the Republican State central committee He said he was both chairman and treasurer during the campaigns Of 1914 and as treasurer, he handled the campaign funds, which amounted to $z1 O@.60 He Identified a copy of his report.
 Asked if the, money had been han dIed through the banks, he 'said= 'sHJot entirely" Most, he said. had been han dIed through the Charter Oak Ma tionaI bank of Hartford Disburse- ments, he said, amounted Fto s21,o47.- 64.
 raback for MT Donovan, asked: Did any of this money come into the Fourth district?"
 eeNone except that which came in a general way for general expenses l such as printing maintaining a speak ers' bureau. etc., He said that no part of 1t was a direct contribution MT. Cummings then read from a report and aScertained that contrfbu- tions had been made to IT of the 35 senatorial districts by the State Central committee. None of these seven senatorial districts in Fairfield. country received any contributions, MT. Roraback testified
 Referring to the report, MT. Gum n1ings read list of contributions by candidates on theRepublican ticket or 1 by their agents. In this list was in l cIuded a contribution of g, OOe from Arthur c. Wheeler as treasurer of the Fourth District Congressional com rnittee. MT Roraback said that was the only contr1 1bJrt1on made by MT
 sDdd you know that MT. wheeler was agent for Mr. F7an ?'' asked MT. Cummings
 1T had no positive knowledge of that fact was the answer.
 Wasn't 1t common knowledge at the time that MT. Wheeler was acting as MT HaH's political agaRt7''
 'T did not know it. I never saw his lappointnent and I had no Anoyvledge that 1t was fact 'Do you as chairman of~Ehe Reput- Hcan state central committee want 5o go on record as saying that you do not know and did not know that MT Wheeler was MT. BIIFs political agent i in the campaign of 19147" | 'T am willing to go on record to that effect ''
 Fourth Congressional districts were the only ones that made contributions to the State Central committee. DO you know ofLany provision in 1 the statutes that tustif7es contrfbIl- tions from one committee to anotherfs
 'T knoHr of no prohibition.
 'eIn taking these funds you compiled l with the law ?"
 'tI tried to.''
 .'If there was such prohibition prohibiting the contribution by one committee to another, then you vio- lated it unwittingly?"
 ''Yes''
 :.Did you get an opinion on the in terpretat5on of the statute relative to campaign contributions? ?''
 ''I used my own as generally do.s'
 Did you have no doubt that y9u l Continued on Page