The Twin Falls times. [volume] (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1905-1916, 1916-11-02
Says Boise Statesman Would
DiSCrUdIt Alexander
CAME TO IOWA TO GET FAKE
"EXPOSURE, OF GOVERNOR.
Affidavit Published Refuting Charges
Made In Campaign About Death OF
4. f. SmulI.

claims have misrepresented e. T.
Meredith, Democratic candidate for
governor of Iowa, and Governor Alex
ander of Idaho, in regard to West End
tract conditions. 1t says that the Boise
Statesman came all the way to Iowa to
get a so-called expose of Governor
Alexander when if there was anything
to really expose in Idaho, it would not
have been compelled to go to Iowa for
it. The Register also publishes an af-
fidavit from J. r. Smull, Jr., and
Charles e. Smull, brothers of Elmer e.
Smull, who according to stories pub
lished In the campaign, died as re
suit of worry over West End tract
troubles The brothers deny that this
is the case and say that those circu-
lating the report knew it to be false.
Editorially the Register says in
part:
The best evidence to The Register |
of the real situation in the Idaho land |
deal is the fact that the Boise States |
man comes to this office with long |
story about the matter made up wnol- |
ly from the story published here Ii |
Des Moines, and reprinted there foi |
the purpose of discrediting Governor
Alexander
If at the Idaho end there was some
thing to be disclosed the Boise news
paper would not have to come to De
Moines for the disclosure We should
have an Idaho version of what is ac-
tually involved.
Now who are to be the real victims
Of this concerted plan 10 discredit
! Governor Alexander in Idaho, and Mr.
Meredith in Iowa? Is it really righi
to freeze out some 200 investors who
have put their money in in good faith
merely as a play in the political game
of 1916?
The affidavit of the brothers fol
lows:
State of Iowa, Guthrie county:
We, J. r. Smull, Jr., and Charles K
| Smull, being duly sworn on our oaths
lepose and say, and each for himself
| hat he is a resident of Stuart, Iowa
nd has been for over forty years, and
l brother of Elmer e. Smull, deceased
md that his attention has been called
0 published statement of the Iowa
homestead of date Oct. 10, 1916, re-
'erring to certain transactions had be-
tween the said Elmer e. Smull, now
deceased and member of the Smull
family and e. T. Meredith, candidate
Tor governor, and the same are so vici-
Gus and maliciously false that we de-
sire to denounce the same in the most
positive way possible.
That the statement that the said Ell
mer e. Smull, or any or all of the
Smull family had invested in the West
End Twin Falls tract or in the irriga-
ton company connected Herewith the
sum of $4,000 is absolutely false, the
total amount invested by all of the
members of the Smull family in said
project being only $1,000, and no cri-
ticism of any kind has been, nor now
is directed toward Mr., Meredith by any
member of the Smull family of the
transactions had with him in said
West End Twin Falls tract matters
We have always felt, as did our de-
ceased brother, Elmer E. Smull, that
Mr.. Meredith acted with entire fair
ness in the matter and did everything
n his power to protect our interests.
and we have absolute confidence in his
integrity and fair dealing, and the af-
fiant Charles e. Smull in substance so
told the representative of the Home
| tead when he was in Stuart short
time ago
We further depose and say that
while the picture shown Of our south
side store is correct, the firm of j. r
Smull & Sons, in which the said FL
mer e. Smull owned a one-half in.
crest at the date of his DEATH oper-
ated two stores in the city of Stuart
The other in a two-story brick building
on the main street Of Stuart, said firm
; now operating, still owning and car
rying on both of said stores, and new
IN, ht.t<> IL,
oerous condition.
That the foreclosure proceedings re-
ferred to in said public statement was
for a personal debt incurred by the
aforesaid Elmer E. Smull and another
member of the family, as security for {
brother-in-law, to secure which &
mortgage was given to secure certain
interests on certain real estate, said
foreclosure proceedings being for the
purpose of taking over said interests
and having absolutely nothing what
ever to do, even in the remotest par
sicular, with any transaction having
any connection with the West Enc
Twin Falls matters.
The suggestion In said public state
ment that any transactions our deceas
ed brother, Elmer E. Smull. had II
said West End Twin Falls matters
or with e. T. Meredith, had anything
to do with, or in any way fastened tn,
death Of the said Elmer e. Smull Il
'ase. and little short of slandering thu
dead.
His death was directly due to apo
plexy, and if he ever worried over an,
investments he had in the Twin Fall
tract, we never knew or heard of it.
Whatever personal financial trou
bles he had, they were not due to hi
dealings with the West End Twill
Falls Irrigation company, or E. I
Meredith.
Our brother was a stakeholder il
said company, and always believe
that If they could get the water Of
eaid tract as they had been led to be
lieve by the Idaho State Land boar
and its engineer could be done, the
had good thing in their investment