St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-03-06
KEIFER--B
Keifer's Memory Very Treacherous,
and Does Not Stand Him in Good
Stead.
He and Elder Try to Geta Witness to Swear
for Keifer Who Never Saw Either Of
the Parties Before.

WASHINGTON, March 5.-The Keifer-Boyn
ton committee continued investigation this
afternoon. Coleman, Keifer's attorney, and
General Hunton, both at one time attorneys
for McGanahan, in the prosecution of his
claims, were examined, and testified that
they, while in charge of the case, had not
heard of General Boynton as being con-
nected with the claim.
Keifer was then placed upon the stand and
subjected to rigid cross examination by
General Boynton's counsel. He swore pos
itively he was not in General Boynton's
Office on the night of March LIST, 1888, nor
on the night of March I'd, and did not think
he had been in his Office or held any conver-
sation with General Boynton on the 9th or
28th of Feb. He had not spoken to Boynton
after the interview in his (Keifer's) Office, in
which the improper proposition had been
made to him by Boynton. He was .ques-
toned as to his acquaintance with tbs wit
ness, Elder. He said he had met him in
1881, and had seen him since then occasion
ally, but had not spoken half dozen words
to him until this investigation, begun. He
was asked if he had ever recommended Elder
for public employment, and said, a gentleman
had come to him and told him Elder was
sick, and desired letter to the attorney gen
eral so that he could see him, and he had
written a letter but had not him
for employment. He had next seen him after
the investigation began. He had sent for
him Elder) to come to his (Keifer's) room.
He did not think he had sent him to see any
one else. He did not think he had stated in
his letter written for Elder, to the attorney
general that he knew him personally and
well, and that he was entitled to the fullest
confidence Had never heard of his connec-
ton with the Kellogg -Spofford case, and had
never heard any criminal accusations against
him. When asked as to his conversation
with Representative Dunnell relative to the
McGarrahan claim, he said he had at first
made what was very common
answer with him with respect to such mat
ters that he would do the very best he could,
but on a second requestfrom Dunnell he had
told him it was impossible to grant his re-
quest He thought this was after his inter
view with Gen. Boynton.
A witness, named Gardner, of Baltimore,
who described himself as claim agent, was
called. He stated that he had been sub
penaed for Keifer. He did not know any
thing about the interview between Keifer and
Boynton, and did not know that Boynton
was connected with the McGarrahan bill, or
any other bill. The witness, Elder, had come
to see him before he was subpenaed, and said,
that General Keifer desired to see him. Wit
ness said, that he did not know either Boyn-
ton or Keifer, and refused to go to see Keifer.
General Boynton was recalled, and related
the story of the press gallery trouble, and
stated that the trouble between General
Keifer and himself, dated from that time.
He reiterated the statement, that General
Keifer was in his Office on the night of
March Land detailed the conversation which
took place on that occasion. Adjourned.