Senator STEPHENSON. Yes. Senator POMERENE. What amount did he pay back? Senator STEPHENSON. I can not tell you that now. I can not give that because I do not know. Senator POMERENE. He had received large amounts of money, as I understand from Mr. Puelicher? Senator STEPHENSON. Yes. Senator POMERENE. When he paid you back a given sum, whatever it was, are you able to say now that it was a part of that $5,000, or that it was the balance after his expenditures? Senator STEPHENSON. I think maybe both. The reason that Mr. Edmonds wanted the $5,000 to put into the National Exchange Bank was that if he wanted some money that he could call his own, if you please, for different small amounts, he could draw against it; so that he could draw his own check on the bank. Senator POMERENE. You have stated that you paid money in considerable sums to Mr. Edmonds and to Mr. Puelicher, and perhaps to Mr. Van Cleve. Did you pay any substantial amounts to any other persons? Senator STEPHENSON. No, sir. Senator POMERENE. Did anybody else expend any money for you to your knowledge? Senator STEPHENSON. No, only around home; a small amount. Senator STEPHENSON. No; not any. The CHAIRMAN. Senator, on your examination before the legislative committee you were asked whether or not you kept letterpress copies, and you said at that time that you had not examined your files to see whether or not you had written any political letters during the campaign, or letters relating to the campaign. Have you since made an examination of your letter books and files? Senator STEPHENSON. No; but I would say that I have not written any political campaign letters. I might write to a friend somewhere asking him to do what he could for me, but not in relation to any expenditure. The CHAIRMAN. You say you wrote nothing in regard to any expenditure? Senator STEPHENSON. No; not any, as far as I can recollect or know; not any. The CHAIRMAN. That is all. Senator POMERENE. Just another question or two, please, Senator Stephenson. You say that Mr. Edmonds furnished you the information from which you filed your account. Senator STEPHENSON. Yes, sir. He made up the account and gave me this list [indicating]. Senator POMERENE. In what form did he give that to you? Senator STEPHENSON. In about the same form as it is here; the same as I filed it. Senator POMERENE. That is, it was a typewritten copy, was it? Senator POMERENE. Very well, I will get at what I want in another way. Did he bring you any book showing this account? Senator STEPHENSON. No. Senator POMERENE. Or any cards or slips of paper or memoranda showing it? Senator STEPHENSON. No. Senator POMERENE. You do not know then, do you, whether the account that he furnished you was the original account that he had kept? Senator STEPHENSON. No. Senator POMERENE. Or whether it was simply a copy Senator STEPHENSON. No. Senator POMERENE. Of something that he may have kept? Senator STEPHENSON. I will say to you, Senator, that in my business I have what I think are good men, and I have confidence in them. I do not examine them. There is so much that I could not do it if I wanted to, and I have never had anybody rob me yet, only I might say politically. Senator POMERENE. I think that is all I desire to ask. Mr. LITTLEFIELD. Of course, if we have occasion, we will examine Senator Stephenson later in the course of the proceeding. Senator POMERENE. We may want to ask him some questions. The CHAIRMAN. Do you desire to interrogate Senator Stephenson, Mr. Littlefield? Mr. LITTLEFIELD. Not at the present time. If we have occasion later, we will ask permission of the committee. That is all, Mr. Stephenson, now. The CHAIRMAN. Call Mr. E. A. Edmonds. Mr. LITTLEFIELD. The original letter from the attorney general, I think, is at Mr. Stephenson's home at Marinette. We have a copy. Of course, if the subcommitte would like to see the original, I will have it brought here. Otherwise I will simply put the copy in and use it as the original, but I wish to consult your preference, and I will have it inserted in the record at that place. Senator POMERENE. If we should decide we want to see the original letter, you may put it in. Mr. LITTLEFIELD. Very well. I will put the copy in the record at that place, and if you want the original letter I will see that it is produced. The CHAIRMAN. The copy is offered now? Mr. LITTLEFIELD. Yes. The CHAIRMAN. So it will be in direct connection with Senator Stephenson's examination? Mr. LITTLEFIELD. It is at Mr. Black's office. We will hand it to the reporter. We will have it so that it will be a part of the record. Just mark it “ Exhibit 2.* Senator POMERENE. I would ask whether you could send for it now? Mr. BLACK. I do not know whether there is anyone there now who would know where to find it. Senator POMERENE. Very well. Mr. LITTLEFIELD. We will see that it is furnished to the reporter so he can have it transcribed, and we will have it in the minutes in the morning. We will call it Exhibit 2. TESTIMONY OF E. A. EDMONDS. E. A. EDMONDs, having been previously sworn, was examined and testified as follows: The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Edmonds, where is your place of residence? Mr. EDMONDS. Appleton, Wis. The CHAIRMAN. How long have you resided there? Mr. EDMONDS. Four years. The CHAIRMAN. What is your business or occupation? Mr. EDMONDS. Paper manufacturer. The CHAIRMAN. What kind of paper manufacturer? Mr. EDMONDS. Print and wrapping. The CHAIRMAN. Are you chairman of the Republican State central committee? Mr. EDMONDS. No, sir. The CHAIRMAN. Were you? Mr. EDMONDS. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. When? Mr. EDMONDS. From 1908 to 1910. The CHAIRMAN. What time in 1908? Mr. EDMONDS. I think the 22d of September, if I remember correctly. The CHAIRMAN. How were you selected? Mr. EDMONDS. According to the law of the State, which provides that the nominees of the Republican Party for members of the assembly and senate shall meet in Madison and select a chairman. The CHAIRMAN. Had you held an office prior to that time under the State? Mr. EDMONDS. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. What office? Mr. EDMONDS. Elective office? The CHAIRMAN. Yes. Mr. EDMONDS. I was a member of the assembly at one time. The CHAIRMAN. At what time? Mr. EDMONDS. In 1892 I was elected to serve two years. The CHAIRMAN. In 1892? Mr. EDMONDS. Yes; to serve two years-one term. The CHAIRMAN. Had you held an appointive office? Mr. EDMONDS. Yes. The CHAIRMAN. What office? Mr. EDMONDS. Member of the board of regents of the university. The CHAIRMAN. At what time? Mr. EDMONDS. In 1900; for three years. The CHAIRMAN. Were you associated in business or in any way with Senator Stephenson prior to your undertaking the management of his campaign in 1908? Mr. EDMONDS. I do not think so. The CHAIRMAN. Had you had business relations with him or with the institutions with which he is connected? Mr. EDMONDS. Possibly. The CHAIRMAN. You mean by that not directly? Mr. EDMONDS. It is possible that the paper company of which I was manager might have bought wood from some concern in which he was interested. The CHAIRMAN. Or sold paper to some company Mr. EDMONDS. Something of that kind. The CHAIRMAN. But only the ordinary casual business transactions? Mr. EDMONDS. That is all. The CHAIRMAN. Did you know Senator Stephenson personally prior to June, 1908? Mr. EDMONDS. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. How intimate was your acquaintance? Was it ordinary business acquaintance or was it especially close? Mr. EDMONDS. I should say-I do not know how the Senator regarded it. I hope it was closer than a business relation. The CHAIRMAN. Are you related either by blood or connection of any kind with Senator Stephenson? Mr. EDMONDS. Not at all. The CHAIRMAN. How long a time had elapsed since you had seen Senator Stephenson prior to the telephone communication which you had with him which resulted in your accepting the management of his campaign? Mr. EDMONDS. I think less than 48 hours. The CHAIRMAN. You had seen him 48 hours prior to that time? Mr. EDMONDS. I think I saw him Friday night. The CHAIRMAN. Where did you see him? Mr. EDMONDS. At his home. The CHAIRMAN. Did you have a conversation with him about his campaign at that time when you saw him at his home? Mr. EDMONDS. I might say-no, sir. A reference was made as I was about to leave to the fact that I was living in Appleton and if I could be of any service to him I should be glad to have him call on me. The CHAIRMAN. Was the occasion of your visit to him at that time political or business? Mr. EDMONDS. Political. The CHAIRMAN. What was the occasion? Mr. EDMONDS. I wanted him to take no hand in the congressional fight for the nomination of Congressman from that district. Appleton is in the same district with Marinette. Senator Stephenson had been very instrumental in helping to secure the nomination two years before of Congress Küstermann. Senator POMERENE. Of whom? Mr. EDMONDS. Congressman Küstermann. Mr. LITTLEFIELD. Was that Minor's district? Mr. EDMONDS. Minor's. Mr. LITTLEFIELD. Minor's old district? Mr. EDMONDS. Yes, sir. This year Minor was to run against him. I went up to see Senator Stephenson on my own initiative in the effort to get him to agree to take no hand in this campaign. I was in favor of Minor. I believed that if Senator Stephenson would take no hand in the campaign that Minor would be nominated. The CHAIRMAN. Did he agree to take no hand in the campaign? Mr. EDMONDS. He said that was his intention. The CHAIRMAN. At that time did he mention his candidacy for election to the United States Senate? Mr. EDMONDS. No, sir; except in the way I have mentioned. I think he thanked me at the time I made that suggestion. The CHAIRMAN. Were you representing any other person as candidate for nomination at the time you were at Senator Stephenson's house? Mr. EDMONDS. No one. The CHAIRMAN. So that you were politically free? Mr. EDMONDS. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. About 48 hours later you had a communication from Senator Stephenson by telephone, did you, asking you to come to Milwaukee for the purpose of considering the question of your taking the management of his campaign? Mr. EDMONDS. That is it, exactly. The CHAIRMAN. You came to Milwaukee? Mr. EDMONDS. Yes. The CHAIRMAN. Have you a business place in Milwaukee? Mr. EDMONDS. No, sir. The CHAIRMAN. To what place in Milwaukee did you come? Mr. EDMONDS. I do not recall. I presume the Pfister Hotel. I have stopped there for several years. The CHAIRMAN. Did you send for others to meet you? Mr. EDMONDS. No, sir. The CHAIRMAN. When did you come in contact with your associates? Mr. EDMONDS. I think I was asked to meet them Monday morning. I know the telephone communication from Senator Stephenson was on Sunday. I think it was the next day. The CHAIRMAN. Senator Stephenson telephoned you after you arrived in Milwaukee? Mr. EDMONDS. No, sir; he telephoned me on Sunday. I think it was the next day I was to meet those gentlemen. I am not positive about that, but I met them here. The CHAIRMAN. Whom did you meet? Mr. EDMONDS Mr. Puelicher and Mr. Van Cleve. The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Peulicher resides in Milwaukee, does he? Mr. EDMONDS. I believe he does. The CHAIRMAN. And is connected with a bank here? Mr. EDMONDS. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. What is his connection with the bank? Mr. EDMONDS. Cashier. The CHAIRMAN. What bank? Mr. EDMONDS. The Marshall & Ilsley Bank. The CHAIRMAN. Had you known him personally before? Mr. EDMONDS. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. Had you been associated with him in business or political matters? Mr. EDMONDS. I had some stock in the bank. The CHAIRMAN. Now, as to Mr. Van Cleve; where does he reside? Mr. EDMONDS. Marinette. The CHAIRMAN. Did he meet you here in Milwaukee? Mr. EDMONDS. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. By appointment? |