The Monticellonian., 1917-03-08
ACCUSE ANOTHER
SOLON OF BRIBERY
CLARK COUNTY REPRESENTA-
TIVE INDICTED BY PULASKI
COUNTY GRAND JURY.
LOWER HOUSE STARTS PROBE
Burgess and Powell Are Jointly Charg-
ed With Common Conspiracy to
"HoId Up" Persons Interested
in Sale of Soft Drinks.
Little Rock


The Pulaski County grand jury, IN
It's 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 Russllyille and
one against Walker Y. Powell Of this
city. The indictment against Mr.
Powell charges a misdemeanor. Each
of the indicted men was released On
$1,000 bond.
Burgess and Powell are jointly
! charged with common conspiracy %
hold up" persons interested in the
sale of soft drinks through introdue-
ton of a bill providing for heavy tax
on the beverages. Common consptr=
aey 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 500 note
which was about to fall due. MeaGor.a
defense, it was said, will be that the
statement was made jocularly in reply
to Mr. Ringo's question, and that he
had no intention of seeking money
for his vote.
Powell and Burgess are charged
with preparing a bill to tax temper
ance drinks and conspiring to secure
brides 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:
Il am charged with conspiracy in
connection with two Senate bills, the
object Of which was TO levy a tax on
certain soft drinks. I am charged with
preparing these bills and giving them
to Senator Burgess to introduce, and
then seeking to obtain employment
to defeat them.
Il neither prepared nor had prepar-
ed, nor ever saw these bills, either be-
fore or after they We're introduced;
neither before nor after their introduce
ton did I in any shape or form dis
euss 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 were about
to be destroyed, providing this heavy
tax was levied on them. I told them
I 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
i
nor changes I told the two gentle
men that | would make an investfga.
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 I met them
according to appointment, and sus
gested to them that the bill might pos
sibly be killed by wearing it out, as
the session Of the Legislature was sc
far advanced, and suggested that the
first thing to do would be to have
the bill referred to committee II
order that they might be heard They
asked If I would name the fee that
would charge to handle the bill FOL
them. which I did These gentlemen
said there were others interested If
this bill. associates of theirs, and sug
gested that they meet me at my OF
fee in the State Bank Building th'
following morning, which they did
"The next morning they met me II
nay office and told them that it woul6
net be necessary for them to employ
me. as Burgess had been arrested an6
that would perhaps end the whole
thing
"This is all the connection I hat
with the matter, and I went before tn,
grand jury and explained it to then
| in detail"