The log cabin Democrat., 1917-02-24
CALLS GRAND JURY 10 PROBE BRIBERY SENATOR'S OUT ON BONDS Charges Preferred Against Sims and Burgess of Receiving $1,OOO to
 Defeat Bill in Senate.

Little Rock, Feb 24.-Judge R. J. Lea today called the Pulaski county grand jury to begin an immediate in vestigation of the boodling charges preferred last night by Prosecuting Attorney M. E. Dunaway against Senators S. c. Sims of Hagen and l. C. Burgess of Russellville.
 The two senators were liberated on bonds early today and will appear before the grand jury at once.
 In instructmg the grand jury re- garding boodling Judge Lea advised that body to remain in session a month if necessary to go to the bot tom of the cases.
 Several witnesses were before the grand jury this morning, but no sen- ators have as yet been subpoenaed.
 T. J. Raney, Joe Berger and Sen ator John R. Duty signed S1O,OOO bonds for Senators Burgess and Sims at 6 o'clock this morning.
 Senators Burgess visited the sen- ate chambers this morning, but de- clined to make any statement further than that he had not yet engaged council.
 Even if indicted the senators may continue to serve unless impeached by two-third vote of the senate.
 Sims and Burgess were arrested last night upon warrants issued bv the prosecuting attorney charging them with bribery. A man giving his name as John E. McGarvey of New York was also arrested charged with giving the bribes.
 The two legislators were arrested at Fourth and Center streets by City Detective w. F. Hobbs and B. c. Rotenberry, superintendent of the bureau of Identification. The prose- cutor charges that few minutes be- fore they had met McGarvey in an alley behind the Tunnah X Pittard printing plant and accepted from McGaryey $2,000 in return for which they surrendered the original copy of senate bill No. POS, by Senator Bur- gess, a bill to tax trading stamps, which was taken from the senate. The bill was found, Mr. Dunaway said, in McGarvey's possession when he was arrested a few minutes later by City Detective James Wallace and Deputy Sheriff J. J. Hawkins near the hotel Marion, where he was reg istered. The bill was exhibited last night at Mr Dunaway's office
 Mr. Dunaway last night issued the following statement:
 "The arrests tonight followed a period of investigation through my office extending over several weeks. Detectives have been employed in the matter for the last two weeks. Me Garvey was known to have been in touch with senators, especially Sen ators Burgess and Sims, for several days. We have proof that Senator Burgess was in conference with Me Garvey at McGarvey's room at the hotel Marion before 8 o'colck this and that he agreed to kill senate bill No. POS for $2,000. Me Garvey is known to have secured the 2,00O cash during the day and to have met Senators Sims and Burgess in his room at p. m. There it was agreed that the original bill to tax trading stamps should be turned over to McGarvey for the $2,000. From there the three met in the alley be- tween Louisiana and Center streets, off Fourth street, where the money was passed. The currency was found on tho persons of the senators when they were arrested.
 Much of the evidence against these and others was secured by the use of dictaphones, and is now being 
 Both senators made emphatic de- nials of the charges.