The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-04-20
rnE ATTORNEY GENERAL
ssfOre the Congregational Telephone IuVss.
tIgatInE Committee.

t'sfOFe the Congregational Telephone InVss'
tIgating Committee.
WASHINGTON, April lO,-The announce
nent that Attorney General Garland was
o be before tile Telephone Investigating
Committee caused IL larger attendance
han usual this morning, and this faCt, to-
sether with the warm spring day, made
the atmosphere. OF the Crypt.like room
Shero the committee meets, very oppres-
i've. II was nearly three.qnarters Of an
hour after the regular hour oil meeting
yhen the Attorney General appeared,
,ooking pale and rather feeble. With q
courteous salute To the committee he inn
nedlately took the stand and, on the In
yitation Of the Chairman, began 10 ma ke
statement OF his connection with the
Pan Electric Company. He wished, he
,aid, to lay before the committee and re-
Affirm the matter contained In his state.
nent TO the President on October Sth
last. In addition, he wished to explain
,Wo or three points OF that statement.
In February, 1883, General Atklns had
Iald to Witnesses that he believed the
Rogers Inventions were Of great utility II
properly handled, and money could be
made out Of them. Being poor man like
aimseli, General Atkins had desired wit.
nesg to enter Into this. ~ told him, said
The witness, "that l llad never undertaken
20 make any money except BY law and
poker. 1 had always lost at poker and
generally won at law. WAS willing to go
.nto this II he thought 1t offered any in
ducementg."
Subsequently lie net Senator Harris
Casey Young, Mr.. Atkins aud Or. Rogers
1t the lRtter's house, where they talked
about the general organization OF the Pan
Electric Company, and he concluded to 60
intoit. When later on parties came to
aim 10 urge him US Attorney General to
oring snit GgaiBst tho Bell Company by
The Government, hs at once refused to do
20. He had looked into the matter care
fully, and concluded that, owing to mis- In.
crest In the Pan Electric Company he
could not touch II and would not touch II.
In reference to the Memphis Buit he said
.he application came In the latter part oi
August, 1885, Just before he left for his
September vacation In Arkansas. He said
dothlng 10 Solicitor General GOode about
Ii because lie had no more control over
that gentleman than he had over mem.
Ger Of Congress. He had never talked
With the i iiicitot General about the pend
inc Columbus suit. Never saw the pa
pers filed In the Interior Department
which led 10 the heariDg before Secretary
Lamar Had never talked with Secretary
Lamar, nor the gentleman who eat with
aim in that hnaring about the matter and
mad ab.tained from TALKING with the Pres
ldent about these matters.
Mr.. Garland, going back TO the oFRani'
Sstion OF the Pan.kleOtriu Company, de-
Glazed Il was aimply an undertaking by
Ave or six iiapepuDious men, who wanted
% better their condition In q Legitimate
pnsiress enterprise. He never Intended
20 use bis official position, being United
States Senator, In tho interests oil the
company. The original stockholders had
nRid In their assessments and went ahead
N a proper manner 10 expand the thing
and bring out RogerB' invention. They
hRd never tried to nboom" the business
dc for one took hold Of IL ~ Q legitimate
business adventure, and regretted that II
had not panned out better.
In reply 10 question from Chairman
BOYLE, Nj. Garland said he had never
looked into the question Of the legality o.
the issue Of the Bell patent He regarded
ihe Rogers patent as al Improvement oYei
the iIsIl, Aud 10 no infringement against
Inc Bell, and therefore patentabloi but ht
ma not want to be drawn into discussion
sbout thiS validity oil the Bell potent. The
committee hgteed that this would DO i'm
proper.