Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-13
Governor Asks Keenan, for Original:

Governor Asks Keenan, for Original:
The above letter reached Mr.. William
H. Kelley. president of the Merchants
National Bank of Syracuse. who is
Democratic leader of that city. and in
the late afternoon OF the same day he
called me on the telephone and &C
uuainted me with the contents OF the
letter
l suggested that he forward the origl-
nal to me, keeping copy IN MS own
office. and that he secure the statement
from a member of the opposite political
party to mine. as suggested by Mr..
keenan, in his letter. Accordingly. on
Saturday morning received IN the mall
the original letter from Mr. keenan, and
the following letter from Senator George
r. Fearon, chairman Of the judiciary
committee of the State Senate and
prominent Republican,:
Hon. William H. Kelley,
Syracuse, N Y.
Dear Sir: have read the letter
which you sent me dated September 5:
1928, and signed by W. A. keenan, OF
Parkersburg, W. Va. in which he quotes
a resident of this city as stating that
on the occasion of Gov. Smiths visit
to the State fair at Syracuse he was
so disgustingly intoxicated while occu-
pying box in the grandStand that
when he attempted to arise to make
an address he had to be helped to his
feet by two persons one on each Sloe.
Politically. I am opposed to Gov:
Smith. but I believe in square deal
even for political opponents.
ut so happens / am member OF
the advisory board of the State fair
hof fnnnthpr with Henry NOR.
santhau, jr.. l was designated by Com
missioner Pyrke to act as the govern
or's escort while he was at the fair.
By reason of this assignment l was
with the governor substantially all OF
the day in question from the time he
left the Onondaga Hotel in the morn
ing until he boarded his train for Al
banv in the late afternoon. ! Occu-
pied an adjoining box to the governor
while he was viewing the races. He
made no speech from the box. He Was
not intoxicated. He showed no evil
dence of even having had single
drink. nor do I believe that he had.
Near Him When Addresses Were Given.
The governor made two addresses.
one from the bandStand in the En-
pire Court, about 1880 in the morning
and the other at the dedication CT the
Agricultural Museum at about O'CLOCK
in the afternoon. l was next to MIN
on both occasions. On neltner occa
sion was there anything which would
indicate that he had been drinking.
THE statement which Mr.. keenan,
quotes as to the governors condltion
is so manifestly unfair and untrue
that I would not feel that ! was act
ING the part of a man If I did not
write YOU this letter stating the facts
as know them to be with respect TO
the occasion in question.
VERY truly yours,
GEORGE r. FFARON.'
Immediately upon receipt OF the above
I telephoned to Mr.. Kelley at Syracuse
and suggested that he call upon MRS.
Sanford at her residence and ask ner
II she wrote such letter to any woman
in Parkersburg. W. Va. Mr. Kelley
carried out my suggestion and called to
see Mrs Sanford Following is the re-
port Mr.. Kelley makes to me OF his
conversation with Mrs. Sanford:
After introducing myself to MRS.
Sanford. I informed her that l had a
letter from Parkersburg. w. va. She
in turn, without letting me go lurther,
said. Yes. it is from Mrs. Bauer
said No. il is from a Mr.. keenan,, and
the letter came to the Democratic head
quarters Yesterday and have forward
ed it to the governor, who in turn mas
asked me to see you and inquire Wheth-
err or not you made the statement re-
ferred to in the letter TO some LADY IN
Parkersburg who says she received
letter containing such statement from
YOU Her reply was that she had Wrlt-
ten Mrs. Bauer saying that. OF course
she and her family disagreed with the
governors attitude on the eighteenth
amendment or his ability to change
prohibition.
II said, That is not the question
| Did you or did YOU not write the article
| mentioned in this letter. She in turn
| said 1 did not; l was not at the fair
on Thursday; l did not see Gov.
Smith, neither did I write anything OF
| that sort to Mrs Bauer
Says She Agreed 10 Write Smith Letter.
II asked her if she would write let
ter to the governor To that effect, which
| l might send TO him. she at first said
| she did not see why she should, but
| she would write Mrs. Bauer.
| replied that that would not be
sufficient, that the governor was in
possession OF this letter and If she was
not guilty OF writing it felt 1t was her
duty to write the governor and tell hin,
So She promised me she would do sc
and tell him that she neither saw him
! while at the fair, nor was she at the
State Fair on the day In question, mol
did she say the things contained in tbs
letter from Parkersburg, w. Va
/ informed her chat that sort of prona.
ganda was being practiceo ana that We
~ find ho
said Yes, / received a letter from Mrs
Bauer in which she told mo of lot o
things being said in Parkersbure
W. Va -"
Before sending me the above, how
ever, Mr., Kelley called me again OF
the phone and stated that Mrs San
ford had positively denied writing an
such letter. l forthwith ION Saturday
about noon called Mr.. keenan, oil
the phone at Parkersburg, w. Va
; thanked him for his interest in m
aA az i,o ~