The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1879-02-27


The egiziativs invlstigation Comnits
tee l,aye had their dignity insulle1
snubed- by the manager Of lie Western
Union Telegraph Company-whersspca
MI. Randolph the gentleman from Cot.
fee Chairman Of the Investigating COM
mittee submitted the following report
as..privileged matter:
Topeka, KAN, Feb, 20, 1879.
To the House Of Representatives Of
the State Of Kansas, the House Com
mittee on Investigation makes the fol-
lowing special report:
That, on the 18th day of February,
1879, by order of said committe q sub
prna was issued to E. L. smith, Mama
ger Of the Western Union Telegraph
Company ut Topeka, Kansas, and the
same was duly served upon him TO at
tend before said committee. in the
City Of Topeka, ON Monday, the 18th
day Of February, 1879, at 1880 O'Clock
p. m. Of that day, then aud there to give
such information touching the subject
of inquiry by said committee as might
be in his possession; and that the said
E. l.. Smith was further directed in said
Subpoena to bring with him before said
committee such original kilograms as re
fer directly to the late election Of
United States Senator in the State of
Kansas, or which were sent from his
Office in Topeka, Kansas. from January
oath, 1873, to this date, by certain per-
sons whose names are stated in said
subpoena, and copies of kilograms in an
swer thereto, by him the said Smith re-
ceived, also copies of all kilograms re-
celyed during the time above mentioned
and upon the subject above named BY
the persons whose names are set fourth
in said subpoena. That the said E l..
Smith has failed. neglected and refused.
and that he still fails. neglects and re-
fuses to obey said subpoena, and to at
tend before said committee, according
to the command thereof: and that the
answer made by the said Z. L. Smith TO
the subpoena is hereby annexed and
made part of this report.
Wherefore, your Committee makes
the foregoing report, and prays the &C.
ton of the House in the premises.
Respectfully submitted,
A. NJ. F. RANDOLPH,
Chairman.
OFFicE OF THE WESTERN
UNION TELEGRAPH COMPANY.
TOPEKA, Ks, Feb. 20, 1879.
Hon. A. ". Randolph, Chairman, ETC.:
DEAR SiR.-In answer 10 your sub
pGena. duly served on me, | most |
submit that hold myself in
readiness to appear before your COM
mittec at any time You may designate;
but as | am in possession of the telc-
graphic messages OF the Western Union |
Telegraph Company solely by virtue of
my position as the Manager of the To- |
peka office, | am compelled BY the rules |
of the company, and the instructions !,
received from its officers. with due re-
spect. to decline to produce any original
kilograms in my hands as the custodian
of the company, or disclose the con-
tents thereof. beg to assure YOU that |
this decision is not made out of any
want of proper respect for the dignity |
and authority of your honorable body. |
but on account of the peculiar relations |
of confidence which exist between the |
telegraph company and its patrons, and |
its desire 10 preserve that confidence in !
violate.
Very Respectfully.
L. l.. SMITH, Manager.
Mr.. Randolph thcrcupon offered the
following resolution, and moved its |
adoption:
ResolreJ, That the Sergeant at Arms
of the House is hereby instructed 10 ar
rest T.. l.. Smith for contempt. in rcfus-
ing to respect the subpoena issued on the
18th day of February, 1879, by the Com
mittee appointed under resolution of
the House of Representatives, to investi-
gate charges of bribery and corruption
IN the late Senatorial election. and bring
him before the bar of the House of Rel. /
rcsentativcs to answer for such con-
tempt.
The motion prevailed. and the rcsolu-
ito was adopted.
II is proposed by the Managers of the |
We tern Union, to make test case Of
this one, and sec we;hcr they can be |
by Legislative or municipal
bodies to produce copies of dispatches
sent by individuals on their lines.