The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-06-09
HONDED srInIrs.
Tho Examination OF Witnesses by ,the
'n.n. Window COMyalttec. n tw4tT

| Nv WAsiliNGIoN, juno S.-Ihe Wtnu0ll
Committee today examined Hawthorne
llill, OF tho Louisville Commmucial, A. @
Buell., Of tho Washington Critic, md Cllas
Nordhoif, Of the New York Herald. I'LL
the first witness, related incidents OF hisin
tcrview with Atherton; that he called upon
him Mt his (Atherton's) residence late in tht
evening and stated that charges having
been made In connection with tho Bonded
Spirits bill, hc (llill) hud called upon him
to learn what tho Kentucky whisky men
had to say on the subject. Witness then
stated III substance the conversation which
ensucd. declared that the interview pub.
lished in the Commercial OF April 2s was
substantially correct recital Of that con.
versation; that tho only errors were OF vcr'
blase, not OF fact that the statements were
correct, though the language was not yer.
batim. Asherson, who was present, asked
permission to question tho witness, and
was allowed 10 do SO, but failed to secure
in tho direct statement. lf, 4#gst2
Mr.. Buell. WIS examined at some length,
MS TO what information he Ind upon which
10 base the charges whicl, had from time
TO time appeared in his paper. Witness
said his Information was entirely general
and cumulative, and derived from II great
number Of conversations with different
people; from current gossip, from news
paper articles and from the manner in
which tho specific matter OF legislation has
been accomplished. He had been inclined
to regard the bonded spirits bill from
tho start as job, and therefore was not
inclined to give it the benefit Of my doubt.
lie Ind no specific information apart from
that in the possession OF other people. The
general run and tenor OF public discus.
sion Of the matter were the only means
Tor information which he possessed. lie
was asked why he had in various
articles in the Critic mentioned the
names Of General Boyn1on, Mr..
Nordhofr, Major Carson and others, as in.
llucntial Journalists, who were under sus.
picion Of being corruptly influenced. Wit.
mes did not remember having ever men.
toned the name OF Gen. Doynton. He had
treated the charge that influential journal,
lists had bcan bribed as n farce. lie had
spoken Of it in his paper asa Joke; ut least
that was his intention. He might be a
poor joker, but that WIS the best he could do.
Witness was asked: "Can YOU give us any
information going to show that any mem
Der OF Congress or Senator, or any journal.
ist, ever received or was offered any consid.
eration whatever in connection with this
bill?'
Answer-So, sir. l have no information
whatever-only suspicion, much OF it based
upon the fact that never before knew a
bill involving sixty millions OF dollars be.
tween individuals and the Government, to
be passed through the House under s,ls.
pension Of the rules. thought that was n
pretty plain indication that the beneAciar.
les OF the bill did not court inquiry or dis.
cussiou. w. EiIT ~
| The witness did not desire to have it
supposed for moment that lie had allud.
ed to any newspaper nun in any spirit OF
malice, but only i'll spirit OF Joking Mr..
lluwley asked il the witness knew any
Senator or member OF Congress who had
received or lntd been promised auy con.
siderafion. Witness did not know Of his
own knowledge. He had convcrscd with
u good nlany members OF Congress, but
without comforting with them he would
not care 10 give their names or the sub.
stance OF the conversations held with them
covering period Of several months, The
impression produced upon his mind va:
TINT witt, the exception Of one or two Rep
resentatives, aud possibly one Senator, the
members Of each House took no other in
terest in the measure than they naturally
would in any pending legislation.