St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-03-02
DETERIORATION.
Elder, Witness for Keifer Shown to be &
Disreputable Character.
The Evidence of Gen. Boynton and Others
Proves that Keifer Told
Whopper.


ton committee resumed its session to day.
Gen. Boynton introduced to the committee
W. Ramsey, attorney for the Cincinnati
Commercial Gazette, who, he said, would with
permission of the committee act as his coun-
sci during the remainder of the investiga-
ton. He said the Commercial Gazette
desired that he be represented by their attor-
ney, and owing to his deafness it might be
a relief to the committee that he should be
represented by counsel.
j. w. Elder was the first witness. He tes-
titled that about the 1st of March, 1888, he,
in company with Charles Garfield, met Boyn-
ton in the hall at the capitol, and spoke to
him concerning small bill, saying that he,
witness, would like to get the speaker to
recognize some one on the bill. Gen. Boyn-
ton told him he had bill himself, the Me
Garrahan bill, which he could not secure
recognition for, and he could not expect to
secure recognition for a smaller bill, and
added, the speaker would leave the chair
without friends or money. The witness on
being asked, what, if anything, Gen. Boyn-
ton had said about seeing Speaker Keifer
about the McGarrahan bill, said, he did not
remember that he had said anything.
Upon cross examination by Ramsey, wit
ness said he, had not attemptelto secure
Gen. Boynton's intervention in behalf of his
bill
Ramsey then asked witness if he was wit
ness in certain divorce case in the courts
of the district
Coleman objected, and Ramsey stated, that
he desired to show the character of the wit
ness to be such that his testimony could not
be credited. He said he wanted to show by
an affidavit of the witness himself, that he
was a frequenter of disreputable houses.
Coleman opposed the admission of the
statement in the records, and his protest was
allowed to be recorded.
The witness said he had been employed on
certain occasions to secure testimony for
persons before investigating committees, etc.
He said he had gone to Ohio to see Charles
Garfield, and spoken to him about coming to
this city to testify in behalf of Keifer. His
expenses on this occasion had been paid by
Coleman as Keifers counsel. He had re-
ceived no further consideration for his SER
vices. His principal interest in seeing Gar
field was to consult him with relation TO
private matter, and the Keifer matter was
secondary.
Ramsey desired to submit in evidence a
portion of the Kellogg Spotford case, in which
Elder had acknowledged he wrote false state
ments, but it was ruled out
Witness said he had no reason to believe
that Boynton was aiding in the passage of
bills. Boynton had said nothing to convey
the impression that he had made corrupt
proposition to the speaker.
w. B. Green, clerk of the subcommittee
of the house committee on accounts, testified
as to the conversation in which the latter stated
he had spoken to Keifer about the McGarra-
hon ba har nln hai In
case.
THE DEFENSE.
Mr.. Dunnell, member of the FOrty-sev-
enth congress, was the first witness for the
defense. He said that McGarrahan during
the last few days of the session, askedxhim
to make a motion to take up his bill. sThis
he finally agreed to do, and Keifer promised
to recognize him for. that purpose. Keifer,
however, did not recognize him, and after
wards explained that he thought it useless to
call the bill up, as it could scarcely pass at
that late date. Witness had never spoken to
General Boynton, in fact, was unacquainted
with him.
General Boynton was placed upon the
stand. He said he had been correspond
ent for about eighteen years, and had no
period. He said his first knowledge of the
McGarrahan claim was derived from his
reading the report upon the claim, and he
had, at that time written letter to his paper
supporting the claim. This was long time
before he met McGarrahan. McGarrahan
came to him during the last session of con-
gress and said: II wish since you are
friend of the speakers you would ask him to
recognize some one to introduce my bill. :"
He, witness, said, if Keifer came into his
Office he would repeat to him his request
The speaker was in the habit of
coming to his Office frequently, but
after McGarrahan's request witness did not
see him for two or three days, SO he wrote
the note previously spoken of in the testi-
mony, and sent it into the speaker at the
house. In relation to his visit to Keifer he
said he went to the speakers room to speak
to him about matter which had been pend
ing between him (witness) and Keifer since
the December previous. He then referred to
his note relating to the McGarrahan claim,
saying he had taken the liberty to write him
on the subject, but that he had no interest in
the matter, except he had promised McGarra-
han to do so. Keifer replied, .'Oh, that is
all right, l have already promised torecog
nize some one in that matter. Witness said
that the matter he called on Keifer to speak
about related to the appointment
of another in the place of Mr. Reid, as gov
eminent agent, in Walla Walla. His further
conversation related entirely to this matter,
and the McGarrahan claim was not again re-
ferred to. When ne left, he took his departure
in the usual way. He did not leave the room
on dead run. Q4aughter.)
He said he had always been on good terms
with General Keifer, until the trouble arose
concerning the opening of the press gallery.
He said the McGarrahan claim had no con-
nection with the rupture between himself and
Keifer General Boynton testified further,
that on the night of the day on which General
Keifer says he approached him corruptly,
General Keifer was in his, (Boynton's) office,
and had a long and friendly talk concerning
the tariff bill. He would call five other wit
nesses to corroborate this statement.
The witness continued: In my office that
night, General Keifer called my attention to
the fact that he might be obliged so to rule,
if certain points were made, as to defeat the
tariff bill That is the thing that fixes myat-
tention more particularly in reference to the
occasion. The witness testified that he never
had a conversation with Elder in the corridor
of the capitol, never knew that Elder had
bill of any kind, and never said word to
him about the McGarrahan bill.
Question by Ramsey. ''Did you ever say
anything to Chas. Garfield about the McGar-
rahan claim!''
Boynton. !'No, sir. I could make a
statement in reference to the various details
that are given in that testimony of Gen.
Keifer's in regard to the secret interview.
For instance, he says, | brought the McGar-
rahan bill to him. l never had McGarrahan
bill in my possession, or in my hands, until
after this controversy arose, and it had be-
come public in the papers, and l have never
read it. never took that bill to him at any
time, either that bill or any other, so far as
l know