Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-06-14
The Whisky Bill Investigation.

The Whisky Bill Investigation.
TESTIMONY BEFORE THE WINDOW ooMMrrrEE
To-DAf-wHAT Mr. RUDD AND Mr. BUELL. DON'T
KNOw-THB LATTER's OPINIONS.
The Senate committee Investigating the So
called whisky ring met again to-day. The first
witness examined was Mr.. John A. NJ Rudd, a
reporter OF the Critic. Gen. Hawley read a clip
ping from the Critic, purporting to give the views
OF statesman" as TO the corrupt passage OF the
bond extension bill, and asked the witness II IL
was his article The witness, at first, said he
would refer the committee to the managing editor
for reply, but subsequently testified that he did
not write the article nor did he know anything
ABOUT Its origin or authorship.
Mr.. Buell. not having arrived. the committee
asked That the room be cleared, the chairman say
I Ing eney desired TO hold conference. While the
secret session was in progress Mr.. Buell. arrived.
Inc doors were opened, and
MR.. BUELL'S EXAMINATION
was resumed. He asked permission to read written
statement, which he had prepared with reference
10 MS testimony OF last week. This being accorded
ne read his statement, in which he complained OF
having been unsupported and misrepresented in
his recent testimony. He compared one or
Two Two extracts of the official report with
ooh1 from Cne press report, and
In the latter part OF his written statement ex-
pressed the opinion that Messrs. Nelson and Nord-
"oN THE MAKE"
He said those gentlemen had made use of his re-
fent testimony as a certificate OF good character
or them, and he put his opinion OF them on record
70 cancel that "forged certificater
Inc chalr said to witness that he had made some
very serious 1mputationS against Nelson and Nord-
hoh and asked him IL he had
ANYTHING TO SUPPORT HIS CHARGES
Ihe witness replied that he had said several
times that he had no knowledge on which
TO base sworn statement that those gen.
gentlemen (Nelson and Nordhofr had been cor
ruptly Influenced by the whisky ring: he had
given only his opinion OF them, and that opinion
was based upon suspicious, inferences and cur
rent gossip.
Messrs. Hawley, Harrison and WINDOW, but his
replies were SIMPLY repetitions to the effect that
he had
NO KNOWLEDGE WHATEVER
OF anything improper on the part Of the gentlemen
ne had assailed. He had never heard anybody say
they had bought those gentlemen or their opin-
Ions. He claimed to have heard the opinion often
expressed that the two men be named were "on
the MAKE" but was not willing to give the names
OF any persons who had expressed such an opin-
Ion for publication.
Gen. Hawley said he had never heard anybody
express Such an opinion. and he thought the wit
ness ought to name some who had; but pressing
the point accomplished nothing, as the witness
Mr.. Harrison wanted to know II the witness held
that the regulations OF Nelson and Nordhoff as
Journalists were bad, but the witness would not
go ON record as making any such assertion, saying
ne preferred to stick to his text which was that In
MS opinion they were ION the make"
NATTER OF OPINION, BUT NOT OF PROOF.
considerable time was consumed upon this fea-
ture OF the inquiry, but the sum and substance Of
1t all was that the witness had an unfavorable
opinion OF the two men he had named; but he had
al hat hp l.rip
against them. Witness admitted that he sshad no
use" for Nelson and Nordhoff
PERHAPS
The chairman called the attention OF the witness
to the fact that In his testimony he had said
that some Representatives in Congress- perhaps,
and one Senator. perhaps, had been Improperly
Influenced by the So-called whisky ring: that Wit
ness claimed to have derived this impression from
conversations with certain persons, and had prom
lsed TO consult those persons to their willing
ness TO appear before the committee.
Witness replied that he had been unable to see
one or these gentlemen, who Is absent from the
city, and he Will not be here until next week, and
witness asked that his examination, therefore be
postponed until that gentleman returns. AS to
the others he had talked with two, but he found
that their recOliectOnS of the conversations were
not such as to be OF any value to the committee
One OF these gentlemen had, since the last
meeting or the committee informed witness that
what he had communicated to witness was simply
his suspicious, nothing more There was one
other with whom witness had talked He too
had only communicated to witness his suspicious
Neither or those gentlemen possessed any knowl-
edge or Information OF any improper means being
used In connection with the passage OF the whisky
bill. Both those gentlemen had protested against
witness giving their names in his testimony or
mixing them up in the matter Witness preferred
not to give his recollection OF his conversation with
the gentleman who is absent until he could again
confer with him.
Witness knew OF no Congressman or journalist
who had bought options in whisky or speculated
in 1t.
GEN. HAwLEY REMARKED
that II the witness knew OF anybody who had
claimed to have knowledge OF any improper
means being used In connection with the bill, he
should give the names OF those persons to the COM
mttee, and let them be subp9naed as witnesses
He preferred to have the testimony OF the parties
with whom the witness had talked, II these parties
had asserted any knowledge OF improper means
being employed in connection with the whisky
bill
Mr.. Hawley thought that as the witness had not
the gentlemen he had assailed-that as he had
only expressed his Opinion-all his statements in
reference to these gentlemen ought to be stricken
assent
GENERAL INVITATION.
Mr.. Hawley said further, that II anybody, Jour-
nalist or not, knew OF anything wrong in cOnnec-
ton with the whisky bill, he hoped they would
come forward with their evidence or forever after
hold their peace.
Mr.. Buell. said he would submit the name of q
witness and the committee adjourned until Friday.
Sporting Notes.
The spring meeting OF the Coney Island Jockey
club began yesterday. The first race, flve fur
longs, was won by Bonnie Lizzie. Time-l :O2lz.
The second, IL miles, by Itaska- Time-2:1ik.
The third, l. y miles, by Parole. Time-2:36X. The
fourth, mile, by Runnymede. Time-1 :43Z. The
fifth, mile, by Volusa. Tme-1 :43k. The sixth,
steeplechase, short course, by Day Star. Time
5:O9H
The winners at the ST. Louis races yesterday
were Lost Cause, Violator, Boottack, Perplex,
Pride and Owen Roe.
At Beacon Park yesterday the first race was won
by the Philadelphia horse Douglas Second race.
Tariff won easily in three straight heats.
Base Ball yeSterday-At BalttmOre-Pea bodyS,
12; Nationals, s. At New Haven-Providence, II !;
Yale, 3 At Cincinnati-Cincinnati, a; Athletic, g.
At New YOrk-DetrOits, 6; Metropolitans 3. At
Schnectady. N.Y.-Troy, 8; Union College, 2 AT
LOuisville-Eclipse, 2; Allegheny, ]. Only four
innings were played on account OF rain. At St
LOuiS-St Louis, IL; Baltimore, D.
In the race OF the Atlantic Club yachts in New
York bay yesterday, the Atalanta made the sail
ing in hours, 46 minutes, IS seconds; the Clytie
in hours, So minutes, 20 seconds, and the CRU
sader in hours 46 minutes, 40 seconds.
The Cumberland Mine Strikers.
THREE MONTHS OF IDLyNKss-CoMPANIEs PREPAR-
ING TO INTRODUCE MORE NEW LABOR
1t fS three months TODAY since the coal miners