The Harrison times., 1917-03-17
MEADOR ACCUSED
OF BR|BE OFFER
PULASKI COUNTY GRAND JURY
INDlcTs REPRESENTATIVE
OF CLARK COUNTY.
TWO OTHERS ARE ACCUSED
Senator Burgess and Walker Powell
. OF Little Rock Involved in Charge
y Of Common Conspiracy
- Powell Makes Statement.
TWO OTHERS ARE ACCUSED

4nc uldShl NVuhSy biuhe Je' - 80
its final report submitted TO Judge
Lea, returned three indictments, one
against Representative stephen Mead
or OF Clark County. one against Sena-
|-tor /. C. burgess OF Russllville and
one against Walker V. Powell OF this
city. The indictment against Mr..
Powell charges. a misdemeanor Each
Of the indicted men was released on
81, 900 bond. .H
Burgess and Powell are jointly
charged with common conspiracy 10
hold up" persons interested in the
sale OF soft drinks through introduc-
tion of a bill providing for heavy tax
on. the beverages Common oonspir-
acy is a common law offense, punish
able by 500 fine or imprisonment In
the county Jail, or both
Meador, who represents Clark Coun-
ty in the Legislature, is charged with
proposing TO Claude Ringo, Little
Rock baseball enthusiast. that his sup
port for the Sunday baseball bill might
be secured by lifting a 800 note
which was about to fall due Meador's
defense, It was said, will be that the
statement was made jocularly In reply
to Mr.. Ringos question, and that he
had no intention Of seeking money
for his vote. s.
Powell and Burgess are charged
with preparing bill to tax temper
ance drinks and oonspiring to secure
bribes from local houses interested in
their sale. Henry Lesser Of the
Karcher Candy Company, alderman
from the Second Ward is said to have
been the principal witness in the two
cases against Powell and Burgess.
Walker V. Powell made the follow
ing statement:
81 am charged with conspiracy in
connection with two Senate bills, the
object OF which was to levy tax on
certain soft drinks. | am charged with
preparing these bills and giving them
to Senator Burgess to introduce, and
then seeking to obtain employment
to defeat them.
T neither prepared nor had prepar-
ed, nor ever saw these bills, either be
fore or after they were introduced;
neither before nor after their introduc-
ton did | in any shape or form dis
cuss the bills with Senator Burgess,
except as I shall state later
"I did not know such bills were
entered. except that | read in the
paper that they had been introduced. l
was standing in the lobby Of the Ho-
tel Marion one afternoon when two
parties, both strangers to me- had me
PACED and, after finding me- stated
their business, saying they we're about
to be destroyed, providing this heavy
tax was levied on them. told them
knew nothing Of the bill in question,
but while we were talking Senator
Burgess walked out OF the elevator
and crossed the corridor, and hailed
him and asked him about the bill, and
he said that it was introduced for the
purpose Of providing revenue for the
State of Arkansas and had been sub
mitted to Governor Brough and ap-
proved by him after making few mi
nor changes told the two gentle
men that would make an investiga-
ton OF the matter and see what the
chances we're TO kill the bill, and they
agreed TO meet me In the Hotel Ma.
rion corridor at 7:30 o'clock that
evening. In the evening met them,
according to appointment, and su5-
gested TO them that the bill might pos
sibly be killed by wearing II out as
the session of the Legislature was 30
far advanced, and suggested that the
first thing to do would be to have
| the bill referred to committee In
order that they might be heard They
asked II I would name the fee that |
would charge to handle the bill for
them, which did These gentlemen
said there were others interested in
this bill, associates OF theirs, and sug-
gested that they meet me at my Of
fee in the State Bank Building the
following morning, which they did
The next morning they met me in
my ONCE and told them that II would
NOT be necessary for them to employ
me- as Burgess had been arrested and
that would perhaps end the whole
thing
This is all the connection ! had
with the matter, and went before the
grand jury and explained II to them