Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-02-20

and, for his part, he should certainly oppose any
attempt to take the Investigation out OF the hands
| of the committee. Mr. Coleman insisted upon this
manner OF conducting the investigation, saying 1t
Would 1acilltate matters, and the committee and
| Gen. BOyntOn would have ample opportunity to ask
all the questions they wanted to. After some fur
tner discussion the committee decided to allow Mr..
Toeman len 10 conduct the examination In Chief and
IL was SO conducted, the witness being under oath.
MR. KEIFERS TESTIMONY.
In answer to the question OF Mr.. coleman, as to
| whether Gen. Boynton had ever spoken to him con-
cerning the passage Of bills in the House, Mr.
kelfer said that to the general question he would
say tf mat possibly Cen Boynton had spoken to him
| about some bills during the Forty seventh Con-
greS. In answer to further questions by his cOun-
se ne said that on the 9Th day OF February, Boyn-
ton sent hlm q note, asking him to recognize Mr..
Dunnell for motion to suspend the rules to con-
slider the McGaTahan claim. He produced the
ietter, which Is Is the same which has already been
| published In TIE STAR, and which simply says that
MT. McGarrahan had asked Gen. Boynton to make
| the request
Continuing, Mr.. Refer said that he had taken no
notlce OF the noe but that after that he could not
say exactly what day but very short time before
the adjournment OF the Forty seventy Congress,
GEN. BoYNTON HAD CALLED UPON HIM
and made the corrupt proposition which he had
| mentioned on the floor OF the House recently In
describing the interview he said that Gen. Boyn-
ton came to his room, and In very low tone OF
voice. leaning closely his Mr s) desk, asked
| him about the McGarrahan claim. MIR. E. G. White,
the Speakers clerk, was in the room. Gen. Boyn-
ton locking at White, who sat In the further end
the room, and lowering his voice almost to whis-
per, said that he would
| LIKE TO SPEAK TO WITNESS PRIVATELY
| about the McGarrahan claim. He (Mr. Ky then
signified to Mr. White that he might leave the room
which he did. Gen. Boynton then said ssWhat do YOU
| think think OF your" and he replied that he did
| not know, but hoped We'll Gen. BOyntOn then
replied that he thought him fool. Then, In
| answer TO some expression OF surprise on his
lWltnessD part. Gen Boynton replied that MIR
kel1er had been Speaker OF the House. his term
making money as Blaine and Colfax had. He then
said that there was still money to be made; that
there was lnllllohs In the McGarrahan claim, and
millions TO divide. and there was enough to make
them all rich, and went on to explain why and
now. He (the witness) then jumped up from his
| 'General, you surprise Inc. 1t surprises me thai
you should approach me with any such corrupt
propost1on" and Gen. Boynton then left the room
quickly.
UNJUST TO GEN. BoYNToN.
Mr. Coleman then asked the witness II he took
the Comneicidt Gazette, and If Gen. Boynton, In
his articles In 1T, had not always been friendly to
him prior to this interview, but afterwards abused
him.
| MIR. Adams interrupted the witness before he
| could make reply and said that such a question
was was OUT OF order and unjust to Gen. BOyntOn, as
tneIe was nothing before the committee to show
that Gen. BOyntOn had, at any time attacked Mr.
keifer in the papers .
The chair oyerruled the question, and Mt Cole
man man explained that he wanted to prove that Gen.
| Boyntons feeling toward Mr. keifer changed after
| the date OF that alleged interview.
An attempt on the part OF Mr.. Coleman to bring
in testimony to prove that Mr. Keller had told some
one OF the Interview the next day was Overrued az,
not admlslole In prejudice OF the caSe Gen. Boyn-
| by MI. Keifer.
| MR.. KEIFER QUESTIONED BY MEMBERS OF THE CON-
MITTEE.
Mr.. Keifer was then questioned by the members
OF the committee
Mr. Hopkins said: @What seems strange to me-
and what want you to explain is. why you, after
Gen. Boynton told you there were millions to be
divided In the McGarrahan claim, as you say he did
why you allowed him to go further and explain be,
fore you resented the inSut?"s
To this Mr.. Keifer replied: 81 was not hasty T
! did not want to be hasty with man who had been
friend m NJ, for years l waited to be certain"
on the floor Of the House substantially correct
but evaded any slight contradictions betweeni and
his testimony before the committee upOn the
grounds That the first was said In debate.
CROSS QUESTIONED BY GEN. BoYNToN
In reply to cross questions by Gen. Boynton wit.
ness said that when he received the note from Mr.
Boynton concerning the McGarrahan claim he did
not look upon 1t as an attempt to influence him 1t
was like many others. He submitted the letter as
corroboratory evidence OF the alleged interview;
the charge was based upon the interview.
question Of Gen. Boynton's TO whether the
case would not fall through II the alleged interview
was disproved was Overruled by the chair
Mr.. Keifer sa1d that he could not remember the
exact day when Gen. Boynton called, nor whether
During the crOSS-eXaminatiOn by Mr.. Roynton
Mr.. Keifer was questioned upon the statement he
made on the floor of the House. He said that that
only gave the general results of his conversation
with BOyntOn and did not enter into details He
said he listened to Gen. BOynton, notwithstanding
Boyton reached the antithesis of his statement
Then he said he started up and
GEN. BoYNT0N REITERATED FROM THE ROOM
81 made no physical demonstration towards
him" said Mr. Kelfer, replying to question by Mr..
| Hopkins, "but did intend in my mind-intended
to put him out. He retreated and went out OF the
door," AS Speaker, the witness said he had conf
troll OF the press gallery, and signed Gen Boyntons
| ticket; he did not remember that the rules
interested or engaged in promoting legislation be-
fore the House; he thought that he issued tickets
| press.
| Gen. Boynton stated that the applications for
| admission to the press gallery were made to the
Speaker and that the committee OF the press simply
! Mr. keifer said he thought he had approved the
rules regulating the press gallery which were In
| force when he assumed Office as Speaker
GEN. BoYNToNs POINT
1.-THE point I am trying to get at" said Gen.
| Boynton, after considerable time had been spent
talking about the rules, ''is that after had made
this astounding attempt to corrupt you, you took
step to have excluded from the press galery?D
| .'No, sir; did not" said Gen Keifer.
"In that connection" said Mr.. Hopkins 81 NAV
ask If you took any steps to bring this matter to
| the attention of the HouSe?"
"NO sir, did nOt,' said Mr.. Keifer. ssIt was at
| the close OF the session. and I was busy with a
| thousand things that were crowding on"
The witness said that he never owned dollar OF
the Valentine scrip, nor had the railroad In Kansas
and Missouri, in which witness was interested The
witness was asked whether bill received from the
House by the Senate had to have three readings
In the Senate on three separate days II slngle Oh
lection to 1t was made.
Mr.. Keifer stated that he was not conversant
With the Senate rules, and Gen Boynton was
granted permission to submit the Senate rules tn
evidence at the proper time
Gen. BoyntOn asked II there was q remotest DOS
sibilty OF this bill passing the House and Senate
| after the time OF the interview described by the
witness, even IT, as Speaker, the witness had at tonce
taken the chair and put this bill passage in the
House, subject, as 1t was, to single objection In
the Senate.
Gen. Keifer said that bill could be passed and he
Dolieved bliS were passed, after that time What
would have been the fate OF this particular bill he
| could not say.
ANOTHER POINT By GEN. BoYNTON.
Gen Boynton asked II it did not seem strange to
the witness that he lGen. Boynton) should be WILL
ing at that time to commit felony on the infni-
tessimal chance OF pushing that bin, which was to
make him rich, through at that timer
81 can Say, said Mr.. Keifer, "that the whole mat
ter astoOnded me greatly that you should make
such proposition As TO what the extent OF your
hopes were OF making millions Of dollars I only