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Show DIETRICH T UNDER FIR . WASHINGTON. March H The Ben. ' atorlal Inquiry Into the charges against . Senator Dietrich of Nebraska, began today before the special committee in Senator Hoar's committee-room. The Inquiry, which was Instituted upon the ! demand of Senator Dietrich, is for the .' purpose of disproving the charges on -which the Senator was Indicted last fall in Nebraska, and which were dlsmlsstj . on demurrer. Leopold Hahn, postmaster at Hastings Hast-ings from 1897 to 1901. was the first witness. wit-ness. He was succeeded In that office by Mr. Fisher. In reply to questions by Senator Hoar Mr. Hahn related a conversation with Fisher on April 23, 1901, relative to his (Fisher's) appointment appoint-ment as postmaster. "He asked me." said the witness, "what the office paid. I told him $2500. He said that was what Dietrich wanted him to pay for the office. He also told me that Adam Breed had said that Dietrich had asked him $2800, or $700 a year for the four years. , "He asked me what I had paid Senator Sena-tor Thurston for my appointment and I said. 'Not one cent.' " John D. Pope was the next witness. He is a former Nebraska State Senator, an attorney who Mr. Hahn testified, had advised as to the course Fisher would have to pursue with the note for $2500 which Fisher had told Hahn he wanted to give to Dietrich for the post-mastership. |