Show POLITICAL GAL MESS I IN The Secretary of State Is on Trial for or Attempting tempting Bribery I MATTER THREE YEARS OLD Commissioner lont I Hobt 1 t Claims Secretary I Honker Tried it to Influence Ills His Ils Decision Iii ii l. l Madison WIs JUI July 3 Before Before a n Jury jm In the lie municipal court of or Dane count county Walter aler I I. I I. I Houser heuser secretary y of or state slate is on trial tm-mI charged with wih offering of of- 01 fering to Commissioner of or Insurance Seno M. M r Host a n bribe In the tire form in eu-in of ofa ofa ofa a promise that tIme the Equitable 1 Life lre Assurance society would give a n contribution con con- of 2500 to tho the Republican campaign c fund IT If Commissioner Host would render a decision In time the surplus distribution Equitable ca case ce e favorable Cn to tu the tw Tin Tim newest point developed thus far farIn farIn In iii the lie trial is that General Attorney ant St Is expected to go upon 11 tIre the witness wines stand and den deny I tho ho I truth ruth u of time the statement nt of or time the complaining witness wit tU tUnes tw ness nes to the effect that Commissioner Il Host st told the lie general attorney y- y that Mr had to bribe him If I this la Is dUI done It will wi prove lIm a most Interesting bit hl o of If record in time the tl case A mother Another te el development today was wa va ulme rumor that lint Bob Bohr Luscombe time the ag agent nt of or the Equitable supposed Itlie in It inbe tt be lie th the man who came to tu Madison with whIm wih tIme the alleged bribe iribe for foi Commissioner r I lost Host and who according to lo Host t a asked ket 11 Mr r. r er to lo hand a typewritten ten statement ent of a form of oC decision to the thc commissioner is Js hero here and will wi testify for CUI the tue defense Case Cal of or Prosecution o TIme The prosecution outlined its if case ase precisely as followed in the tire preliminary a ary 1 examination declaring imig that It would be proved that Secretary of State Houser heuser on omm time the morning of or Juno IG 16 1903 went eilt to the oice of CommIssioner Commissioner Com Corn missioner Host In the time capitol told him him that hint If he Ire Host would make a a. decision de do- in the tIre Equitable Life surplus distribution case then their pending leor before Host that hint the lie Equitable would give 2500 to 10 tIre the campaign fund unit to secure tire the tw of or tile the te then Republican lican lean state slate The TIre defense outlined to the jury h by lq Attorney Burr AV Jones declared that tIre the defendant would r-o r o upon the wit wll- wl- wl ne ness s stand in In his imis own behalf and amid ant deny the tIme charges charge s that Commissioner Host has seen lit to bring about him The rime fact that thai Commissioner luner Host kept apt this matter secret for three years and then sprung it U at a time when tire the political ImBU- ImBU cal situation had hat changed and arid at al a atme time best chosen to tu injure the tire chances of the time secretary of state was predicted predict edict ed ell h by the tire defense as ns one omie of oC the lie theer er very ery Important things timings to be he shown In him favor oJ fn of oC the thu innocence of oC the defendant Came to to Jib Ills Ils Ollice Commissioner IIo Jost t testified that that tile te secretary of or state came caine to his oilier telling him that the Equitable would give 2500 to the tire campaign fund Cund If a n favorable decision of the Iho surplus distribution dis dis- were rendered i b by Host H nut and II the witness said 11 that Houser had handed to him then their and amid there a typewritten type type- written paper with wih the tIre proposed fa favorable fa- fa a- a tl decision tl dismissing the action of L. L A. A Brunkhorst of oC Milwaukee for the time reason meason that the tIme action was one for the courts to pass pas upon Commissioner Host salt said sid that two years yem's or more after ofer the incident had occurred he lie went to his attorney J. J L. L OConnor O'Connor told him about it it H. asked his advice and was vas told that it i was a question as to lo how hros' a court COUt and amid jury would decide It I. I and amid it might ha badly ly upon himself Host hios Host and amid that It would be he best not riot to make the time matter matter mat mat- ter public The witness wines stated staled that when OConnor O'Connor became counsel for forthe forthe forthe the Insurance investigating committee invest he lie wrote oto and arid asked Host if Ir he Ire would tell tel the stor story to tho tIme committee and amid ant Host finally went to lo Milwaukee o upon a summons as a witness anti and told |