The Portland daily press., 1878-12-09
THE HOT SPRINGS INQUIRY.
Who Stole the Missing Page.
Strong Testimony in ExOnerati0n
of Senator COnOver.

WASHINGTON. Dec: THE Senate com.
mittee cons ting of Messrs. Cameron of
Wisconsin,, Eaton aud Randolph, to Inquire
into the omission of the Hot Springs clause
from the sundry civil appropriation bill met
to-day.
George H. Johnston, clerk IN the post Office
department, testified that he met Senator
Conover 10 the street last August, near the
Ebbitt House, and had consult,tio with
him in reference to the attack made on The
Treasury secret service. Prior to the interview
he had never conversed with the Senator in
relation to the Hot Springs matter Benson
and another employe of the secret service
division of the Tr- asury, had called at the
ct the post Office department and desired him to
tell them all he knew about the Hot Springs
matter. One of them asked whether he had
been to New York 10 January in the interest
Of certain parties in Washington. He told
him he had not, aud informed him that be
(Johnson) was not at the Capital on the last
night of the session.
The larger man of the two said he had the
affidavits 0fIthree persons that be had been seen
waiting around the hall OF the Senate, and had
seen him take paper from Rice, Senator
Conover's clerk, who told him to get away with
it, The witness replied it was PACK OF lies
and suggested that there was some mistake
The large man said there could be no mistake.
The witness went to the acting Postmaster
General Tyr after this interview, and told
the witness, and Senator ConOver asked leave
of absence for few days, in order to investi-
gate the motive Of the attack He did not ask
who made the sffidavits, for be did not believe
any had been made. He had conversation
with Mr. w. P Rice in relation to the matter.
Rice characterized the whole Story as an
outrageous tissue of falsehoods calculated to
injure Mr. Conover. He had no knowledge of
the abstraction of any papers and had never
said be had.
W. P. Rice of Pensacola, clerk Of the Serate
comm ttee on enrolled bills. testified that
johnson was at the capitol, if he recolected
arIght during the afternoon but he did not see
him during the night.
The sunday civil appropriation bill did 1t
| come to the committee on enrolled bills at all.
1t was taken by Adjutaut Bassett directly to
| the President of the Senate who had advised
| him that there was scarcely time for it to 60
| through the Committee without another recess,
| as it was nearly O'Clock a. m. when the bill
| came over
| Capt Bassett, assistant dcor-keeper of the
| Senate, testified that he b id been employed in
| the Senate over 4S years. HI, knew nothing Of
| the sundry civil appropriation bill beyond that
| he received it from one OF the clerks of the
! Senate and carried it to the President or 10
ten minutes b-fore the adjournment of the
Senate. The bill was not tied up as usual but
the pages were loose. Hs did not take it to
| the committee on enrolled bills because he
| could not find Mr.. Couover. He informed
| him after adjournment what he had do when
Mr.. Conover told him he had been asleep on
| the sofa. He did not see Rice or any one cOun
| ciled with the committee.
Toe committee then adjourned till Monday
| wheu Messrs. Butt and Benson of the secret
| service will BE- examined, the former not bsing
| ready for examination to-day.