The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1875-01-16
pneinc MniI Investigation.

Wavs and Means Committee continued
the Pacific Mail investigation to-day, by
the Chairman, Dawes, again asking
Donn Piatt:
Ouestion-Through whom did you
make the payment on your note book OF
$4,000 to Richard b. Irwin
Mr. Wood. of the committee objected
to the question, on the ground that the
committee were now going outside, by
bringing questions which witness couII
not be compelled to answcr,on the penalty
of being in contempt but after some dis-
discussion Mr.. Wood withdrew his OBJ
lection.
Mr., Piatt then said he had already
testified that the $1,000 transaction h"u
nothing TO do with the So-calleu corruP-
ton. which they had been investigating
to see if any Of 1t had gone
from LOBBYISTS to Congressman; he was
satisfied that he had made mistake, the
othcrday in appealing to othe committee for
Justice before the public, and wished now
t. appear simply as a witness, with his
hank book and vouchers to show what he
did with the money; the committee has
nothing to do with my private alialrs
but. under protest, | will answer that
do not know through whom payment was
mud,, but know when l got thsmoncy.
Under the same protest | will state that
it came from William Nicely Thompson,
purt of il being money earned and part
loaned t. me; Thompson had no connec-
,ion whatever with Pacific Mail or sub
,idv: a. Il matter of fact, he WAS not III
iavurufit.
Quc.tion-What did you understand
to be- Thompson business
Answer decline most positively to
answer. for YOU have no business to ask
me the question.
In response to other questions the wit
ness said he thought, the other day, that
hrs did know when the note was paid,
but ON reflection and inquiry Of Irwin,
he found he was mistaken, and really
now hc did not know anything more
more about il than that Thompson left
Washington with the understanding That
he would take up the note, and witness
prcsumes he did, as the note
came back to mm. He deposit
cd the $4,000 in the Freedman
bank. He patronizcd that institution
brcausc !, had given him column hd-
vertisemcnt and he wanted to reciprocatc
the patronage. Laughter. His agSre-
ratc deposits up TO September 9th were
$1,000: witness begun to read from the
stubs of his check book complete "c-
count of how he used all of this money,
when the suggestion was made that 1t
WAS not necessary. Witness-Oh yes!
would rather give YOU AL my trnnsac'
tions with butchers. bakers and taiIors;
| have had them with every one except
Congressman, and that is all that has
saved me from utter disgrace.
! Oucstion-lIow much Of the money
YOU received from Thompson was II loan
/ 10 YOU!
Answcr-EIe owed me, think som"
! $4,000
Dnwcs-Plcase answer my question.
Witness-This is going into my pri-
yate affairs too much. | am getting tired.
Dawcs-If you are getting tired, take
seat.
/ Witncss-I am getting tired not in
my legs, but in my patience.
Question Where were you when you
repaid to Thompson his loan to you.
Answer decline to answ3 any more
such questions.
Qutstion-WilI yon inform the Com
mittee when and in what way You paid
/ it?
/ Answcr-No. You are going into an
other transaction not connected with
this question.
Qucstion-Do You know whether
Thompson was connected with the New
Idria quicksilver mining company?
Witncs,-l decline answering any
thing about it. The question is an III
suit. You have got beyond all Of your
Legitimate powers.
The Chairman then said the witness
could consider himself excused for the
present. and the Committee could deter
mine whether he would be required again,
4 1