The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-04-20
FROM THE CAPITAL.
Attorney-General Garland
Before the PaD-Electric
Investigating Com
mlttee.

WASHINGTON CITY, April Ca new |
impetus was given the Pan Electric tele
phone investigation Monday by the appear
in,e of Attorney General Garland in the
witness chair The committee room was
we'll filed with spectators and keen
interest was manifested throughout his ex
animation.
Mr. Garland after being sworn reaffirmed
and askei to have put in evidence
his statement made TO the president
and the cabinet last October
concerning his connection with the Pan
Electric company He said that as far back
as February, 1885, befo Mr Cleveland had
been mentioned for the presidency, and he,
the witsess, had been thought of for the
attorney goneralship, Mr. Atkins, the pres
ent commissioner OF Indian affairs, came to
him and mentioned the Fan Electric inyen-
tion, and suggested that witness, being
poor man like himself, ought to enter into
the enterprise. Mr. Garland told Mr. At
kins that he had never made any
money except at law and poker,
and at poker he frequently lost, and so hesi
ated about going into the company, He
promised Mr.. Atkins that he would consider
tha matter Subse nently he met Mr.. Har-
ris, Casey Young, Mr. Atkins and DIR.
Rogers Mt the latters house, where they
talked about the general idea of organiza-
tion of the Pan Electric company, and he
CoaCluled TO go into it. When later on par
ties cane to him to urge him as attorney
general to bring a suit against the Bell
company by the government he at
on,e refused to do SO. He had looked into
the mater carefully and concluded that
owing to his interest ia the Pan Electric
company, he coulin touch it and wouldn't
touch it
In reference to the Memphis suit, he said
the application cam i'll the latter part OF
August 1855, just before he left for his Sep
tember vacation in Al AIkansas He said
nothing TO ohcitor General Goode about it
because he had no more control
that gentleman than he had over
a member of congress, He had
never talked with the solicitor general
about the pending Columbus suit Never
saw the papers filed in the interior depart
ment which led to the hearing before Secre.
tary Lamar. Had never talked with Secre-
tary Lamar, nor the gentleman who sat
with him IN that hearing abont the matter
and had abstained from talking with the
pitoidtlb htCut lHcSo IiitisAN
Mr. Garland, going back to the organiza-
ton of the Fan Electric company, declared
1t was simply an undertaking by five or six
impe, uniou, men who wanted to better their
condition i'll legitimate business enterprise
He never intended to use his official po
sion, Eeing then a United States
senator, in the interest of the com
pany. The orisinal stockholders had paid
in their asses ments and went ahead
in proper manner to expand the thing and
bring out Il he Rogers invention. They had
never tried to boom" the business He for
one took hold OF IT as Il legitimate business
venture and regretted that it hadn't panued
ont better
In reply to question from Chairman
Boyle Mr. Garland said he hal never
looked into the question of the legality
of ;ssuo of the Fell patent Ho
regarded the Rogers patent as an improve
ment over the Bell and as no infringement
against the Bell and therefore patentable
| hut h. didn't wr"t to he drawn into "A dia-
cussion about Il validity cf the Eel patent
| Tho committee agreed that this would hc
| improper
Van Benthuysen AMI others came TO him
IN July, lN>a, representing some telephone
| interest to ask him as attorney general to
| tring suit in tie name of the gov ernment.
| He si3ply told them that he cou,d not have
| ans thing to do with il, rs be was a stock
| holder ia the Pan Electric Company, a rival
| OF the Eeli company That was the last talk
| he had with anybody abe ut it until after
/ his return rom Arkansas, Gnd the thing
had gone ont of hi, mind until he received
u dispatch in Little Rock from parties
in New Orleans informing him that lie
was being compliuented for having directed
"a suit to he brought against the Bell com.
pany. He supposed an Benthuysen and his
friends wouli so to Solicitor General Goods
at once When he refused to touch their
papers He never in the world told any
one that in his absence an application could
be made to the solicitor general. He never
mentioned the fact TO Mr. Goode that al
application for suit was on file in fact
never mentioned telephone matters to Mr..
Goode until after his return from his
Arkansas trip
He denies positively that he timed his
visit tlat be might lie away from
Washington while the solicitor general wa
considering the application He made ar
rangements to go six weeks before leaving
He went to Arkan'as as had been his prac
tIce for number of years in the month OF
September when deer wers ripe and as h.
went Tor re- reaton AMI 40 got away from
business, from letters ani Iapars ha di-
rected that none he sent to him al
Hominy Hill whore g s. ent the month
Honiny Hill the attorney general said wa
fifteen miles from Little Rock and sevsntee,
miles from anywhere else and he ncve