Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-01-28
CAPITAL CHATTER.
INVESTIGATING THE CIPHER TEle-
GRAMS.
New Militia Bill-PrOpOsed Amendment TO
the Constitution - The New York
Nominations - Refunding
the National Debt.
Potter Committee.

WASHINGTON, January 27.--The Pot
ter Committee to-day begun the inyesti-
CATION of the cipher kilograms.
Clarence Carey, attorney for the
Western Union Telegraph Company,
testified that certain telegrams were
placed in his charge when il was pro-
posed to issue subpenas for their pro-
duction before the investigating COM
mittee for the purpose of placing the
kilograms in their possession, so a. to
avoid, if possible, their delivery for pub
lie inspection. 1t was thought that the
subpoena would not be issued TO him
owing to his position. He was finally,
however, directed by the executive
committee To deliver the messages 10
Capt. Whitney, Manager of the Western
Union Telegraph Company at Washing
ton. Instructions with regard tO.picking
out dispatches were To take out all of u
political character. The collection when
first made, being for the sole purpose
~ getting them out Of the way OF the
subpoena. Floyd Grant, who made the
selection OF the dispatches in New York,
said that hC thought of the % 600 about
800 were i'm cipher The manager OF
the Western Union Telegraph Com
pany at Washington, in compliance with
"A request Oi Potter, produced schedule
showing over 500 tclcgramS delivered
tO the Morrison Committee. llcthought
that Morrison returned the dispatches.
Other schedules were produced showing
various tclrgrams delivered To the Sen
ate Committee on Privileges and Flee
tions. These were delivered i'm two
different packages. When the trunk
Was returned the Witness schedules,
previously prepared, were not verified
by the contents Of the trunk, it being
Immediately shipped To New York, as
per order ui President OrtOn. Nanhurn
gave verbal order in his [Whitncy'sl
office to collect all political kilograms
from the files and forward them 10 New
York.
Mr.. Hiscock [laughingly No one oE
this side cntertainS the idea that the
trunk was rtlcd by the Morrison com
mittce.
Mr. MorriSon-lt has been stated that
the trunk was not in the possession ul
the Morrison Committee. When il
comes To- that point, YOU will find tine
laugh will be- nearer home.
Mr.. Reed lsarcaStically yl-All right.
Go ahcad We await the result i'm fear
and trembling.
James -. GruCn testified 10 the burn
ing of the entire contents Ot II trunk
containing the tclegramS as received
from Washington.
Mr.. Mcmahon asked the witness if hc
knew ANYTHING Ot any tclcgramS being
kept back from those furnished in COM
pliancc with the suDPenas Of the COM
mittcr.
The witness said he knew OF some
tclegraphic correspondence being col
lccted prior Ia the issue OF the sub
prnaS, between las y. Tyucr and John
W. Poster the latter oi lndanapu-
lis, 40 the request "i Prc,l-
dent Orton. the witness sent
the trlcsrams in question either To-
Ortnn OF to Captain Whitney, at Wash
iugtun. The messages referred tn pollt-
ical matters, and the impression formed
hv witness was that they referred Ia the
sale oi some political olicv, This Was
possibly incorrect, rs the air ut the time
was filed with political excitement, and
the TACT oi Judge Tvncr's holding an in
iluential government office might have
hal the effect Of leading him Ia assume
that such was the fact. lie had no III
rect information that the conclusion
arrived at bv him was 4 true one.
By McNIahon-Wherc was Orton when
he made the request
WitneSs-llc made the request by let
ter from Washington.
Q-Ilas that letter been preserved?
A-Nu sir; burned It myself at the IN
stance oi President Orton.
Mr.. Greene WAS recalled. lie stated
that hr made another search for the
dispatches between Tyner and Chandler
and burnt some of them. There were
seven or eight altogether. one was
telegram from Tyner about making two
appointments in the Interior Depart
mcnt al salaries uf =, 500 each, and ask
ing Chandler Ia do this, and have the
money deposited IN some National
hank 50 that ii might bc drawn IN In
dianapolS 10y the Republican Commit
tee The telcgramS also contained the
names uf the persons to be appointed.
lie could not remember what
those names were, hut he h,licvcd
one was Martin. Chandler tclrgraphcd
that he had deposited the money ~ re-
gurS,rd \ long discussion her" en-
sued ~ n the scope OF investigation,
and whether the Tribrmr ciphers only
were 10 bc examined into, or all cipher
teIcsrams, no MATTER 10y whom they
we're sent. Ii Was finally decided that
the subject now under examination b.
proceeded with, but the committee al
Iuurnrl without ehriting anything
further ui interest
Union Pacific Railroad Company vs.. Uni-
ted States.
W.SurNlruN Jauuary 2--Ihc case