New-York tribune., 1886-04-28
TIE PAN-ELECTRIC INQUIRY.
Mr.. FoRBEs's TALK WITH THE PRESIDENT.
HISTORY or THE BELL TELEPHONE CoMPANi-
"Tnr TRIBUNE" SUSTAINED,
my TKLEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUkE-j


nrcsent OF the Bell Telephone Company gave history
Of IL TO the Pan-Ecotric Investigation Committee TO-
day. IIs testimony was given in strhghtior""ru'
brsnessiae manner. which produced an exee"ent ''"
preston. IIo Is a man Of about hfty. with regular
features. kecn gray eyes, and nigh forehead I"oN'
like a Boston Mug Yump" the whispered comment
OF one OF tho Republican members OF the committee 10
his n"ighbor " He evidently knows what he Il apou''
was the reply. Interesting points IN MI f"rbess test-
mony were account OF how tho orglLa 6'ooh
! Of the company watercd to nearly SIX uineS
its face yanc; how 1he Nev forl; Ii"es WAS
| Md $1,000 for prnting at Its solicita-
ton, an article extending ovor four columns oi
the paper which pretended - give history OF the pro
| gross aud present status OF telephony and how Tue
President received tle witness when tho latter caeu
upon him protest gainst tue bringing OF the Govern
mont suit.
W. L. Driver the treasurer of the Bell Company went
on the witness stand after Mr. Forbes had left It, lie
produced the stock sts Of r'9 company careful e1
animation OF these by tho chairman oicitei HttIc Oh
beyond the fact that tho father and two sons Of
Judge Lowell before whom one OF tho telephone suits
was tr d. held trust for others stock in tho
Bell Company.
| Throughout tho hearing Casey Young was an inter
e,ted listener He seemed all day to be looking for
| startling developments; but in this he was dsip-
pointed On the opposite side Of tho room. Mt long
table. sat Professor Alexander Graham Bell, tho IN
ventor In company with his father and uncle The trio
attracted a good deal OF atteu ion.
Chairman Boyle called attention % TRIBUNE dispatch
from Washington which It stated that important
appeared 10 tho official record Of the Attorney
Generals te timony In the OF the coloquy be-
! tween MON OF tho ln.ttee which cnsued, the
truth Of the statements ma ia TIE TRIBUNE was ad
mitted beyond question OF Doubt II WAS slown also
that It Mr.. Garland himself Ivo hli "revised" the
testimony aud struck out Of the testimony cted
III THE TRIBUNE Chairman Io,le SAID III 1t ho had re-
ceived letter from MI Garland relues ing that the
| ounia our n he
Will be done and the record made compte though 1t
appear upon what authority the Attorney'en
era upon himself to revise" ns testimony By
altering parts OF 1t AMI striking on others alto tter
Following the proc sedings In greater detail:
The Chairman ca,ieI attention to statements IL THE
NEw-YOKK TRIBUNE alleging that the official report OF
AtOruey.G neral Glrnd's testimony showed iinpor'n
Omissions lie said aa he IL yesterday been rcqu sted
by the Attorney Genera to supply the omissions az
noted in THE TRIBu NE The Attorney-Generai on the
day following his examination had addressed letter TO
him correcting his testimony. 80 AS to maze 1t appear
he had returned % Washn ton carly In September
ls-5. instead OF November as repore Tho Chairman
added that some comment hal been made on the
rhange OF stenogrApner3 tho day Of the Attorney
Generals exam nation he would sta1c thltth money
q 0OO) appropriated moet the expenses Of the com
mttee had bcen exhausted. and he stcno;raphers ball
hal already reached II 800 The Chairman had applied
Speaker. who had supplied ono OF ne Official com
mitce s"nographcrs to The tssk Of making tho repIrt
lie learned subseq ichty that substitute was employed
by the Official reporter WAS suffering from an in-
jury.
Mr. Rinney called attention 10 what he sad were nu
mcrous changes In the phraSeoogy.
Mr. Lnncy. the rcporter stated that he hat submit
tod the report Attorney yGcnera just as reports
were submitted to members IN the House He ala noe
know tnat II against the rules OF the committee
of tue changes IL phsaseooSy htd Deon male oy
himself and some by the Atorney-G enerAL The Attor
neyGeueral had struck three questions and
had nserte tho correction touching his return to Wash
ngton IN 1855.
Tho chairmln inquired il the Attorney General had
changed the words "oyeT-dolicate" to "overseustye'
to which the reporter rcpIei in The negative.
MIR FcrDes then described the growth Of the American
Bel COMPANY and the consolidation OF Original New
England and companies Gardiner IIuhbar1 Proes
r and Mr.. Saunirrs he believed were the orr nal
associates who controlled the patents lie believed
Messrs Habbard AM Bell held twOthrds Interest and
Mr. sauulors hcI one-third winch he rsc'iVsl for
money advanced to develop tho invention He did not
that any officer Of the Government or mo nbers OF
Congress Lat been connected with the Original com
l. tnes or held stock present time in the National
Bell Company. Mr. RAnney hid tcesraphcd Mr. iiud-
SON. general manager OF the conn my. asking him TO
look over the stocKst TO ascertain II his (Nr RanneyS
name appeared. and Me- Iu lson reptile that the stock
list shove Mr.. Ranney's name as stockhoier That
several years ago, aud he was no longer Stock
Mr.. Ranney inquired II the witness meant that his
Of stock Tor collateral for debt and th" witness replied
that Tue telegram did not Eive any Information beyond
wnat he, naI stl.ed. far aS he Knew 40 member or
Congress now held STOCK IN the company , . 49,,
witness 10 ascertain whether he his company had
Procured newspaper puoncatlohs con etnlns tue In-
the investigation now proceeding to whch lie re-
pied ia thc negative.
Mr. Forues estimated tho tota. stock OF the local com
pAnes licensed by the Bell Company at @oOOOOOOO,
aco the parent n, c2%p4"y s GSG %%
sl 100000 market value. Secretary Mannins who held
Stock IN the Troy e9upany Wa 'n0 o or t" t
year the company paiu II dividend OF 10 per cehi-lZ
regular and eXtra-Dut la tue 1rst four years o th" MS
OF the organization no dividends were 9si Mos' ol % .o
net divided. but ths company Was accu-
81 OF nes cOnnec'ng the principal elites ana haa
secure the night to ncIetse '9eir cipa Stock
pec ted spend several mO dollars Ia mat WORK, ana
as prTce yea mat III IL WI "S & 49, ot ,nta1 WAS rrrarid
"a Irces ary II the authority ~a' granted tao add
t,na stock would b. p,d N cashrvrry dollar; No
nsws,,prr o@ ned stock the Bell Company. and the
company owned no newspaper interest mat ne Knew o.
Mr RanDey inquired II any hcmOcr o. OohsreSS repre-
scented his company as attorney hi. 49,, , -
taued years ago to look after certain matters ana
had been consulted se.e ert times since: =, ,,,
Mr. EAuney was anxious to asccIt in II nv h.i % Deed
attorney lor tho Bei Company or nAd Dee cT"su'eu @
dlreo indirectly. aud tho witness replied III the
Tnr only newspaper publications in which the com.
many mad cOnorrned were an indusr article or
wnicn the company paid. puOhshed IN me Aetc-l l0rN
In,s In It's of indstr progress inrnS ihs
yra aad article IN paper known as Ihs CoWWIe'.l
th@ Word was offered t. the Bell Company for
er.l di,s before 1t appeared.
,it. LIrn-Dd you ASK the price OI ltl
Mr ForDcs-No. sir; refused to have anything 10 DO
WITH II. ...,.,. ..... 80.
toulluulng Mr. Forbes said that the article was re-
ort weeks before the publcat!On lto
,i had some idea of learning he Prce OF the article
aim VIEW TO buying aud suppressing II. lie
ana not II published, nut IL app,arei IN
me Wo ID lie TOOK any action lie ana h" wish
ih,t agitation because he lid not think II would be
rnn,r after interview with the President III regard
10 tne PaEectrc matter. 50 he handei the article 10
Mr. slOupW, the cuunsel fthe 'oihl'ht'
i 1,nair,nAn-It comes TO Then. Mr. FOrDes that
| vour c,tuptny did not deCllue thc u. tlcol
Wr Lnrnrs-We declined to publish the article.
IN. Cn,irmin-Iet pat 1t In the hands or your
counsel IOr use
Mr. ForDes-If he saw proper tn use u.
m. tnalrmau-lIlyc you any khOWcdgc thlt IL was
nt shed III me BOrid through tue agency OF MI
sto % cIscf