You can find some excerpts from the article by Googling it up, then clicking on the 'cached' text, then clicking on 'cached text only'. Unfortunately, this doesn't bring up the complete article, only excerpts and some of them quite tantalizing.
The article notes that Barnes reputedly wore his only suit when he started work for the legislature, earned $4,800 a year as a legislator and for most of his career, but became a millionaire with interests in radio and TV stations, construction firms, a shopping center, and large land tracts.
It mentions Barnes' nickname of "Bedroom Ben" for his supposed escapades.
According to the article, Barnes also apparently tried to put a tax on all groceries, which Farenthold called the "Barnes Bread Tax."
One excerpt mentions that Barnes has several handicaps, but the excerpt ends at that point. (Drat.)
The article mentions that Barnes was cleared of involvement in the Sharpstown scandal. It says that nothing was ever pinned solidly on Barnes, then goes on the say that a deposition by Frank Sharp (central figure in the Sharpstown scandal) had been interpreted to mean that Barnes had been paid handsomely for his help on legislation.
They were an odd coalition group too. They had liberal's liberals like Farenthold and Paul Moreno, but also the Republicans like Craddick, the current speaker. The GOP also had Walter Mengden who represented part of Houston and he's somewhere to the right of Barry Goldwater. On the Senate side, Barnes' involvement in the scandal almost pushed GOP State Senator Hank Grover of Houston into the governor's office. He was barely edged out by Briscoe with a third party candidate making up the difference.