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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1911.

FEDERAL BUILDING,
Milwaukee, Wis.

The subcommittee met at 10 o'clock a. m. Present. Senators Heyburn (chairman), Sutherland, and Pomerene. Present also: Mr. C. E. Littlefield, Mr. W. E. Black, and Mr. H. H.J. Upham, counsel for Senator Isaac Stephenson.

The CHAIRMAN. The following witnesses summoned to appear this morning will come forward as their names are called: Levi H. Bancroft, M. C. Ring, Rev. F. J. Eppling, C. E. Brady, and William L. Essman.

(Mr. Bancroft, Mr. Brady, and Mr. Eppling responded to their names and the oath was administered to them by the chairman.)

The CHAIRMAN. You will remain in attendance. Mr. S. L. Perrin will take the stand.

Mr. LITTLEFIELD. Mr. Chairman, Mr. Bancroft, who has just been sworn, is the present attorney general. I think he would like to make some suggestion to the committee with reference to the question of his attendance.

The CHAIRMAN. The committee will be very glad to hear the attorney general.

Mr. BANCROFT. Gentlemen, the only suggestion I wish to make is this: I can remain in attendance to-day and to-morrow, but it would seriously conflict with my business engagements if I were detained longer. I can attend at any time to suit the convenience of the committee if you can not reach me before then; but I should like to be excused in order to attend to other matters.

The CHAIRMAN. The committee will so arrange that you may be heard to-day or to-morrow, if that will be convenient to you. Mr. BANCROFT. Thank you.

TESTIMONY OF SOLON L. PERRIN.

SOLON L. PERRIN, having been previously sworn, was examined and testified as follows:

The CHAIRMAN. What is your occupation?

Mr. PERRIN. Attorney at law.

The CHAIRMAN. Where do you reside?

Mr. PERRIN. Superior.

The CHAIRMAN. How long have you resided there?

Mr. PERRIN. Sixteen years.

The CHAIRMAN. Did you take an active part in the primary campaign of 1908, at which Senator Stephenson was a candidate for nomination?

Mr. PERRIN. Somewhat active.

The CHAIRMAN. Did you carry that forward to the campaign before the legislature after it was elected?

Mr. PERRIN. I did not.

The CHAIRMAN. Whatever you had to do with it was during the primary, was it?

Mr. PERRIN. Entirely.

The CHAIRMAN. Did you support Senator Stephenson at that primary?

Mr. PERRIN. I did.

The CHAIRMAN. Were you well acquainted with him?

Mr. PERRIN. Not very well acquainted with him prior to his election to the Senate the first time. I had known of him for a great many years.

The CHAIRMAN. Did you receive any money from Senator Stephenson, or from those who were acting for him as his campaign managers, during that campaign?

Mr. PERRIN. I did.

The CHAIRMAN. How much?

Mr. PERRIN. $5,000.

The CHAIRMAN. When did you receive that amount?

Mr. PERRIN. It was paid to me at three different times, as I remember it now. The first payment, I think

The CHAIRMAN. Was it July 30?

Mr. PERRIN. I think that was the date.

The CHAIRMAN. From whom did you receive it?

Mr. PERRIN. From Mr. Edmonds.

The CHAIRMAN. In what form?

Mr. PERRIN. Either a check or a draft.

The CHAIRMAN. You cashed it, did you?

Mr. PERRIN. Yes; I had it cashed.

The CHAIRMAN. And disbursed or used the proceeds of it?
Mr. PERRIN. I did.

The CHAIRMAN. That was $1,000?

Mr. PERRIN. That was the first.

The CHAIRMAN. On August 4 did you receive another sum?

Mr. PERRIN. About that time, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. By draft?

Mr. LITTLEFIELD. What was the first date that the chairman gave? The CHAIRMAN. July 30.

Mr. LITTLEFIELD. Do you find that in Exhibit 49?

The CHAIRMAN. I get it from pages 1918 and 1919 of the testimony. Mr. LITTLEFIELD. Oh, yes; that is the testimony of Mr. Perrin before the legislative committee?

The CHAIRMAN. Yes. I have that before me.

Mr. LITTLEFIELD. There is so much of this matter that we had an abstract made; and our abstract is shy $1,000 on the amount paid Mr. Perrin, as I find when I come to look it up.

The CHAIRMAN. There are three items.

moment.

I will disclose them in a

You say that on August 4 you received $1,000 from Mr. Edmonds by draft?

Mr. PERRIN. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. On August 15 did you receive $3,000 by check from Mr. Edmonds?

Mr. PERRIN. Check or draft; I am not sure which.
Senator POMERENE. You say the second item was $1,000?

The CHAIRMAN. The second item was $1,000; the third item was $3,000. You will find them on pages 1918 and 1919.

Senator POMERENE. Yes; I have them.

The CHAIRMAN. I refer to the pages of the testimony because they are officially before us. For what purpose was the first sum of $1,000 given to you by Mr. Edmonds?

Mr. PERRIN. To electioneer for Senator Stephenson.

The CHAIRMAN. What do you mean by the word "electioneer"? Mr. PERRIN. I mean furthering his cause.

The CHAIRMAN. What acts did you do that furthered his cause? Mr. PERRIN. I procured assistance to disseminate information in regard to the reasons why we thought he should be returned to the Senate.

The CHAIRMAN. Did you retain all of that money, or pay out part of it?

Mr. PERRIN. Are you speaking of the first thousand dollars?
The CHAIRMAN. Yes.

Mr. PERRIN. I paid that all out.

The CHAIRMAN. Did you file a statement showing the manner of the disbursement of that money?

Mr. PERRIN. I presented a statement to the joint investigating committee of the legislature, showing the disbursement of that money so far as I was able to at that time.

The CHAIRMAN. I want to turn to your statement, Exhibit 107, page 1923, and extending over to page 1924. I find in this testimony a statement marked "Exhibit 107" which undertakes to account for $4,508.25 of the amount. How do you account for the unexpended balance? Did you keep that for your own services?

Mr. PERRIN. I did.

The CHAIRMAN. Are you familiar with this statement ?
Mr. PERRIN. Yes.

The CHAIRMAN. We will transfer it to this testimony.
(The statement referred to is as follows:)

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The CHAIRMAN. The first item is No. 260, date July 17, amount $100, cash. That was money you drew against what-a deposit? Mr. PERRIN. That was my own money that I expended before I received any check from Mr. Edmonds, if I remember correctly. The CHAIRMAN. You received the first check July 30?

Mr. PERRIN. Yes.

The CHAIRMAN. And this is July 17?

Mr. PERRIN. Yes.

The CHAIRMAN. In the case of check No. 265, on July 25-that is five days before you received the first $1,000-we find the amount is $25, payable to W. W. Savage, and indorsed by him. For what was that paid?

Mr. PERRIN. That was probably money that we had used before I got any money from Senator Stephenson.

The CHAIRMAN. I will make this suggestion for the examination: Instead of saying that it was "probably" money paid for a certain purpose, if you have a recollection, give it; if you have none, state that fact.

Mr. PERRIN. I am obliged to you, Senator.

The CHAIRMAN. I will ask the question again: For what was the $25 paid W. W. Savage?

Mr. PERRIN. I have not any recollection, definitely.

The CHAIRMAN. Who was W. W. Savage?

Mr. PERRIN. My clerk.

The CHAIRMAN. Your clerk?

Mr. PERRIN. Yes, sir.

Mr. LITTLEFIELD. In your law office?

Mr. PERRIN. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. Again, on July 30, the day upon which you received the $1,000 from Mr. Edmonds, there is an item of $25 cash. For what was that money paid?

15235 VOL 1-11-42

Mr. PERRIN. I can not recollect.

The CHAIRMAN. Check 276, on August 1: At that time you had received only $1,000. There is an item of $300 to C. R. Fridley, indorsed by him?

Mr. PERRIN. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. For what was that money paid?

Mr. PERRIN. That was paid to Mr. Fridley to aid in electioneering in Superior and in Douglas County.

The CHAIRMAN. You say "to aid." What was he to do?

Mr. PERRIN. He was to put out information, and arrange to hire workers, and in every way to further the interests of Senator Stephenson in that campaign.

The CHAIRMAN. "In every way" is a pretty general term. It might include legal and illegal ways. Being a lawyer, you can readily sift that out.

Mr. PERRIN. Every legal way.

The CHAIRMAN. Yes; but what were those ways?

Mr. PERRIN. In order to make an effective campaign in Superior and in Douglas County, it was necessary to have a good many workers. He had been in politics for a good many years. He knew a great many men. He knew to whom to go to get the necessary assistance to work up the sentiment necessary to get out the vote for the Senator.

The CHAIRMAN. How did he work up that sentiment?
Mr. PERRIN. Well, Senator, I do not know.

The CHAIRMAN. That is an answer, if you do not know. It is important, however, to inquire as to the acts that constituted "working up a sentiment," because it might be done in a legal or in an illegal way.

Do you know how he expended the money? Did he render a statement to you?

Mr. PERRIN. No; he did not.

The CHAIRMAN. Then do you know how he expended this money, all or part of it, in specific terms?

Mr. PERRIN. Not in specific terms.

The CHAIRMAN. Who is C. R. Fridley?

Mr. PERRIN. He is an attorney at Superior.

The CHAIRMAN. Is he an old resident?

Mr. PERRIN. Yes.

The CHAIRMAN. Is he an old man or a young man?

Mr. PERRIN. He is a man of 42 or 43 years of age.

The CHAIRMAN. Did he support Senator Stephenson for nomination at the primaries and before the primaries?

Mr. PERRIN. Yes.

The CHAIRMAN. Was he in public life in any capacity?

Mr. PERRIN. No.

The CHAIRMAN. He was what you call a political worker, was he! Mr. PERRIN. No. He was a practicing lawyer.

The CHAIRMAN. He was actively engaged in the practice of law? Mr. PERRIN. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. You never asked him for any accounting as to the expense he had incurred?

Mr. PERRIN. I did not.

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