1
THE
A Plan Concocted by Silas A Holcomb and
His Political Lieutenants to Steal Two
Seats on the Supreme Bench
Tho darkest page In tlio political
history of the stato of NebrrskA Is
tlio story of the infamous recount deal
which was engineered during the leg
islative session of 1897 The attempt
was made by u crowd mndo up f state
ofllelals and disreputable politicians to
uo change tho ballots cast by the peo
ple that two additional Judges of thb
supreme court could bo counted In
The details of the plan were arranged
at the house of Silas A Holcomb on
A street in the city of Lincoln The
purpose was to place on the supremo
bench William Neville who Is now
the fusion candidate lor congress In
the Sixth district and 1 S Klrkrnt
rlek the relative and law partner of
Governor Ilolcnmb
According to sworn evidence thn
is too well fortified and corroborated
to be questioned the plan to deliber
ately change the ballots was carefully
arranged Members of the legislature
must have been taken Into every se
cret of the scheme as the most high
handed proceedings took place in the
legislative halls to further the ends
of tho conspirators
IlECOHD IS OPEN
Tlio record in this matter can bo in
spected by everybody The house and
senate Journals of 1897 will show the
date of the introduction of the first
recount bill they will show how tills
was railroaded through in order that
the conspirators might get at their
work they will show how the seats
of tho republican members from Doug
las county were stolen in order to in
crease the majority of the party that
was behind the scheme they will show
how the courts were defied and how
tho work of changing the ballots was
begun in star chamber sessions part
of tho time at tho dead of night and
part of the time in daylight but behind
locked doors in the office of a state of
ficial
When the recount of the ballots vm
first publicly proposed a delegation
composed of G M Lambertson George
W Post and others called upon tho
governor and urged that tho ballots
bo publicly counted and that none but
tho most reputable citizens of the state
be selected to do tho work They
pledged tho moral support of all good
citizens in case tho business was thus
transacted
But Silas A Holcomb paid no at
tention to their suggestions He had
other plans and the proof is now plain
that tho men who were to perform the
work were selected long before the
recount law was passed
BAD CHARACTER OF THE MEN
It is well that tho attention of the
people be again called to the class of
men selected for this work by Silas
A Holcomb One wus a man who had
n easo ha wanted reversed by the su
preme court and who had openly
threatened to kill one of tho judges if
the right kind of a decision was not
rendered One was a roustabout who
had a son serving time in the stato
penitentiary One was a political
mountebank who was later kicked out
of the service of tho exposition com
mission because of questionable deal
ings All of tlie men were men who
placed political success before honesty
and who as future events proved were
promised good places or substantial re
wards at tho expense of the stato treas
ury It was a force of men well equip
ped to perform secretly by night and
by day
Tho men in the legislature who were
assisting in the deal did their part well
They stole seats to gain the necessary
majority and they passed a recount
bill which contained no penalty for
fraudulent counting All this is down
in black and white in the public rec
ords and is an open page in the minds
of the people of Nebraska
When tho public indignation became
so strong that tho conspirators were
compelled to do tho balance of the
work in the light of day tlio plan to
count in tho judges failed and an at
tempt was made to destroy the proof
of the fraud The secretary of state
tho ink upon whose certificate and oath
of ofilco was hardly dry made way
with the original tally sheets and has
never since daird to mako them public
All this wus done to protect Silas A
Holcomb and his law partner and his
political partner and tho chairman of
his stato committee
Of tho men who participated in tho
recount fraud all received future re
wards except one and ho turned states
ovldenco on tho others He first con
fessed to his attorney who was a man
high up in the counsels of tho populist
party nnd then to a populist news
paper man who gave the story to tho
public Chairman Edmlsten of the
stato committee at onco confessed his
own guilt by making an attempt t
kidnap tho informer and hustlo him
out of the country before ho could tes
tify to a grand jury
THE INFORMER CORROBORATED
The man Simons who gave away the
story was not a reputable nmn and
ho was known to bo absolutely without
character when Holcomb appointed
him to handle the peoples ballots Un
der ordinary circumstances his testi
mony would be viewed with much sus
picion But ho lias told a straight
story both to tho newspapers and on
tho witness stand and step by step
his story has been corroborated by oth
ers until it must be accepted as the
truth Every opportunity lias been
given for the conspirators to deny or
refute the story and none of them hnvj
had the hardihood to appear
Last July when the legislative inves
tigating committee was in session E
I Simons and Silas A Holcomb were
both called as witnesses to testify as
to the counting of the ballots Holcomb
denied the authority of tho committee
and hurriedly took the train for
Broken Bow Simons appeared anil re
told under oath the story which
had already been made public The
appearance of the ballots and tho evi
dence of a dozen witnesses from Lin
coln and from lork corroborated the
testimony of the Informer and not a
one of llolconibs cohorts dared to
come forward to deny the story Tho
testimony of the man Simons In which
be gave the details of the fraud and
told of llolcombs connection with it
is given in part below and will bear
tho close reading of thoughtful people
SIMONS TKSTLMONV
Edward L Simon being duly
sworn testified as follows
By Mr Pound
2 Mr Simons stato your residence
and occupation
A 1 live in Lincoln Lancaster coun
ty and a brick layer by occupation
J How long have you lived there
A Fifteen yesrs
Q You lived hero the winter of ISU7
when the legislature was in session
A Yes sir
Were you employed in any ca
pacity by either of the recount com
mission about the uallots cast for the
constitutional amendment in the elec
tion of lSihi
A 1 was employed as a guard to
watch the ballots in the vault of the
secretary of states ofilco at the time
that the legislature took the ballots
from the recount commission
You were guard also in the sec
ond recount
A I was guard over tho ballots
during the intermediate time of the
two sessions
Q Prior to the time the second
committee was appointed did you havo
anything to do with the ballots or any
of them
A Not in the official capacity
Q Did you in any oilier
Q 1 did
J Did yon have any special Inter
est In tlio matter of tho result of that
recount t
A I did
Q State what that was
A I had had a law suit with a
party for li0 acres of land and the
rent of it for 13 years 1200 acres of
land and the rent of it for 111 years
Q Where was that suit pending at
that time
A At this time it had been settled
by compromise but I was figuring on
having the heirs interest taken to the
supreme court
Q Did you think that gave you any
Interest in the result of this recount
A I think It did or would have
J In what way
A I thought if I would steal the
judges in they would help the boy out
ARRANGED FOR A STEAL
Q Did you approach any one in
authority or office with reference to
this particularly about the lime these
ballots were to be recounted
A I spoke with tho parties manipu
lating the recount
Q Who did you speak to
A Mr Edmisten
Q Give his initials
A James II Edmlsten he was stato
oil inspector and chairman of the State
Central Committee
Q When did you speak about this
A Before the legislature convened
Q What did you tell him
A I told him how I was situated
and 1 wanted to help steal those judges
in
Q How many times did you speak
to him about that
A After the legislature convened
I was there every day
Q Did ho have an office in the eap
Itol building
A Yes air
J Stato where it wa ssituuted
A It was situated where General
Barrys office Is now
Q In pursuance with your talk with
him was there anything done and if
so what was it and when
A These was a bill passed by the
legislature for a recount commission
and tho commission was anpolntod by
the governor and when tney was ap
pointed that organized tno net day
and the next night we
Who were we
A That is Edmisten Blake and
myself and several other parties
Q That was tho night after the
commission was appointed and or
ganized
A Night after the organization
Q Where did you meet
A In Ednilstens private office
Who procured you to meet
there
A We knew where to go
Q Who told you wliero to go
A It was mutually understood
nmong all of us
Q What preparation did you make
there
EDMISTEN SWIPES THE BALLOTS
A Why we had a talk and Edmis
ten went into the secretary of states
ofilco and got tho first bunch of ballots
Q The secretary of states office is
on the same floor
I A Yes sir he occupied tho corner
opposite Edmistens
J Where were these ballots at that
time
A In tho secretary of statos office
Q in what manner
A They were in packages as re
ceived by the secretary
Q Was there a guard over them
A Yes sir
Q Who was it
A Kelsey
Q When Edmisten got the ballot
what did he do with them
A Opened the envelopes and got
them out
Q What was done with them In tho
room
A Wo took them in tlio vault anil
opsned tho envelopes and marked up
all the blanks excepting three or four
in each procliit t and changed those that
1 were oppiuel to the amendment
i Q State who was doing the mark-
Ing
A Blake Edmlsten myself and an
other party
I- What preparations for secrecy
If any were made What did you do
In the way of preventing Intrusion
A Why we had the outside door
that bails from the hallway shut up
and the door that leads between the
private ollhe and the big room closed
and we had the vault door pretty near
shut and we put paper over the In
wlndows so you couldnt see any light
in I here
Was there n light in the outer
rooms Was the gas lighted
A--No sir
Where did you get the material
you used the Ink ami so forth
A -We used Ednilstens Ink after
that there was annul four bottles got
of black Ink
t -After the ballots were marked as
you described what was dune Wnh
them
A -Wrapped up and packed to the
secretarys olllce
J Would you go back and for
wards several times during the evening
or only once
A- As soon as we got one bunch
finished we would go ami get some
more
Q Describe how Hie ballots were
marked
A The blanks were marked for the
amendment and those voted against
amendment we would put a croj s for
the amendment at the lop and one
below
I That would leave a mark for the
amendment and still another for the
Supreme ludge creating the impression
that the voter had voted for those two
and against the others
A No the commission had rosed
a resolution to give the benefit of all
the doubtful votes for the amendment
and we would make two crosses for the
oik as against the other
J So he object was to change them
so as to create the impression in fa
vor of tho amendment
A Yes sir
J How long were you engaged In
this wink
A Wo worked until about mid
niLht
J You say the commission passed
a resolution to give the benefit of the
doubt in favor of the amendment how
do you know Were you present
A I wasnt present 1 was Informed
by tho commission
Q By the commission themselves
A Yes sir
Q What number Informed you
A Blake
2 He was one of tho gentlemen
present altering tho ballots
A Yes sir
Q George W Blake
A Yes sir
FIRST NIGHTS WORK
Q Did you have any counties
marked the first night
A The first two counties were
Blanc and Banner Edmisten carried
one and I carried the other
0 When the ballots were marked
how were they returned
A They were put back in tho en
velope and the package wrapped up
and taken back to the seeronrys
office
J Restored to their former ap
pearance as near as possible
A Yes sir
Q In talcing the
from the secretarys
the manner in which
A The first two
large overcoat that I
shoulders and
dor that
Q Did you
hall
A Yes sir
0 Was there any secret way In
the way of knocking so the guard
would know who it was
A Yes sir we had a
J Describe what that
ballots lo and
office describe
you did it
nights 1 had a
threw over my
I bad the package lin
go through tho main
private rap
was
A Three single raps
J When you gave that rap he op
ened the door
A Yes sir
Q Did you make any change after
the first night
A Yes sir
Q Describe that - -
A We were getting along lo the
big packages I couldnt carry Clem
under my coat any more and it was
dangerous to go through the hall with
them and we found a way from tho
hall in the basement into the base
ment room under Ednilstens ofilco
which had a place leading to the up
stairs By opening a trap door we
could get through into the private
Office
J Did you eerry them through the
basement after the first night
A Yes sir
AFRAID OF GETTING CATGUT
Q Describe to the committee Hi
reasons that led you to do that Was
it In fear of any Interruption
A Well there was A person was
liable to be caught with the package
in his possessiii
Q Was there any sign of Inter
ruptions
A Tho second night we were there
Mr Norvnl was in the hall
Q ludge Norvnl of the Supremo
court
A Yes sir he was looking around
and we were afraid of being caught
His wife was down there to a meet
ing of the ladies of somo institution
and ho was waiting for her and
walking up and down tho hall and
didnt know but somebody was watch
ing us
Q How many nights In all were
you engaged in this matter you de
scribed
A Four nights
Q Toll about tho date of this
A The first night of tho day after
tho commission was organized It was
the four nights following that
Q I wish you wtihl tell the man
ner in which the ballots were kept In
the secretarys office Were they in
a vault
A No sir they were in the big
room
Q -Piled up wero they
A Yes sir on tho east side of the
room leading to the main hall from
tho secretarys office
Q Was that ono of tho rooms used
by tlio secretary of stato in Ills or
dinary business
A Yes sir Well It wasnt used
at tho time of the recount at all
There wasnt anybody else in there
excepting the recount commission
When the legl daluro meets hey gen
erally use that for an Investigating
room or to give audience for the coin
mil lees lo work In
11 Were the same parties present
each of the four nights that you have
mentioned
A- Vim they were nil bote
I- Do joii know who occupied the
loom where those ballots weto kept
Isnt It a fact that Mr Starrlt of the
secretary of states ofilco occupied
that room
A--No I wouldnt bo positive I lo
might have hud u desk there to work
an hour a day or so
l lle was not In thorn In tho day
lime
A No sir ho bad an olllco at an
other place
1 -The room thai I was speaking
of You may slate whether or not the
saiuii persons wero present on all of
these occasions
A Yes sir
0 Take Mr Edmlslen for Instance
Was he present he whole length of
lime
A No lie used to go and open Ihu
door and atari the work and when
we started he would leave
tl -How long would he stay there
A- About mi hour or so
he lake part In the mark
ing
A Yes
tl Did
with the
precinct
sir
you hiio anything
liallul boxes In nay
to do
other
A The first night we opened Ihe
poll books to see how many voles
were cist and we found oul It didnt
do any good mid we didnt have the
ballots to murk up and we didnt open
the poll books any more
11- Inst describe what kind of mark
you would make and how
A- Well If the ballot was blank
entirely we would Just mark op
posite the amendment
tl Was there any effort made In
the marking of the ballots to make
them appear differently us though
marked by different haiuis
A What I marked 1 changed the
form of the mark and the other fel
lows us much as I took notice of Just
went right ahead and had the same
cross all the way through
lung on Ihe average would
you be engaged In this on the four
nights you have mentioned
FIXED YORK COTNTY
A The first three nights One
night we worked until 2 oclock The
last night when we fixed up the York
county ballots we worked until half
past 1 oclock and then two of us
1 got York county and two of us
stayed until morning
Can you name any of the coun
ties the ballots of which were mark
ed In this manner
A Yes sir
1 Name some of
A Blaine Banner
Brown Keya Paha
them
Chase Dodge
Dawson iotspcr
Keith Wayne Box Butte Mclherson
Scotts Bluff Cherry
tl How about Harlan county
A Harlan county
1 How about Dundy county
A Yes sir
0 And Sioux
A Yes sir
1 And York county
A York county was the last
Q And Dodge county
A That was fixed afterwards
2 You did fix Dodge county
A The way we fixed that we laid
one precinct on another and counlid
them
Q Explain Hint again please
A After the legislative committro
took the ballots I got on first as one
of the clerks and il was my place to
open the packages of ballots and the
envelopes ami then I would give the
counters the ballots and they would
band them back to me ami I would
take half of those and lay them on
ihe next product and send them bark
as nilich as 1 thought the package
would stand
0 In other words you would count
them over several limes
A Yes sir
2 That was done during Hie ses
sion of the recount commitiee
A And the ligislathu committee
yes
2 Tho committee was all present
A They didnt know anything of
it
1 Who did know of it bosfues
von
A Tho man
12 who was
OBEKFI5LTER
A I think
2 He was
we was counting for
he
A BALLOT FIXER
it was Oberfelter
a member of the com-
mitlee
A He wns a member of the gov
ernors comml sioh and after Ihe leg
islature started the count the com
mission was all employed as clerks
helping to count them except ileil
luud
J Do you recognize any of those
exhibits lying before you on the table
A Yes sir
2 if you wore to look at any of
those could joii Identity them as the
ballots you nud marked
A This pukngo of ballots were
blenlis that bud not been used at the
polls and we got them down there and
we just marked them for the amend
ment and we put them in
2 Can you explain how they come
to bo separate in this matter
A They wero put in different
wards
2 In other words you distributed
those uncabt ballots
A Yes sir They were distributed
and rejected ly the recount people
Q Was there anything done by
way of trying to affect tho signature
of the judges on any of those ballots
A There was In ono precinct
J What precinct
A At the precinct in which McCool
Junction is In
0 Could you identify any of those
if you could too them
A Ye3 sir
At tlio tim that you opened the
envelopes containing tlio ballots on
tliis amendment In tho several pre
cincts in York county or they woio
opened by yoi and others weto there
any unenst ballots in any of the pack
ages
A In tho la go package there was
a big roll of unused ballots
Q Not signed by any particular
poison
A They wero signed by nobody
they wero blank
Q What wns done with thoso
A Wo marked them up with crosses
and scattered them In
Q Was tho tinmen of tho Judgei
purported to he signed or written on
any of them
A- They was In ono or wo places
HALLO IDENTIFIED
Tlio envelope marked Exhibit II
wan opened by Ihe committee and In
hullnta marked with the lull 1 1 1 lelti
I1 at Ihu lop nnd are counted by the
committee and found to contain ill
ballots
1 I lending you a bunch of Imllold
taken from the envelope coulalulii
the ballols cnsl for the constitution
amendment of McPaihlcu township I
will ask oit If you can Identify any of
tho ballots alleteil by you or those wit 1 1
you and will link you If joii can Iden
tify any of the bullolti and the muiict
of the Judges written by you on them
or any eif those with you
A I Identify some of Hie ballots iii
balloln charged by myself and Hi
other man that wait with me I also
Identify iionm of the ballols there Hint
never went through the ballot box
1 I landing you this ballot exhibit
17 I will ask you lo point out any al
terations you discover on Ihem
A- That ballot was voted no at the
lop of Ihe page that wan not fur all
Ihe nmcmltiicula and II was change I
by putting one mm al llio bend and
one cross opposite the bead for Ihe
judges ami one cross npiionlle Ihe yet
down below fur anolher amendment
1 Wan that your usual method
A That Is lie method thai wan
adopted for the ballol thai hud a no
voted in at Ihe head of the ticket
tl What wan your proceeiluio 111
case the bulbil was blenk
A dp case the ballol wan blank
the cross was pill opposite the upper
yes
12 Suppose you found a ballol with
be no opposite the proposition for III
supremo judges what did you do
then
A- We would put a cross opposite
the yes and a cross opposite the upper
yen that Is ollng two yeses for Ihe
nmcnilineiit
J Then how would you count It
A Tho omuilsslou gave the
amendment the benefit of be doubt
I Tho two yeses overcami the one
no
A- Yes sir
11- And you were there to create a
reasonable doubt for Hie committee
A Yen sir
tl In case of a ballot In which
there was a mo cross opposite each of
the proposed amendments what was
your procedure In such a case
A Make a yes opposite Ihe amend
ment and a yes at the end of it
11 -Handing you exhibit IIS I will
ask you whether you recognize that as
an altered ballot
A Yes sir It Is
1- This ballot Identified as exhibit
IIS shows a cross after the word no
after each of the amendments at the
top It alse shows a cross niter the ye s
and It shows a cross after the yes oi
the amendment Increasing the number
of Judges bow would a ballot of that
kind be counted
A - For the amendment
Q And win that the rule you fol
lowed right along
A Yes sir we counted the yea for
the amendment for the Judges ami the
no for all the balance
2 Do you remember how many
ballots wero changed or altered In any
wey
A No sir 1 do not we Just altered
them as we cot to ihem we kept no
track of that we bad not time for that
2 Can you make an estimate
A Why there was in the 21 coun
ties I think there were something like
seven thousand Ilailau county bail
something over a thousand
tl Do you remember how many
York oiiiity bad
A Twelve hundred
2 -Mr Simons when was it that
Mr Edmlsten first spoke lo you -In re
lation to those- ballots
A Why when Edmisten spoke to
me If was about the beginning of tin
session others spoke to me prior to
thai
2 Who had spoken to you before
that
A Somo of the rest that was help
ing eount
- What was said
THE SCI I ISM E 0TTLINED
A They said they weie going to
have a recount of the Judges and Ihev
would find enough ballots lo show thit
they were elected
2 When did you Hist talk with Ed
misten
A That was prior to the beginning
of the legislative session
2 He told you did lie that you
would be one of the parties to hoi di
it
A Yes sir
2 And engaged you to that Is told
yon what was to be done
A No sir bo didnt say we were to
do any marking only wo would steal
tin judges in
2 Where were you when this con
versation look place
A- In his office
Q Did you talk over your affairs o
operations
A--Not until tho commission was
appointed
J What was said when you started
If anything Give tho conversation
that was had as to what should bo
done
A I dont know only to mark them
that Is all
2 Did Edmisten mark any
A Yes sir
Ho set the example for you did
ho show you what he wanted done
A Yes Mr Ho started off showing
wliero to change the ballots and where
to mink no and to mark tho yes nnd
that would count I learned tlio next
day they had passed n resolution by
tho commission to glvo tho benefit of
tho doubtful ballots to the amend
ment two yeses and ono no wns
counted for tho amendment so that
was tho way it was carried on all tho
way through
J What compensation or rownr 1
wero you to receive
A I wasnt to receivo any except
tlio consideration of my case bofore tho
courts
Q That was tho understanding was
it your cueo should bo decided in your
favor
A Yes sir among the parties inter
ested in the ballots
Who gave you tho insurance
Hint uould bo don i7
A - 1Miiilnlen nnd lllnha
Weii lllalio u member of the log
bilalure
A No sir one of Ihe commission
J What connection If any did ho
have with Hie democratic or populist
pally
A He was treasurer of Ihu Stato
Central comniltlee
And Edmlslen was chalruian7
A Yes sir
12 How dirt you know you could
help yourself by helping them count
the ballols who told you or where did
Mm net your lufoi iiintlon from If uny
body lotd you
A Blake mid Edmhitou knew I hud
a case icinly for the supremo com I
ami IT we would aleul Hhmo two Judgea
In I hud two of them favorable to mo
HE WAS A REFORMER
Al Ilia time what particular
parly did you militate wllh
A I lllllllilted wllh Hie populist
12 Now wllh lelerencc lo those bul
bils beloie floiti those precincts In
York county icFiidden precinct havo
miii examined nil those ballols to day
A Mostly
2 Did you llml any ballols Ilium
Hint ate ballols that weie imirkeil ly
yiniiHcir or anyone dim for thin recutita
chiiiiiiIshIou
A Vim slr
12 While jou were In the vault Mm
fits night you were changing the lil
loln who did the marking first
A EilmlHtfii not the first county
and look II In and when I came In
Willi Ihe second county they wero
inarkiiii EdiiilHtcn ami lllnke ami mi
ni her parly Edmlsten got lie first
package or ballols fiom iho secretarys
room
2 Where did ho gel It
A -Out of the hoci clarys room
t2 How did you gel In the tfuero
laryii room
A Theie wns a guard hero let uj
In
2- Aboii wbal lime was that
A -Eight oclock
Did you sen anything when he
came In
A- It was under bin coat
2 How do you know If you
couldnt see II
A- I did see II
d Who told you to go to Iho sec
rein rys olllce
A Kdinlston
2 Wbal for
A To get the ballots
11- And what did be say If anything
about what ho wanted with the bal
lots
A- We understood what we wanted
2 You learned that in a prlvalo
conversation
A - Yes sir
12 -How did you understand they
weie to mark I wo yi sses to overcome
a no
A--They were doing It and Edinls
len sab the commission would count
hose for tho amendment
2- Did he sny that was tlio way to
mark them
A- Yes sir
tl Did you commence marking on
the package you took In
A -I started to mirk on tno package
they bad there
tl -And continued to mark until
they got through that package
A Yes sir
2 -How many were marking alto
gether
A Seven
2 -I low long did you continue nt
II that nighl
A Knlll half past eleven or twelve
U How did you get the ballots out
of the package
A Tntled tho string and broke tho
heal open
2 -What did you do with the bal
lols after yon ot through
A Wrapped ibein up m a package
again
2 -And put a seal on them
A Yes sir
2 Couldnt anyone tell tho seal
had been opened
A HANDY MAN
A Yes sir but the man that opened
them In the morning was helping fix
them at night
Q That man was whom
A Blake
2 Dhl you see the commission at
work In the morning
A Yes sir I saw them there
2 Who was opening the package
A Blake
2 After they told you that this
marking ballots had to bo stopped did
Mr Blake or Edmisten ever talk with
you about wuit hud bersi done Did
ell her of them over talk with you about
It Ever say anything to you about
secrecy
A Well at tho last election
2 No right at this time after you
stopped marking ballots
A No they didnt say nothing then
2 Did you know it was a erlmo
and there was a penalty attached to it
A I know there was a law to that
effect but I knew it was no good
2 -How did you know it was no
good
A We all knew it up there
J How did you find it out you aro
not a lawyer
A I am uo lawyer but I knew tho
wuy they panned tlio bill It wasnt any
good
tl Did you get any Information
from any source
A Only wiia t wo talked over there
1 Did you have any nssurnneo
from anybody that they would stand
by you if you would take tho chances
A- Nothing only that 1 wouldnt bo
Imprisoned long
Who told you that
A Edmlsten
THE GOVERNOR WOTLD FIX
THINGS
f What mil he toll you ho would
do If you wero tried and convicted
A lie said If they should catch ut
and send us up as long as wo had the
governor with us we wouldnt stay in
prison long
0 Tho governor would pardon you
A Yes sir
Are you positive Edlmston told
you that
A Yes sir i
Q Did Blako tell you that
A Wo wero all in tlio room whlla
the talk was going on
Q Did you havo any communica
tion with tho secretary of stato
A Not until after It was all over
with