Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-03-13
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
THE LETTERS GhON-HOLED
FOR THREE MONTHS.

Extra Caro- Taken to Guard Against a
Possible Mistake-Inventor Rogers
Puts Himself In a bad Light by Ao.
knowledglng hts Animps-MsH Who
We're Presented with stook.
WAsHNGToN, March I2.-The special
committee of the House charged with in.
vestigatlng the Pan electric matter met
to-day. Mr.. Boyle, Pennsylvania, is
chairman. Joseph Pulitzer, OF the New
York Word and member Of the House.
was first examined, Mr.. Millard, of the
| committee, drst stating that Mr.. Pulitzer
was examined at his own request, and
had not been subpGnaed by the commit
tee. MIR. Pulitzer said his name had been
connected with publications touching
certain telephone stocks. He assumed
responsibility for the publication OF those
facts. II, and alone, solely am respon.
sible, and no one else is,o said Mr..
| Iulitzer. IN o human being has tried %
influence me in any manner whatever.
DO not know human being 10 day so far
as am aware who is a stOckholder or in.
teTested in the Bell Telephone Company.
had no motive other than that arising
from feeling that publications OF these
facts were in the nature Of news and in
bAAC AoAdiN Vi lNuAAt utfNttts'
NOT HASTILY PUBLISHED.
The publication instead Of being eithe.
hastily and carelesslY ventured upon had
been very carefully considered. lie had
the manuscript for three months in his
pigeon holes before he published it. his
correspondent at Washington, who had
furnished the manuscript, had been in
structed frequently during that time 10
ascertain whether the matters therein
stated we're true or not. Only after he
had ascertaiued from the correspond
effort to verify the correctness
of the statements. only after repeatedly
emphasizing that desire on bis part to
make sure shat everything was correct,
and only when the hope he entertained
that certain gentlemen-mOre particular
ly one gentleman-Inight rid himself OF
possession Of the stock which, while not
involving any venality at all. did seem "a
him an act of improDriety or of public i'm
discretion, only when that hope enter
tained for three months had been disap-
pointed and he had felt assured that the
matters were correct. only then had he
published those records, as they might ba
termed.
WHENCE THE LETTERS CAME.
In his further testimony Mr.. Pulitzer
said his Washington correspondent, Il. e..
tfaWiOrd had obtained the letters which
the World had published from the Messrs.
Rogers, father and son, to whom nothing
! had beel paid for them. Mr.. Roeers had
~ sneIa - tae worlds correspondent.
Casey Young was next called, but he
insisted that Mr.. Rogers should first be
examined.
j. IL. Rogers, the inventor, took the
stand. He said the original transfer OF
his patents, about twenty In number. had
been made TO Msssrs. Garland, Harris.
Gen. johnson, J. ID. @. Atkins and Casey
Young in March, 1888. MIR. Harris waa
not then member Of the Senate. Mr..
Garland was. Gov. Brown, OF Missouri.
came in afterwards.
NOT PAID FOR.
None Of the gentlemen named had paid
anything for their shares. The stock had
been sold to 0tber parties, whom Mr.. ROg-
ers named, FOR cash. Among them was
Senator Vest. The company expected to
derive an income from the sale OF State
rights, royalties, and proportion Of local
stock. The National Improved Telephone
Company had caused to be published at
tacks upon Mr.. Rogers, and the latter had
asked his associates 20 come out in card
defending him. This they had declined
90 do, and, deeming himself aggrieYed,
Mr.. Rogers had taken 10 the World corTe-
spondent an album in which he had pre-
served all the correspondence. that il
might be published, and constitute his
vIDdicatiOD. Mr.. Garland's opinion, OF
which much mas been said, was given TO
man named Myers, who was negotia-
ting for the Indiana right. The witness
said the stock had no market value, and
only a sDeculatiVa yalua