Jasper County Democrat, Volume 14, Number 55, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 October 1911 — SHEPHARD ADMITS BROWNE MEETING [ARTICLE]

SHEPHARD ADMITS BROWNE MEETING

First Acknowledgement of Discussion of Bribe Expose. ASSUMED NAME IS ADOPTED Entry “A. J. Schafer and Wife” in Hotel LaSalle Register of 1910 Identified —Edward Hines Is Interrogated. Chicago, Oct: 13. Henry A. Shephard of Jerseyville, the former Democratic state representative named by Charles A. WJiite as one of the men who met Lee O’Neil Browne and Robert E. Wilson in St. Louis on occasions when Lorimer and jack-pot money was distributed, made revelations of circumstances hitherto concealed, while under a constant fire of questions from members of the Lorimer investigating committee of the United States senate. Mr. Shephard told of a conference with Representative Browne ani} Representative Wilson in the Briggs House in Chicago on April 24, 1910, at which the expected exposure of legislative corruption was discussed. Four days before Mr. Shephard had learned that he was implicated in the White confession which then was being corroborated by investigators. The White confession was published April 30. Until this time Mr. Shephard had not admitted that he saw Brcwne or Wilson during those days when the legislators involved m the scandal are said to have been getting together to think up explanations- for the St. Louis visits. Mr. Shephard denied before the Cook county grand jury that such a conference had been heM! Representative Browne testified before the former senate committee that be coijld not recall - having seen Shephard at the time mentioned. Mr. Shephard admitted that w\ien he came to Chicago to see Browne and Wilson he registered under an asat the Hotel LaSalle. The hotel register was brought in and Mr. Shephard identified the entry “A. J. Scnafer and wife” as having been written by him. In his talk with Browne and Wilson at the Briggs House, Mr. Shephard said, he asked them about White’s story that he had received SI,OOO Lorimer money and S9OO jackpot money. Browne told him, Shephard said, that White was a liar. Mr; Shephard was on the witness stand the entire day and had a highly uncomfortable time John H. Marble, attorney for the committee, and members of the investigating body hammered away at him and trapped' him into several minor contradictions of his testimony before the previous senate committee The witness stood firm in his declaration, however, that he had received no money from either Browne or Wilson. Previous to the testimony of Mr. Shephard, the committee conferred with Edward Hines in executive session. Books and records showing Mr. Hines’ business and personal transactions have been under investigation by a firm of accountants since Mr. Hides testified at Washington. It is said that the examination has produced no results.