The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-06-03
THE KERR INVESTIGATION.


Adjourned.
THE KERR INVESTIGATION. ..
The cross.examination Of Lawrence
Harney was resumed to-day before the
Committee on Expenditures in the War
Department, +. X. Elliott, counsel for
the Speaker, conducting it.
Witness said he would like 10 have
Speaker Kerr present. -,
Mr.. Clymer, the chairman, replied that
Mr.. Kerr was not well enough to be here.
Witness then said that the time that
elapsed between his first interview with
Green, who was seeking aposition in the
army, and his first interview with Kerr
on the subject, was inside Of a month.
Within that time he was looking among
the members OF Congress TO find out who
had such an appointment in the army.
He spoke to William A.. Darling, Henry
]. Raymond and Nelson Taylor, and then
to member OF the House from Brook
lyn, since dead. He did not recollect
the names Of any others, and may have
applied TO the gentlemen named for in
formation. 81. {,
Witness repeated much OF what he said
in the direct examination, including the
statement that Kerr said Green being q
Republican he must have Democratic en-
dorsement. He thought Green said Fer
nando Wood had recommended him.
@. Did you not propose to Green before
you consulted with any members OF Con-
gress that you would procure him a place
| for three or four hundred dollars3 A. !
told him did not know what the price oi
a member Of Congress was.
@. Did you not at tho first interview
propose specifically to him to procure TIE
appointment for $500 or S400. A. No
The witness here related the circum'
cumstances Of his interview with U. S.
District Attorney Bliss. He said Bliss had
sent for him. Bliss was alone, ,and,as he en-
tered the room he shook hands with him,
saying "good morning." and added that
he looked we'll and complimented him on
his appearance, (laug hter), and then
Bliss expressed a desire to know some
thing about the Green matter. Bliss
asked what is the matter about Green
What's the trouble2 Continuing to ask
questions OF this kind, Bliss further ask
ed: Did you not interest yourself about
Green, and is there any money In the
matter? Witness declined to tell him
anything about the money. Heneyer saw
Bliss again on the subject. He made nc
communication to any other gentleman
nor was he interviewed by 'any news
paper correspondent. Witness said the
| fact that he secured the appointment
for Green was known TO everybody
in New York, but he said nothing
about money to anybody. It was between
| ] and 3.o'clock in the afternoon when
Kerr called him aside at the door OF the
House and said l will take that money
now. After he received the money from
Green he kept it in his pocket until he
gave it to Kerr.
Mr.. Elliott asked witness about his re
collection Of copy Of an anonymous let
ter sent Speaker Kerr, and which hat
been shown to him by Moore. Mr.. Elliot
wanted witness to write down copy O
the letter, but witness said he could no
do it, as the only words he saw in the let
ter was Lawrence Harney, $3.50"
Mr.. Elliott desired thus to test the re
collection OF the witness.
The Chairman decided that Elliott hat
alright to make the request with a view
Of Indicating that the witness may hav'
been the writer Of the anonymous letter
Witness wrote his name on piece o
paper so that Elliott might judge Of .th'
handwriting.
Mr.. Elliott insisted that he should writ
out the letter. Witness said he was nov
too nervous to write, but he might be abl
to do so some time to-day.
Mr.. Elliott then waived his demand fo
the present.
| Witness worked for Green from mo
tiyes of friendship and never expected L
make anything Of it. He never had an!
other disintefested transaction Of tha
kind. He further testified that he me
Monroe at the Tribune building, but sail
nothing more to him than to pass th
time of day. He did not say Bliss ant
Davenport were damned rascals. H
tried 10 be moral man and therefor
never used such language. After he hal
given his testimony on Monday he lei
the committee room, and had no Soone
done so before he was hooted at in tn
passage way by men whom he though
were employed in the folding room. H
passed out Of the Capitol and returned :
his hotel. There he saw Wakeman VIII
came on the same train with him and ais
returned to New York with him. Wake
man told him he came TO Washington 4
attend 10 case in the Supreme' Court
Witness had u hurried conversation wit
the clerk Of the hotel, the clerk havin
said to witness, "what have you bee
doing at the Capitol to-day" "Making
big row" he replied, "he (the clerk woul
find but the consequence" and made som
allusion to the Democratic party. H
could not repeat his remarks as he wa
very much excited at the time in conSe
. ouence of the rude treatment he had re
ceived at the Capitol, but soon after max
ing the remarks seeing the impropriet
Of it recalled Il.
After recess Mr.. Elliott renewed his re
request that the witness write
at his dictation, the anonymous lette
address to Kerr, which he did. It is q
follows:
"a rumor is circulating in New YOrl
that one, Harney, now in the Appraiser
Department there, gave you, in 1881
$3.50 for the appointment oil one, Angus
tus P. Green, Of New York, as secon
Lieutenant"
, Mr. Harney may be summoned; he hn