The Ozark spectator., 1917-03-03
SENATOR SIMS OF HAzEN AND SENATOR BURGESS OF RUS
 SElLvILlE ARRESTED.
RELEASED ON $1O,O0O BOND
Senate Bill Relating to Trading Stamps and Coupons Alleged To Be Involved in Bribery Charges, Not
 in Secretary of States Hands.
Little Rock

lAlttie INOSh.-
 Circuit Judge Robert J. Lea conven- ed the Pulaski County grand jury in special session to investigate charges of bribery lodged against Senators Burgess and Sims. The jury was sum- moned in court before taking up the cases fled with them and instructed by Judge Lea to make a thorough in- vestigation of all charges filed with the jury alleging corruption in the Legislature.
 that two of the best known detectives. members of the Burns Detective Agen. cy of New York, were in Little Rock quietly Investigating certain bills pending in the Legislature. Senators Sims and Burgess, were released from custody on S10,000 bonds.
 The grand jury conducting the in- Testigation is composed of c. P. Per rie, vice president of the Union Trust Company, as foreman; c. J. Lincoln, J. K. Tunnah, A. Brizzolari, C. J. Grif filth. V. M. Pixley. o. l.. Enloe, l.. J. Baer, Mark Valentine, Sam Tender son. Thomas Steele. Ike Kempner, Jo- seph Jung. M. J. Ringlehaupt, Kramer Darragh and John T. Ginnocchio.
 Police say they saw the two sena- tors accept packages containing 1000 each when the arrest was made in a dark alley in the downtown business district ol Little Rock. The money was given. the police charge, to se cure support against bill introduced fin the Senate by Senator Burgess which would place tax of s1o0 a year on firms using trading stamps or cou- pons.
 The two Senate bills relating to trading stamps and coupons, which are declared by tho police to be in- volved in the bribery charge against Senator Burgess and Senators Sims are not in possession of the secretary of the Senate, Ira c. Langley,
 The secretary. who is required to keep all bills in his possession, else have receipts showing to whom they were given. searched for Senate bill No, 252 and Senate bill No. 302. both hy Senator Burgess and both relating to trading stamps. Neither could be found
 There is no record of what became of Senate bill No 252 No receipt is in possession of the secretary and the bill could not be found in his files.
 The other bill. declared by the po- lice to be the one for which the al- leged bribery was attempted when the two senators were arrested. was giv- en to Senator Sims a few minutes bel fore 4 o'clock Friday afternoon. ac- "ording to a receipt held by Secre- ary Langley. of the Senate.
 Senator Sims Is chairman of the Committee on Public Service Corpo- rations, to which both the trading stamp bill which referred for rccom- mendation as to whether they should pass.
 On February 20. Senator Sims. act ing for tho Committee on Public Ser. vice Corporations. returned Senate Bill No. e52. prohibiting the use in Ar kansas of any kind Of coupons or trad ng stamps with recommendation hat the bill do not pass"
 On February 23 Friday at 3:30 o'clock Senator Sims. acting for the Committee on Public Service Corpo- ~ations. returned Senate Bill No. 3O2. with a recommendation that 1t do Not pass"
 Senator Burgess introduced his first bill. prohibiting use of trading stamps. and coupons in the state, on February s. The bill was read twice and referred to the Public Service Corporation Committee. On February 20 the committee returned an unfav orable report.
 On February 16 Senator Burgess in. troduced Senate Bill No. 302 fixing a tax of s100 on every merchant using trading stamps or coupons. This bill was read twice and referred the same day to the Committee on Public Ser vice Corporations. Senators Sims, as chairman, returned the committee re- port Friday afternoon.