The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-03-22
Sending the Recusant Witness. Hal.
Kilbourme, to Iai,..-...-.

= L.
Washington Correspondence. March ~
An hour later, the Speaker return ed to
the chair and the Sergeant at Arms ap-
peared with kilbourne at the bar. There
was sensation on the floor. but the gal.
!eries were pretty well emptied. XII
bourne, as soon as he had reached Tho
bar of the House, reached out with Great
composure and drew up chair ;nto
which he sank with great self.posscxs;on inn
He was the very picture Of ease
His garments were in the highest fashion:
his neck'tie a deep blue in tint. and his
style was apparent but not vulgarlv con-.
spicuous. He brushed his placid hrov
with very white hands which displaved =
line seal ring. AS he sank into the ch,;r
Speaker Kerr, arising sternly in his p]ace
said, sharply, ''The witness will arise ,;
hlioourne, a little disconcc' ted, arose and
inclined his head respectfully v. The
Speaker then asked him if he was ready
to answer the queries Of the COMMITTEES
h'lbourne' inclining his body respectful.
~ and IN low tone, said that he could
not consent to answer. He asked leave
to be heard by counsel. Upon this
everything was hushed and painful de-.
lay followed. It was broken bv Pace of
California, who moved that Kiibourne he
accorded the right to be heard by counsel
Gil his own behalf. To the SURPRISE ~
everybody there was no direction
and the question was half put before
Holman shot to his feet and opposed the
thing. He was evidently not prepared.
but made practical ar ument which ex,
posed the essential improperly of turn
Ing Congress into Il vast debate school for
the qualification of every man who chose
to make spectacle of himself. Though
unprepared he made 50 solid an argument
that the House recovered its senses and
grasped the point at issue. Hoar fol.
lowed Holman in support of Pages mo.
ton. He was not abashed to demand
change from the precedent of his party in
the interest of justice, and argued vehe-
mently that Kilbourne had right to he
heard by counsel as long as he pleased.
fortunately an expert in constitutional
law happened to be in his seat, Mr.. jerks
who flashed sunlight on the darkness and
ieit the House no grounds to doubt its
duty IN the matter. Pages resolution
was tabled by strict party vote, and the
witness was permitted to have state
ment read. There was nothing in this
beyond his declaratian to the committee.
The reading took an hour. At it's con.
clus:on without even word of debate.
the speaker arose with the report of
the committee in his hand, and directed
kllbourne to rise. Kerr then read the
questions which Kilbourne had refused to
answer, and asked him as each was pro.
pounded If he still refused to testify. He
bowed gravely and replied to each query,
mo. Ihereupon the speaker asked the
further pleasure of the House. Glover
intimated that the pleasure of the House
was to jug the contumacious witness until
he got ready to answer such questions as
were proposed. This had been expected
by Kilbourne and his counsel, but it had
not been expected that such heightened
prisoner would be subjected to real i'm.
prisonment. When the words common
Jail fell on his ear Kilbourne' s face chang.
ed color and his body twitched nervously.
He was therefore removed by the Ser.
geant-at-Arms and detained until the
clerks could enroll the resolutions for his
confinement. His courage, which had
before been high, gradually oozed out,
and it required the urgent solicitation of
his friends to keep him from throwing up
the game. Black remained with him
and held further parley in the
sergeant S room. AS the speaker had to
sign the warrants after engrossment. it
took some time to get things in order.
kilbourne, suddenly remembering that
he must go to prison, asked permission
to write his wife note, remarking as he
sat down to the desk: "Napoleon always
wrote to Josephine on the eve of great
battles and great victories He was
considerably shocked when, at quarter
before I, Sergeant.at.Arms Thompson
appeared with everything ready. He
begged to be permitted to go by the way
of his home that he might
GET SQUARE NEAL,
as he had eaten pothing since breakfast.
Thompson said he could let him see his
wife, but no further. At this, Kill
bourne's face fell. He then asker if he
could escape prison by making known
his intention to answer. Thompson
couldn't say, but would take him to pris-
on and make known his wish. Judge
Black then asked time for a consultation,
but Thompson said such consultation
must be held in prison. Black and Kill
bourne then spoke privately a moment
and took carriage for Kilbourne' s house,
and from thence to the Jail.
EFFORTS FOR FREEDOM.
His counsel is determined that he shall
not stay THERE and that he shall be
heard in the courts if not in the legisla-
lativc hall. Judge Black has tonight
sued out writ Of habeus corpus, and
will tomorrow proceed against the Ser.
yeant.at-Arms fer a personal assault upon
his client. The old lawyers ire is reused.
md he cauS this constitutional o,,oeA;o,