New-York tribune., 1886-03-13
THE INVESTIGATION BEGUN.
Exposing THE PAN-ELECTRIC SCANDAL
a,R. PULITZER ON THE sTASD-cAsEY YoUNGs
PRoTEsT-J. HARRIS RoGERs's TESTIMONY
r,v TELEGRAPH TO TIE TRIBUSR

rPy TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE
WASHINGTON. March 12.-The assignment
n, the room Of the Committee on Reform III tno "'-
servlce for the sittings OF the special comm'oo P
rointed to investigate the telephone seaman was pP
nr,ae in view OF the fact the dongs OF hiSh onca
=, 90 o,oru Administration are the subjects OF nves
tisa,on The first men hand to-day were exCongress
man Casey Young. Dr. j. w. Rogers ana D. harri noSo
the inventor, all of whom had oeeh su'u"lonou v
- .a,nf, and each OF whom came laden with
nrclos ot papers The members Of the committee came
IN late and did not settle down to business u' al nou
after the time that they 10 begin. MT hale' o
missouri said that Mr.. Pulitzer desired 10 maIo
a rief statement ordr that he might go to New
this afternoon. Then Casey Young craved tne
of the committee and was allowed TO say that ne
onnoared not only as Witness but in some sort as 1.-THE
representative OF the gentlemen against whom tho
charges have been brought" He thought II due to them
that they should informed respecting the course OIL
the inves tgation.
Mr. Ranney-whom do you representa-
Casey Young-AI the persons interested in the ran
Electric Company.
Mr. Ranney-we are here simply as committee OF
Investigation TO ascertain certain facts and not 10 y
charges against anybody.
Then there was long discussion respecting the nat
ure Of the inquiry and the proper mode OF proceuur
Colonel Oates thought that the committee snou"
and read all the newspaper articles which nave oeeh
published on the subject. and then nave the newspapers
90 OH aud establish the truth OF tue puohc@tion'' u
Mr. Ranuey remarked that what the newspapers na'o
nnb,hed is of less consequence than the facts them
selves " the newspapers are 10 % piousu' ~
,hora ran he no discrimination; all must
he treated alike. aud the committee VIII
find big task its hands At last II was oeclueu W
hear Mr. Pulitzer. who was sworn
Mr. Pulitzer said that his name had been cohheoteu
with the publications touching certain telephone stocks
He assumed the responsibility for the puohcauoh Vi
fhosINts 81 and alone solely am responsible ana
no one else is" said Mr. Pulitzer No human oelns mas
tried TO influence me In any manner Whatever loo NOV
know human being to-day so far as am aware VINO Is
stockhoder interested in the Bell Telephone Ooin
many | had no motive other than than that arising
from the feepe that the publications OF thesefact we're
IN the nature of news and in the nature OF public ser
vice" Mr. Pulitzer said that all OF his books ana papers,
private and otherwise. were at the disposal OF tne co
Ini,tee The publication instead Of being either
hastily and carelessy ventured upon, had been care
fully considered. He had the manuscript TOT three
months in his geun holes before he published It, HIS
correspondept at Washington, who had furnished the
manuscript had been instructed frequently during na
time TO ascertain whether the matters therein sateu
were true or Only after he had ascertalheo from
the correspondent that he had made every effort 10
verify the correctness OF the satemens only after re-
peatedy emphasizing that desire on his part 10 make
sure that everything was correct and only when the
hope he entertained that certain gentemen-ofe par
tcnlary one genteman-might rid hmsefot the possess
sion of the stock which while not involving any vehaty
all did 10 nlm an ACT lulPlopIlOV9 VI Va P"'
ue iudscretion; only when that hope entertained Tor
,hree onths had been disappointed and he had felt as
snred that the matters correct; only then had he
publisled those records they might be termed lie
expressed a Willingness to answer any question the
Committee might desire to ask
The chairman then put a few questions to which
Mr. Pulitzer promptly responded. He said the papers
lie had in his possession for three months contaneda
history OF the Pan-Eectric organization. Auusion
TO the matter had been made in Republican papers lie
believed he received the manuscripts some time astfa
When the publications in papers seemed to get
more serious he instructed his correspondents TO eX
anime into the matter. That might have been month
after the first publication in Republican papers ap-
pearod. II probably five or six months after the
first newspaper publication on the subject that me
World published the manuscript He had expressed 10
his correspondent the greatest anxiety Immediately after
the publication TO have any statement, correction
or denial that the gentlemen referred 10 in
the article desired have made public Whole pages OF
The World and any amount ofspace was at their disposal
Frequently he received the answer from the correspond
ent that the gentlemen did not want to make any state
ment at that time The World had published series of
letters that formed part of the history of the case from
gentlemen holding public stations,
Mr. Boyle requested the witness to name them
Mr. Pulitzer replied that the AttOrney-General was
the most important person. there were some others OF
minor consequence. he believed In his opinion the
letters threw very clear light upon the trans
actions He had no objection to stating how the
letters had come into his possession. lie
had received them from this correspondent al believe
he was the fecitous receiver of the album $50 caed OF
Dr. Rogers I'm which these letters were kept" said Mr..
Pulitzer He had printed all Of the letters. because
he did not want aGgravae the matter and they were
not necessary to complete the history Of The case lie
did not know stookholder in the Bell or any OF the
rival companies the PanElectric He would give the
name OF his correspondentThe World had no secrets
his name was T. c. Crawford.
at NJ he
with AN inquiry into the motives OF the newspaper max
ing the pubcaons-whether they Tad been improperly
Influenced
Mr. Pulitzer said he desired to ascertain whether any
paper had been improperly Influenced; that was his
reason for offering amendment to the resolution In
the House These charges had been made by reputable
newspapers the City of New York. and ne was curious
10 know whether there was really any foundation Tor
them: whether any newspapers had been guilty OF the
remotest imprOpriety
Mr. Ranney asked II Mr.. Pulitzer knew any official
who held any of the Pan Electric stock
Mr.. Pulitzer replied that he did.
Mr. Ranney-Any one connected with either House Of
Congress
Mr. Pulitzer replied that he knew Senator Vest who
himself stated that he held $4,000 Of the stock-not
donated but bought He had been barely introduced TO
Senator Harris. and knew Mr.. Garland and personally
liked him very much Outside OF the two gentlemen
named in the publications he did not know any person
in Congress who had interest In the Pan Electric
Company, and he did not think there was any. The
committee knew everything he knew about that
MI Ranney do not own any Bell Telephone
stock1
Mr. Puit7er-I do not a single share Of telephone
stock or any speculative stock OF any kind.
have made 10 my rule and prlnclpe 10
esehew any speculation whatever. Inot only do not
own any Ben ssoch, but DO know anybody holding
any interest In the company.
Mr. ostes-HDw did you first get the information
from employees OF the Pan Electric Company
Mr. Pultzer-f received my first information through
the newspapers after my attention had been called TO
by the persistent publications in Republican news
papers.
Mr.. Oates wished to know how the witness obtained