Norwich bulletin., 1920-07-08
WOOD CAMPAIGN BACKED
 . BY MILLION DOLLARS


 tee investigating pre-convention cam. palsn expenditures of various candidates .ooay resumed it's hearings by delvinT into the organization and expenditures or packers of Major General Leonard wood. The committee also began an ex- naustiVe inquI into the organization in Missouri Of Go, ernor Frank O. Lowden. which did not end until early in the evening after various details of the Roosevelt-Taft fight in 1912 had been brought up by witnesses
 Cniet ariong the witnesses were Wii- liam Loeb, formerly private secretary to iheooore Roosevelt and who described nimself as "a sort of clearing house through which Wood funds in the east passed, J. L. Babler, republican na- tional committeeman from Missouri and F. L. Morse, of Excelsior Springs, Mo.. described by witnesses as the distributor oL governor Lowden's rampaign funds in Missouri and boss of the Third Missouri congressional district" Ben F. Kesterson or Princeton, Mo, brought in the Taft- roosevelt issue declaring both had spent more money in Missouri in 1912 than Lowden in 1920, and described a system or payment by blank checks for which ne received $25 each. but which were casned Tor sums up to s250 he said, Kes- eSt Soh was q IdII supporter.
 After Mir. Loeb had describ@d bow a sroup or New York men underwrote s1,- eeo,o00 for the Wood campaign Senator James Reed took up the cross oues- ttoning of nearly a dozen witnesses .on- corning political conditions in Missouri ana particularly in the. Third Congress sienai district which he said Wa salways noted as hotbed of political fights"
 MT ] Loeb presented several check books which were transcribed int othe re- cords and which he said wouia show what funds he disbursed About s40e GOO passed through his hands, he testified. He also told of sending cashiers checks for Sb,o0o without accompanying letter. a practice which he asserted was not un- usual Tn politics. He sent these checks wherever he was told to. by Frank Hitch cock, former postmaster general and a wood manager. ss' Nat Gold stein and Rob- ert Moore, the two St. Louis delegate to the republican national convention who previously admitted receiving 4s2s5Oo each to help Lowden's interest, presented can ciled cheeks as proof they had returned the money.
 J. L. Babler. described the disburse- ment of several thousand dollars and said that sums, given to E. E.. E. McJirnsey and Roscoe Patterson of Springfield. Mo candidates for governor and congressman. Ii respectively, were intended to further the Lowden interest but the recipients might nave thought the money was for their own campaigns
 T discussed the Lowden campaiyn with them, though said Babler
 MT. kesterson was closely cuAstfonel Dy Senator Reed concerning the Taft Roosevelt fight in 1912 He claimed that Morse employed him for s25 a day and expenses to boost Taft and paid hin, in cash, making him, he said, indorse bIanlx checks at the same time.
 i+ received about s25 on each check |" said kesterson, while they were cashed for up to s25o. During the Lowden cam paisn Morse gave me s7eo but thought It was to make up the difference between what received and what he got on the checks n; Tn 1slz.- He also gave. me. s1oo Hiram Johnson spoke ifis behalf of T F Frost, candidate for congress.
 Morse declared that *Kesterson ,ssw. s siddy and that he knew nothing of any such checks i'
 Every cent he gave out was with the understanding that it was to be used on,v to llelp bowden," he testified.
 He presented batch of checks six inches high which totalled more than sou,vvu ana Which represented money spent in behalf of Governor Lcwden. he said. ''' -io
 Other witnesses told of money received from Morse, most of them saying they Understood it was to be spent to elect m instructed delegates favorable to Lovden.
 John Albus of St Joseph, Mo. ex- plained that "a popular man was made a candidate for delegate and that while the man chosen was favorable to Lowden. he openly was looked upon as uninstructed :"
 M.e E. Rhodes shied a sworn statement in which he denied receiving any money from Babler for any. purposes, while Babler testified he gave Rhodes .$2o0, of which s17N was ratnr1a5