New-York tribune., 1886-05-12
MR.. FORBESS COMPLAINT.
NOT FAIRLY REPRESENTED BY MR.. JONES.
A LETTER SUBMITTED TO THE PAN-ELEcrRio IN
vFsTIGATfNG COMMITTEE.

the he srngs are being held He went to his home III
Uniontown PENN Saturday to look after his fences
which need repairing 1t IL said. Hs place was hed by
Mr. Oates OF Alabama. who presided with equa' dignity
aud ~ much prevent Judge Ranney
from probing too deeply the mysteries OF the Pan
Electric schemes
The most i'm portant witness Mr. Won Briesen. an
attorney retained by Van Benhnysen in the Interest OF
the National Improved Company to look aiter
the Pitrsburg suits For time the an
seemed heavy with Vons and Vans Theh IL
seemed as II the names would get into
an inextrcable ange. members Of the committee
would call the witness Van Brayson and talk OF HIS
employer Won B-nthieseD. others wonld reverse "
until the witness replied with quiet dignity Ny hshe
Won Briesen." That sraightened out matters some
what bat for a short time on!y. The point In Won
Briesen's testimony 6at denial OF the statement
made by the Attorney General before tue comm''"o
mat he id never mentioned to anybody the proper
person whom apply for the bringing or tho Govern
suit he considered himself rnaole 10 move III '"o
matter. Won BrIeseu emphatic In the dceIara'o"
that Mr. Garland aid that he could not have any thhg
to do in the case. other o 'ers OF the depart
nlen could The name of Solicitor General Goode was
mentioned. and possibly that Of soma other oHci' III
the Department OF Justice. While Mr.. van
Briesen created good impression by the
frankuess OF his manner and was evIdehty
telling the TRUTH he not willing apparently 10 tel
what took place at certain conferences OF the Pan
cred that wond not be proper for him to dVuSe 'ho
secrets tx sting bet ween counsel and client.
Another witness was George A. GustiD. OF this CITY,
who had employed by Lponey, of the Pau-E ectrc
10 negotiate with Bell Telephone Company the sa'e
of certain Of Ro,erss patents. lie worked on tho
mod st basis OF ODO OO0 but 1t did not make
much hettwiy 1he Bell people would not conccde
tie value of the patents at that hgure.
f. y. Hil, about whom 80 much has been said OF late
stand for short lime. lie proved re'dci-
witness. however ana tine committee decidet to
l md Take
the question of punshng hln Tor conohp III refused
to answer the question how hr obtained his Information
which hm III writing TO Mr. Dana. OF The Ncu
york sun: Every allegation this article. excerpt
the Mr. Garland dtten led the meeting At l.327
G-st, is upon my own knowledge AMI not hcArsay"
Tn. committee determined. apparently. to know moro
of Mr.. Hin than IL does present. He will be the
stand again. probably Tomorrow
Another point OF Importtnce elected the adiais-
sion Colonel Cay tine Chief Clerk Of the partment
of Justice, that always been the practice refer
al p atoms ike tnat of McCorys to the Department
OF the Interior. that his the first h which
IL was not done.
Points OF Won Briesen's testimony were that In
March, ss5 he retained by the Nationa Telephone
Company to defend the Pltsburs suits. WiiDer wanted
$3.50 for his making ns allitvt but ho WAS
given only $50. winch naid IN Van Bcnihuys-ns
presence He produced WIlber's receipt Neither Mr..
Young senator Harris present, he SAID In re-
sponse Mr Ranneys requost that he shoud tell what
said the bitt House conference between the
Pan-L..ctrc and National Telephone Companies repre-
ssntatives he declined. professonil grounds.
Mr. HI. who said that be attorney and jour
nahst. AM had done good deal oi work for Casey
YOung although never regaring himself IN Mr..
Iourgs employment testided that during the nier of
1851 Mr.. Young requested him to do writing
him. and in doing II he acquired some knowedge OF the
Paw. E.ectric affairs. When th- newspaper agitation
began understanding that political attack about
,ba
Pan-Electric be wrote ont fair. impartial statement,
maxim no att upon the gentlemen simply setting
out the lie gave the statement TO tJor tIarK
-pondent Of Tht TRIBUNE requesting MIN 10 holl
IL until statements shOui appear in other
papers After ten days being told that certain Chcag,
nd many facts OF his own knOwle ge and ine Wit
arr when ne M took m "1 - .or re- In
awford Tht Woy1d corrrsDondent, he said that ne
Wron, T1d nov wnich led Mr. Crnwfotd to rcmaik thl @
he Uhe witness) must be obtnse. Cerlaln
sbs rnerr cs to senator Vance hut they we're male
upon the presentations m tde 10 the witness by
Mr. Ranney wished to know the name of his Inform
ant Dul the witness clnrh to tell saying he was not
going 10 Involveany one Else by what h" SAIL
NJ Oates wished to know why the witness hal writ
ten statement, to which he replied that Mr.
had no ri ut To know.
Wr Oitcs inquired II the witness did not regard his
relations with Mr. Young while eneasei on the Pan.
Electric hooks rs conhdrntia. to which he Replied
ina he d know the books lay open on the
4
he had got a few dollars at times rSm NJ Young yet
there no such relation between them as CLERK ana
that Ms. Rlnrs the iandiady of the house. would make
an aidav Mr.. Garland had attended meeting
Mr.. Hall objected to this hearsay evidence.
The chairman insisted that the wi ness should furnish
the name OF ms informant. as the communication was
"r Tb m Wines replied that it was a ,natter entelr
withln his own discretion The COMMUNICATION w,,s
conflentil md he would not disclose the his
lie waf, he said, member OF tie bar.
pd ~ led Sf..s
could chose CLAIM that he stood the relation Of
Mr. Oues sand that a charge had been made that the
Attoru y-Grnera bad attended tn meeting aud IL was
proper to inquire into II.
the committee tnen. by unanimous vote directed
witness 10 answer the question: but he siii refused.
seDtrd To the House for contempt bu did ask
mefiarc action.
The wtnes- pleaded Illness and asked to be excused
at this point AID ns Request granted
telegram WAS received from Mr.. c. 2. Hnntinrton
requesting pernis on on account OF Ill health. fnr-
ni,h deposition Instead OF answering The suDpGaa
scrvc upon hun In person. but an answer turned
INSISTING upon his app ardhce III person II able attend
Mr. Oates LAID before the committee the following lei
ter addressed to the chairuan Of the committee by j. NJ
Forbes OF Boston:
dnd In The Boston OF this instant dtspatch
lines IN examination before your committee MAKES
The i,I,ewi NJ statement Mr. had wrI,trn to
mp IN his SOD was arge owner III the Bell Telephone
Company. and wanted me 10 write To the Frrsldrf of
The United states to nlerierr IN behalf OF his patent
Upon examining cory or the letter referred find
that this testimony does not fairly present is puruort
or object, which, doubtless, was owing 10 iue nm. |
frtnnare oss OF the letter To correct the mlst.ks r.
the shortest seems to be 10 send cony
winch you d. en- IT best t. lay before thr comIuee
perhaps after Mr.. Jones reads II more no ,n.v
fud ii "A pity lie did not follow its suggestions
Respectfully,
Boston. Mayo. j. NJ. FORBES
The letter incloscd by Mr.. Forbes IL a follows:
My DEAR Mr.. JONES: BY OF my 80 s copnec !
on with the American Bell Telephone Company / u.v.
become acquainted with some OF the facts conDecIio
W the Pan Electric Telephone Comptnys effort, 10
have Attorney General Garland authorize sut. to ho
brought lor vacanK me Bi patents learn from The
managers Of the Bell Company tat they feel no an1lv
Al, TO the final results or any action taken By the Cnv
.rnment this matter. though admitting that ruucn
TEMPORARY annoyance III result should Garland acnn
the request OF his company Looking al il from
wholly diff rent point OF viewat OF the inde pruneni
yo'cr-and fact OF all VINO support and desire Ia III
por Nj Cleveland, It seems 10 me the Admnisrnttnn
out MAKE serlons mistake II Garlands d. rf,n.nt
/. permitted to lend any countrnsnce to The scheme
proposed by the company III which lie is 50 LARGELY IN
teresed
There = doubt that all the matters contained IN
the claim which II Is Iroposed that the United states
should set up have be hell and decided 10 the cir
cuit OF the Chired states and these case. are