New-York tribune., 1886-03-19
THE PAN-ELECTRIC INQUIRY.
DEMOCRATS SEEK TO NARROW IT'S SCOPE.
DIR. RoGYRs's GREAT CANTo - THE TELEPHONE
PLUM FOR MR. GARLAND.
Inv r.trGRArn TO THE TRIBUNE

-, r,.o,rtc Investigation Committee to-day dis
noston was manifested on the part OF Democrats 10
ake the scope Of the inquiry as narrow as possible
Colopcl oates objected 10 questions rut by Chairman
Rvle and argued against departure from the letter
the resolution under which the committee is acting
the chairman yielded. L2tor, Colonel oates having
ones,ionsd Or. Rogers about his SatTe on
the Administration. extracts from Whch "eIo
rublished in TIE TRIBUNE more thau
week ago. Mr. Ranney began to ask questions apou' ~
and awranglc cnsued Mr. Ranney succeeding III MS
rusr however Colonel Oates and other Democrats "',
tred TO exclude testimony showing that Dr. Rogers
application for place under the present Auh'hs'i"
tion was supported by senator Harms ana Other i'n
Electric statesmen. DR.. Rogers threw the cOlnt'ee o
couvusion. OF laughter when, after MI M'Fu nI" i
n yerse from Mother Gooses melOdies aoou' A
T,ck Uorner" lie remarked: ." | put that IN Tor tue
be,ent OF Beach. II something ne couiu ui'Uoi ~
,,rdv He admitted that Mr.. Garland was the LAI..e
Lick Horucr" and that the plum" was MI EarI"HU
Pan Electric stock. , ,,o,s
Dr Rogerss testimony respecting the legal Opinions
OF Messrs Garland ana Harris which were pu'-
nshed far and wide TO promote sales oI s'ocA III uo
au.Electrie Telephone Company ana us 'lcenSe'
t,tipg II these opinions should be sust+lnod Dy tue
or,s ar n the Government suit TO set asde 'he Ben
rotent should succeed he thought that the Pantec'c
stocks would so 10 par .,
The witness added something to the history OF the e
tori, Of himself and Colonel Looney to aid in securing
60 ,es,,tsi TO the circumstances which led him 10 De
1eve apart from Colonel YounZs statement that an IN
,au,I,ng Was reached in July. 1ss5, between Car
land Van B,nthuysen and Young that a Uo'e'uin0N'
s,it snoud b. instituted TO annu the Bel patents
Tho examination of neither OF the ROgerses mas oeen
m rborogrn rs IL would been the orig nal letters
rived by them and submitted had been IN the hahdS
Of the committee After these letters have oeeh Stuucu
carefully will be found necess Try to recall Dotu 'he
ytnesses J. Harris Rogers Will be asked some ""dl-
toual questions tomorrow. ana then' II Is cAp0'o'
Casey Young will take the stand.
Snator Harris was present again to-day Win Dscoun-
sci ae seems to become more deeply Interested day'
Anotb.r visitor who paid close attention TO the pro
ceectng was Henkle Of the Baltimore
Pan-Ecctrlc Company.
on A VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY.
DE- Ro-ers resumed his testimony at the point "ne'e
Casey Youp- told aim that the other pdrtieS-the N"-
tioual Improved Company-hod collected testimony III
Furope at cost Of $4,000. and tney were de'o's Vi
a onhinaftou m the suit so as puC that testimony
against some little influence that they tue
people, might have. II had been party 10 tue Nd
tional secret Telephone Company. organized TWO years
before the Pan Electric by Messrs. Hne Hume Dean
ant General Thomas Ewing. Of ONO. lie cap
ital WIS $5,OOO,ooo, based on his son Iu'e"
tions That company had leased the FIttsDurS
and NewOrlcans companies. Van Benthuysen had
been the organizer Of the New-Or.eans company
Naticnal improved Telephone Company. lie had SOFA
out his stock in the secret Telephone Company
oniertion WAS made 10 the line OF inquiry, and MI
oates wished the committee TO decide whether II "ouu
ne prooer to 20 outside Of the subject matter or the re'o
luriop directing the investigation. He maintained mat
the committee should not 90 into questions not pertinent
to the inquiry
AR Ranpey sal that it would that all OF these
coDpaues we're more less closely connected ana the
committee should not attempt to shield anybody.
Mr. oates replied that no man was more re4dy lhah
b.alf IA 20 10 the bottom OF this matter but he objected
IN an inquiry about outside parties, either wAtewdSAinS
or b.acKcning.
Mr. Rauney sail that the committee was on voyage
OF discovery one could tell IN the dark VINO ln""
was.
Mr. Oates reoined that he did not propose to embark
m that kind of a craft wished 10 suck TO the only
natter properly before the committee
Mt Kauuey SAID that for some reason OF oJher 'he
suit hld been shifted from the PduEcctric Company
to the Van Beutuuyseu people. There was question
in his mind that respect
After further discussion the ooJecuoh was sus
taiucl by the Chairman.
Dr Rogers was then requested 10 state the transfers
Of Psm-Electrc stock Pn-Eirctrc Telephone stock
made by himself He replied that he gave LOoney a
sixth interest the PdUEectrc Company bat as th"re
was no stock there were no transfers After
telephone and telegraph patents had been taken out
I,uey bl gone ut with The certificates and mad" sales
10 Mr. Nelly Colonel BOYLE, Jacob Thompson an" d.
Watson Of wacl the witness got one hall III. proceeds
md Ioluey the other hall The witness had u tle ohri
transfers TO his wife, 10 Thomas Mitchell and MI Dean
or Mr. Eviu- He had had no transactions OF any KIND
with Nr Cumming. thlt lie coud remember. lie had
4cu introd iced 10 Cummings four OF five years
o but pad never seen him since aud was positive mat
he mad received money from hin. 81. Money A'd
retained the Rogers telephone stock ana the American
Postal stoc4 aad witness believed his letters woald pe
found in the CORES spOndeuce put ID evidence.
Another discussion spraus mp al this point growing
Al f.t rrIf
the conduct Of M Money private citizen rs he said
Finally the inquiry allowed and the witness sad
N II ne knew Money charm % the Post Oce Com
mittee OF the House. Money was not candidate for
Postmaster General at that time. ana witness had done
nothing 10 help him u thtt otre. The witness had
never sold any stock member oi Conses1 anu knew
Of no sales OF that kind n'>s IT should appear that Que
Howard who had bOuch, stock had been member
OF Congress.
WHY CuNGRFSSMEN WIRE CHOSEN.
Nj Rauucy asked how the witness had Disseminated
fn distributing stock to members.
d. Rogers replied. smIugy. that the case OF the
New. York Company-the Postal Comp.uy-ue hal
offered stock Mcs-I, Cox aud Beach rather lan 10
Mr. Eauuey because le first uamcl gentleman lived in
aud Ae had dssisned the stock o. be oated IN
TIE sew York stock maraet, while Mr. Eauuey lived in
Nls-arlUseu..
Mr.. Eauury-Uid yOu tell youI associates about your
sale, OF Pan Electric Telephone stock
Ur Eo-cIs-I diiu't conceal anything whatever
dd was done on the housc-tops. But that was my
priFAtg business.
Mr. Rauuey-Why did you select members OF Congress
a. recipients Of ~tOcEf -
Dr. Io.cr--Ol. did not distribute tls stock with
Wow 20 corrupt these great IN either house oI Con
clcsS selected CuU-Tc,-lLcu rather thdn prominent
lAsues, men because they h'd WIDER reputation Is
rUc. -,
Mr Eauuey inquired whether Mr. Garland or Mr..
Harris had iuiOrsri the Witness appucdtlOH iOr ONCE
OBJECTION tue Democratic slie.
Nj Ioat -at that il had hcen asserted mar the VII
uf
appointment auG an the facts Should he shown
Nls Hducy then changed the fOIm OF his question so
a. 90 lre tue names OF nIs luuurSrrs for the position
o. A .l.taut Attorney the Department OF Justice m
Ir Rogers Icaliuc rom paper from ila Poche' IFS