Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-05-30
THE KERR INVESTIGATION.

| IumoE were given as authority by tht
correspondents. Ward has been iHm
4 moned.
THE KERR INVESTIGATION.
Lawrence Harney, Ia obedience to s
summons, appeared this forenoon be
| fore the committee on expenditures il
the war department, to testify in reIs
ton to the allegations against Speaker
| Kerr. The committee postponed the
examination until ore o'clock. Harvey
said be did not think he could be pres
ent at that time, as he was SUFFERING
with neuralgia, and he would have tC
go to his room and lie down. Mr.. Cly.
mer, chairman OF the committee, in.
fJrmed Harney that he need not leave
the room, as he could rest upon a sofa,
snd the room would be dsrkcned aud
a gustd placed at the door to prevent
visitors knocking for admission. This
accommodation was agreeable to wit
ness, and he remained.
AT the appointed time the committee
resssembled Speaker Kerr and Messrs,
Morrison, Scott, Lord, % Hereford,
Springer and other members OF the
house were present. When asked about
the payment of money, Harney refused
tq testify, and when told he would be
committed, he asked time to consider by
advice OF counsel.
Speaker Kerr said If the witness
knew anything relating to him he was
willing he should tell the truth about it.
Witness-DOss Mr.. Kerr want me to
tell ali know?
MIR. Kerr-Yes, 1 want you to tell the
truth about ii.
Witness-Then I will tell what I
know, and will tell the truth about it,
too
Witness then said he met Green in
1885, and helped him 10 get an appoint.
ment in the army as second lieutenant.
Green paid witness fur hundred and
i'ty dollars, and witness paid it into
Kerr's hands, in the corridor Of the east
hsll Of the house, and Kerr put it in his
pocket.
Witness said: am now ready to be
cross questioned by Mr.. Kerr on this
matter.
In his cross examination by Elliott,
Kerr's counsel, Harney admitted this
was the first and only time that he sp.
preached Kerr on such business, or any
other business.
Question-What relation existed be-
tween you and Darling? Answer-Hon-
esty and friendship. [Laughter.l
Q.-How long has this frienship last
edf A.-About twenty-five years.
( Laughter.
Q-And the honesty? Always.
[ Laughter,
He was "a ked why he believed Kerr
wanted money, and replied that because
he had no claim on Mr.. Kerr: he had
never told the story before, although he
knn n 10 Ifs1of -
was always much mystery about the
manner in which he had got Green's
appointment.
Mr.. E lott, after further proceedings,
said he wished to read the testimony,
tions, before going further.
Mr.. CIymer said the witness would be
recalled on his cross-examination.
Mr.. DAnford interrogated the witness,
who said his frsa interview with Green
thoTizsd him to say that he would pay
money for the appointment, as he had
tried, but could not obtain the placs in
addressed to Mr.. Kerr mentioned the
charge that witness had paid money to
Kerr. Several parties, newspaper men
clined to talk shout the matter to them.
Question by Representative Clymer-
You never said that District-Attorney
Bliss and Darling crowded you, and
that there was great pressure to induce
you to make statement? Witness de-
MED that he had said SO.
Cd d you not say that rather than
make the statement you would resign
the place you held in the appraisers
office? A.-Yes.
@ Was not the pressure intended to
maze you give statement or clear out
Of office? Al did not care for the
eighteen hundred dollars salary, as can
OBJ ain employment outside.
Odd y0u not make your first state
neat rather as thEest, to ingratiate
yourself in favor Of your employees.
A.-There was no occasion for it.
The examinat.Oa for today being at
an end, Mr.. Kerr remarked that he did
10. want to retire without saying few
words, al d asked to be sworn. This hav-
ing been done, he said: 81 only want to
remark to-day that deny every mate
rial statement made by this witness, az
fecting my personal honor and official
Integrity. That is all. If | was in suf-
fcient health would make statement
Of the circumstances which led to this
in connection with the
anonymous letter received. But | do
not feel able to do 80 to. day. will
further say that, consciously, l never
knew this witness in my life, but
| don't say, or wish to be under
stood as saying, that he did not
introduce Green to me; ] do not know
six dooIkeepeIs about this house, though
they are supposed to be my political
Llnever consciously exchanged.
one minutes conversation between
heaven and earth with that person; l
never knew him, and be wss never at
my room, as be sta ed; OF course never
leceived any money from him ncr from
any one else."
Mr. Crosby, chief clerk of the war de-
partment, produced papers relative to
y. Green. The first was a de-
acriptiIe list dated June u, 1866, and
e ned 0y Kerr Recommending Green TO
be appointed second-lieuJepant in the
army, and certifying that Green was
known to him as person OF good char
acter, and that he believed Green TO be
mentally, moral y and physically quail
flied to perform the duty of lieutenant
in the United States army. The next
pspsr produced was also dated June II,
1866, aud was from Nelson Taylor, ad-
dressed to the war department, asking
the re urn of The pspsrs he had filed in
behalf Of Green, These papers were re.
turned, and aiterward given by Green
to Kerr. The third paper was one filed
with the President by Hon. Myer
Strouz, requesting the appointment
OF Green. The fourth paper was ad-
dressed to the secretary OF war by Mr.
Kerr, dated July 81, 1866, as follows:
" VIII you have the kindness to serd
the commission Of Augustus P. Green to
his address, Madison avenue, New York
city. He was nominated by me.n The
fifth wss SIS follows:
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,,
WASHINGTON, April Is, 1876.
General Z, D. Townsend, Adjutant-General:
NV DEAR SIR-MaV I trouhla von IN