The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1921-04-22

lSOue, DIS W WclHer 1t was projected
for the public benefit or for journal.
istic profit, Captain Amis said the
move was inaugurated to clear up an
alleged deplorable state of affairs and
to probe dirty rumors."
NASHVILLE, Tenn, April 21.-The
senate committee investigating espec-
tally the charges of bribery against
Senator e. N. Clabo, of Sevierville, as
well as the many rumors of corruption
and illegal use of money in connec
tion with legislation in the recent SEES
sion of the general assembly, yester.
day afternoon got under way, and con-
siderable Roadway had been made be
fore the day was over. The hearings,
it was decided after considerable dis.
cussion, should be open to the public,
and not in executive session.
Senator Clabo was not present in
pcioOH DuO WdS Icpi ny HIS at
torneys, A. V. McLane, of Lewisburg,
w. A. Knight, of Knight & Beasley,
and Nelson H. Carver, of Nashville.
The committees attorneys were Gen.
Jeff> McCarn and Judge w. H. Swig-
CART, of Union City.
The principal witness of the after
noon session, when the hearing of tes-
timony began, was Reese T. AIMS,
managing editor of the Tennessean,
who told of the many rumors in re.
gard to the corrupt use of money in
the legislature, and the elimination,
about the middle of March, in the de.
cision to attempt to catch and prose-
cute the guilty ones.
Mr.. McCarn, he said, gave to Mr..
Felts 5000, the serial numbers of
which were taken SO that they might
be identified later in case of an arrest.
Mr.. Felts was Instructed to meet diff
ferent senators and representatives,
to invite them to his rooms at the
Hermitage Hotel for drinks, and to
entertain them at dinners. so as to find
out which ones were susceptible to in
fuence Mr.. Forbes also said he
would see Senator Fuller, chairman of
the finance ways and means commit
tee, and ask him to report out of com
mittee the sales tax bill, Mr.. Amis
added. Continuing, he said, in part:
I'VE had in view several men in
both the senate and house. Some
were democrats and other were re-
publicans. Senator Clabo was not
among the number at first mentioned,
but was added to the list later. In
fact, he ran into the trap of his own
accord
Monday and Tuesday, April and
5, Mr.. Felts mingled with the legisa-
tors, both at the capitol and at the
hotels. He had engaged rooms sos
and 500 at the Hermitage, and the key
to the latter was left at my Office.
Wednesday morning, April 6, he tele-
phoned from his room that Senator
ClabO had made proposition to de-
feat the sales tax bill for $500, and he
said that Senator Clabo was so anx-
ious for the money that he had to stall
him by telling him that he did not
have that much on his person, but
that he would go to the bank for it and
meet him again at noon.
Mr. Felts asked that / get wit
nesses and come to room 500, which
connected with his by double door,
not later than noon, so that they
might hear from this room whatever
took place in sos, in which he would
talk with Senator Clabo.
Il attempted to get some witnesses
other than my self. but failing, asked
Mr.. Forbes to go with me. We were
joined by Mr. McCarn and Mr.. Ley
shon, of the editorial staff of the Knox
vile Journal-Tribune, who was report
ing the legislature for that paper. The
four of us went into room 500, which
is the room connected with sos.
I'VE arrived a few minutes in ad- |
vance of noon. so that We might try |
out the acoustic properties of the two |
rooms and learn whether converse |
ton in one could be heard in the 9TH
er The windows in room 500, in /
which the four of us were located. |
we're closed so as to shut out all noise /
from the streets. The doors between
he two rooms were locked and NOV