Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-04-03
ATKINS IN A PASSION.
PULITZER AND HIS CORRESPON-
DENT GIVEN THE LIE.

The ImputatiOn that the Witness Used
His OfF1cIAIIDhuence for PersOnal Gain
Indignantly Refuted-NOt a Member of
Congress at the Time of the Alleged
Bargsin.
WASHINGTON, April 2.-Indian Com
missioner Atkins was placed upon the
witness stand when the telephone lnves-
tigating committee met to-day. His story
was similar to that of Senator Harris yes
terday. OF the government suit against
the Bell Company he knew nothing be-
yond what he had seen in the papers, and
he had never opened his mouth during the
tendency Of the proceedings before the
Interior Department or Department OF
Justice to any one OF the officers of those
departments to say anything about the
telephone.
Mr.. Oates-Did you have anything to
do with securing the government coun-
SELF
HIS TALK WITH MR., YOUNG.
ono, sir.'' replied the witness emphati-
calIy; 81 want to say right here that
asked Mr. Young, who | saw appearing
in the case before the Interior Depart
ment, who he appeared for. SAID /, DO
YOU appear for the Pan Electric? Is that
company before this department.? He
said, NO, Sir Said /, VINO do you APP
pear fOr? He said ne appeared for some
gentlemen OF Louisiana and Memphis,
and he rather defantly remarked that he
had right as an American citizen to pc
tition the government to bring suit, or
something Ofthat kind"
HIS OFFICIAL POSITION NOT USED.
Mr.. Eden inquired if the witness had
ever used his official connection to
further the interests Of the Pan Electric
Company.
"None on the face OF God Almighty's
EARTH said the witness. sand no man
can look me in the face and say so. i
| would cut my hand off before | you'd
do SUCH thing. The witness stated that
he knew nothing OF the bringing of the
government suit, and when Mr.. Millard
asked il he would nave joined in an appi-
cation Of the kind, he replied that he
would not for the simple reason that
he was connected with the Interior
Department and was a government
officer.
IRATE AT THE PRESS.
The witness felt greatly outraged by the
newspaper publications to the effect that
/ he had been Chairman of the AppTOpria-
lions Committee when the company had
been organized. While speaking of this
subject the witness became very earnest
in bis manner. He took up letter pub
lished in the New York World on Feb. 9
in which he the witness called DR.. Rog-
ers' attention to the suggestions made in
the editorial article in & Washing
ton weekly paper that ifthere be anything
in the doctrine Of transmigration OF souls
perhaps the soul of the ancient philOso-
pher Thales had descended to DR.. Rogers.
The connection in which that letter had
been published, the witness said, and
the editorial article in the same paper on
Feb. 10, were calculated to convey the
ldea that he the witness) had bargained
away his influence as Chairman of the
Appropriation Committee. 1.-The man who
sent that dispatch was either fool or a
liar" exclaimed the witness.
PULITZER GIVEN THE LIE.
AS to the editorial article he said: 81
pronounce that, sir, with all respect to
the committee. to be an infamous SANDER
and base lie, and l put that brand upon
the brow OF Joseph Pulitzer, VINO said he
was responsible for this and he shall
wear it. / have been held up before this
| country for using my official influence
| when the ReCOrd shows that | was not
member of Congress and had no influence
/ to bargain. If this is descent journalism
| then have no idea of what decency is.'
Mr.. Willard remarked that as the wit
ness had spoken of transmigration of the
/ soul be would inquire of him whether
/ he did not believe tnat if the Bell patents
were broken and the Pan Electric ex-
! tended he could connect the two worlds ?
The witness looked down upon his quea-
/ toner in a quizzical manner and replied
81 don't know that my abilities are equal
! to the stretch of your imagination. You
/ had better write book on the subject
/ This concluded Mr. Atkins, examination