St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-03-13
PAN-ELECTRIC LIGHT.
The House Smelling Committee Begins Its
Investigation Of the Famous Tele7
phone Affair.
Editor Pulitzer Says He Held His sensa-
tiOnal Reports Three Months Be-
fore Publication.
He Regards Garland's Action as Not
Venal or Corrupt, but of Ques-
uonable Taste.
Rogers, the Inventor, Gave Letters to
the Press to Vindicate Himself
and Father.
Racy Pan-EIecrric Testimony.

RacY Pan-ElecIric Testimony.
! WASHINGTON, March lathe house
telephone committee began its investiga-
lions to-day. Mr.. Joseph Pulitzer of the
New York World took the stand. He
| said:
My name has been connected with the pub |
| locations touching certain telephone stocks. |
j assumed the responsibility for those facts. |
/ /, and alone, solely am responsible and no
| one else. No human being has tried 10 inhu-
| ence me in any manner whatever. L do not
know a human being to-day, so far as L am
aware, who is q stakeholder or interested In
the Bell Telephone company. have no mo-
tive other than that arising from the feeling
that the publication of these facts were in
the nature of news. and in the nature or
| public service. All my books and papers,
private and otherwise, arc at the disposal or
| the committee. The publication, instead or
being hastily and carelessly ventured upon,
was very carefully considered. had the
manuscript for three months in my pigeon
holes before publishing It. My correspond
ent at Washington, who furnished the maLu-
script, was instructed frequently during that
time to ascertain whether the matters therein
stated were true or not. Only after had as
oertalned from the correspondent that he had
made every effort to verify the correctness or
the statement; only after repeatedly empha-
sizing that desire on his part to make sure
that everything was correct, and only when
the hope entertained that certain gentlemen
more
PARTICULARLY ONE GENTLEMAN
might rid himself of the possession of the
stock, which, while not involving any venal-
ity at all. did seem to me an act Of impropri-
ETY. or of public indiscretion; only when that
hope, entertained three months, had been dis
appointed and felt assured that the matters
were correct, only then did publish these
reports, as they might be termed.
He pynrpSSpd a willingness TO answer
upon cross-examination. Mr.. Pulitzer said
he did not know a stakeholder i'll the Bell
or any of the rival companies to the Pan
Electric He desired even more than the
committee to ascertain whether any papers
had been improperly influenced. Mr..
Ranney asked if Mr.. Pulitzer knew any
. Of1icialwho held any of the Pan-Electric
stock. Mr.. Pulitzer replied that he did.
Mr.. Ranney-Any one connected with
either house of congress?
I MIR. Pulitzer-I know Senator Vest, who
himself stated that he held some of the stock,
not donated but bought. have been barely
introduced TO Senator Harris, and know Mr..
Garland and personally liked him very much.
: Outside of these gentlemen named in the pub
3 locations, / do not know any persons in con-
4 gress who had any interest in the Pan-Elec-
: trio company, and do not think there are
q any. The committee know everything know
about that.
I LEADING QUESTION.
o Mr.. Ranney-You do not own any Bell Tel
d ephone stock?
d Mr.. Pulitzer-I do not own single share
n of telephone stock or any speculative stock
of any kind. l have made it my rule and
= principle to eschew any speculation whatever.
: l not only do not own any Bell stock, but dc
I not know anybody holding any interest In
: the company. l never thought or said that
d there was any evidence of any venaltty Oh
il corruption. l never regarded it in that light,
g but only as matter of of olal improperly Oh
indiscretion-of questionable taste. In the
publication of the letters | printed every
thing that l felt justified in printing from q
public standpoint. Everything else tried &c
: exclude.
e A motion was made to put Mr.. Casey
D Young upon the stand, but he protested
e against the proposition, as it would require
g him to refute charges before he knew what
n he was charged with. The committee
It finally decided to hear j. II. Rogers, the
d inventor. and he took the stand. He said
q He had invented number of electrical de-
L. vices which had been transferred to the Pan
IN Electric company. He gave history OF the
- organization of the company, with Gen. 10
y seph f. Johnston, Gen. Atkins and Senators
~ Harris and Garland as iueorporators, VIII
Is were
N NOT TO PAY ANY MONEY
at for their interest; Gov. Brown of Missouri
70 came into the company on the same terms
he Some other parties embarked in the enter
n prise. but ma d for their stock. The cOmpan!
az sold state rights usually for from S56OO Il
$4,000, royalty on the instruments an'
certain proportion or the local stock. IN
aggregate of the dividends paid out by TIN
company was between $4,000 and $4,000
Witness believed that the stock he had beef
selling was of value, depending in part oil
70 the correctness of Garands opinion as
:, lawyer. He had depended not only on Gar
10 lands opinion but on the fact that the Pan
G. Electric instrument was superior to III Bel
I'd instrument, and on the possibility or selling
pe it to the Bell company. The suit brought b.
- the government last summer against the Bel
s company was the next subject of investiga
u tion, and the witness said that the only con
C. renee he had with any of his associate
rs prior to the bringing OF the suit had beer
L. with Mr.. Young some time In July. Ill
1t father was also present. The conversation
id was held at witness house. Young cam
Pm there and informed them that the govern
- ment would bring suit. Rogers, Sr.
~ asked whether
GARLAND HAD PROMISED
> to bring suit. Young replied, Yes" Rogers
re Sr, said, ''If Garland has promised, he wi
~ do it," Young said that Garland had del
he cacy about conducting the suit himself, an
IL everything would be left to Goode. Roger:
n ST., asked whether Goode would act If tn
" matter were left with him. Young said tina
was all right GOode was our friend, an
d friendly to us-not our enemy-aud b
IN (Young) believed he would rather have Good
be than Garland. The suit was instituted abou
of one or two months after that conversation
,e | Witness had no conversation with Mr.. Good
I'M in regard to the suit. Rogers, ST., had aske
nd Senator Harris whether, in the event {
- postal telegraph legislation, he would hav
"a any delcacy in owning Pan-Electric stock
d: Harris had replied that he would not in tn
ed least; that he would rise in the senate an
Ito state that he was interested In the bill. III
ne witness went on to detail the reasons whic
he impelled him to turn over his letters TO ii
N New York World. The substance of h
Re statement was that both his father aud hin
i'S self had been bitterly attacked in the paper
concerning their connection with the Pal
Ter Electric company, and that their associate
all I'm the concern refused to defend them. CO..
ey sequenty the letters were given up for the
or own vindication.
", Adjourned until tomorrow.
Gu POSTAL SAVINGS BANKS.