The Evening critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1881-1885, 1882-08-07

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THE TESTIMONY recently given by Mr..
A. c. Buell. has been the subject Of much
comment on the part of the newspapers and
their immaculate correspondents here. The
freedom of these views is great and their
variety astonishing. In fact, we do not
recollect ever seeing moro difference of
opinion about u matter concerning which
there appears so little room for honest diff
ference. Let us see. Mr.. Buell. testified, In
substance, rs shown by tho official record:
/. That he had never received any money
from General Brady for services rendered.
Q. That he did receive retainer or fee
from Mr.. Walsh for services which he sub
sequently rendered to the best Of his ability.
g. That he had never dealt in Nashville
& Chattanooga stock with General Brady
and had never told anybody that he had.
4. That he had probably said to some
persons that he had made some money in
stocks, speaking generally but that he did
not particularize either as to the title Of the
stock he dealt in or the name of the per-
son or persons with whom he dealt
8. That he had held since March, 1880,
and still held, to General Brady the rela-
tion of debtor having borrowed money
from the General upon his notes, with col
lateral security.
@. That he had used the money Dor.
rowed from General Brady in his business,
which was that Of conducting newspapers
z. That he had never promised, in con-
sideration of these loans, to make his news
papers useful to General Brady.
These were the main points. They en-
brace some facts which had previously been
published in THE CRITIC, so that there
could not have been any evasion or con-
cealment about that. And the testimony
as whole was simple recital of facts,
without color or distortion, and, but for
Mr.. Merrick's histrionics, the recital might
have been made in two pages of the printed
testimony, instead of spreading over thirty
or forty, as it does.
Mr.. Buell. did not assail anybody in his
testimony nor did he contradict anybody,
except SO far as his statement that he had
never received o thousand dollars from
General Brady for services may have
tended to contradict Walshs statement
that he had paid him that sum upon
Brady's order. Mr.. Buell. certainly did
receive thousand dollars from Walsh, and
said so. He did not receive it from General
Brady he had no order for such sum,
verbal or written, from General Brady upon
Walsh General Brady did not owe him any
such sum or any other sum he had no
reason to expect that or any other sum from
General Brady and finally that he was not
acquainted with Brady and had never had
any communication with him, either oral
or written, at the time he received the thou
sand dollars from Walsh.
These are all facts and very plain ones.
Now we will venture to assert that Mr..
Walsh himself, if put under oath again,
will not testify that Mr.. Buell. had any bar.
gain with General Brady involving pay
ment of thousand dollars, or that General
Brady owed him thousand dollars, or that
he had any reason to expect thousand dol
lars from General Brady, or that he
(BuelD had any order from General
Brady upon him Walsh for thousand
dollars, or that he (Walsh) ever said to him
(BuelD at the time of the transaction that
he was paying him the thousand dollars on
Brady's account or by Brady's order or as
Brady's agent. And we say this in full
view Of the fact that Mr.. Walsh has been
charged in some quarters with considerable
freedom in testifying on these subjects
But plain as this testimony was, we have
learned up to date, from reading the reports
and comments Of over o hundred news
papers, that there is diversity of opinion.
One paper says that "Buelps answers were
evasive and contradictory !" another that
he concealed the truth !" another says
that "he made most damaging admis-
sions; y another AYERS that he "cowered
before Mr.. Merrick !" another de-
clares that he "assumed an attitude
Of defiance toward the court !" another as
generates that "his manner was sullen and
stubborn p another says that "his demeanoi
on the witness stand was exuberant and
gushing; !" another that he constantly hes
itated as If striving to recollect his pre-
pared answer" another that he ''shot Of
his mouth without moments reflection
whenever he got chance !" another that
"he frequently cast appealing glances to
ward IDgersoll and Totten, as If beseechins
them to come to the rescue with an objec
tion;" another that " the counsel for the de
fense wers furious because he (Buell) pal,
no attention to their objections, but rattle
away as if he enjoyed it," anothe
discovered that Buell. persistently ignore
the rulings of the Judge" )" another says tba
the counsel for the defense tonight ar
cursing Buell. roundly for allowing tn
Court to 'bulldoze him. as they pu
it; another maintains that. til
witness was constantly lodging Nj
Merrick's inquiries and giving answer
that were not called for and not admitted
another assures its readers that "Mr. Me-
rick seemed to have complete master
over the witness, and by consummate AZ
dress worried out of him the best testimon
yet given for the prosecution p anoth,
observed that the most remarkable thir
about the whole affair was the glib goc
nature with which the witness stood U
under Mr. Merrick's iaking fire of eros
examination and the innocent chee
fulness with which he committed har
kari - while another discerned In Il
manner of the witness "ever-recurring sigi
of half.suppressed rage and vexaton, whlc
the bystanders momentarily expected
break out in a scene between him and h
Court or the lawyer who was tormentii