The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-08-25
RAUM IN LEMONS POWER
REPREsENTATIVE COOPER SETS
FORTH SOME UGLY FACTS.

The Order for Completed Files Issued
Day Before the Agent Indorsed
the Commissioner's Note-The Com
missioner Had Previously Refused
to Issue the Order.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 24-Commissioner
Raum has succeeded in securing an adjourn
ment of the House committee investigating
the charges against him until Sept. ia order
to stralghten out his record. Representa-
tive Cooper of Indiana, who introduced the
resolution which secured IRE investigation,
but was purposely left off the Investigating
committee. is thoroughly dissatisfied
with the methods of the committee.
In statement published in the Gazette to-
day he makes the following grave asser-
tions: NEARLY all the important testimony
which sustains the charges has been ruled
out l think / have shown to the satisfac-
tion of every unprejudiced person the in.
solvency record Of Commissioner Raum at
the time Mr.. Lemon went on his notes.
LEMONS FIRST ENDORSEMENT.
II asked Mr.. Rsum if Mr.. Lemon had
ever gone on his note before he became
commissioner of pensions. Mr.. Raum
answered in the negative. When l asked If
anybody except Mr.. Lemon had ever gone
on his note since he had been in Washing
ton, Mr.. Raum declined to answer. The
committee sustained him by a vote of 3 to
2, and this testimony was ruled out.
| was prepared to show that Mr..
Raum was insolvent, that at the
time Mr.. Lemon indorsed the notes
Mr.. Raum owned no property except
his house, which was appraised at $4,000,
with mortgage on it of $2l 900, and that
he was heavily indebted and unable to pay
his numerous creditors except in worthless
stock.
RAUM VERY VISIONARY.
Mr.. Raum is a visionary man, as the tes-
timony shows. l asked Mr.. Rsum If he
had not invested large sums of money in
the Scandia Milling Company of Denver,
| the stock of which was worthless. He re-
| piled that he had He admitted that he had
| invested large sums in the State Mining
| Company, another wildcat concern. |
asked if he had not invested heavily in the
smokeless powder sohemeg At this point
| objection was made by the committee. On
Nov. % Mr.. Lemon requested the order for
the completed files. Ten days after the re-
ceipt Of Mr. Lemons request Deputy Com
| missioner Lincoln wrote a letter, which
was indorsed by Mr.. Raum, refusing TO
make the ruling asked for by Mr. Lemon.
| A SUSPICIOUS COINCIDENCE.
'In the meantime Mr. Raum became in
terestei in the refrigerator patents and
entered into negotiations for the purchase
of the same. He needed the money, but did
| not know where to obtain it. On
| Jan. of this year Mr.. Raum made the
ruling of completed files as requested by
MIR. Lemon, and on the next day, Jan. Z.
the Raum note, indorsed by Mr.. Lemon.
was discounted, and the proceeds deposited
in bank to Mr.. Raums credit. and out of
| thst money Mr.. Raum gave check on the
Bank Of the Republic for the refrigerator
aAv tod on thn Cto and
that it was not till the middle OF
January that he became owner Of the pat
ents, although in the interview he stated
that he owned the patents before he OBJ
tanned the Lemon notes.
RAUM's ALLEGED SECURITY.
"Mr Raum testified that he gave as &C.
curity to Mr.. Lemon 100000 worth OF
stock of the Virginia Gypsum Mining
Company. | asked what the stock
was worth and he replied a great
DEAL On pressing him very close he
could not show that he had put over 81 ,00G
in the plant 1 went to Alexandria when
the refrigerator company was Incorporated,
and found that not stockhOlder nor incor-
porator resided in Virginia. Mr.. Raum
admitted that the reason why his company
h been Incorporated in Virginia was be-
cause the laws governing the Incorporation
of companies were more lax there than III
the district.
| ABOUT THE BOOKS.
"I asked Mr. Raum to produce
his books, as l could show by them that
stock was purchased by the clerks In the
pension office He refused but at the re-
quest of the committee he produced what
he called the original stock book, but re-
fused to let me examine it. The COMMITTEES
left their seats aud went forward where the
chairman sat at the head of the table and
made an examination of 1t. They said !
could cross-examine Mr.. Raum about the
books If | wanted to. OF course, l de-
clined. / could not afford to cross-examine
q witness about books had not seen.
RULING OUT TESTIMONY.
"Most of the testimony that was i'm
portant and bearing on the case was ruled
out on the ground that | must first show
that he (Mr. Raum had made an un air
ruling in Mr. Lemons favor. | remarked
that the character of the ruling would be
largely determined by the method in which
it was procured that there might be a
difference of opinion as to the effect, but If
l could show that it was corruptly procured
then there could be but one opinion as to
the character of the ruling.
"The s. 10 cases of Lemons that were
taken up and advanced do not include Mr.
Lemons share in the Sc, 900 cases that were
put forward In bulk by the office. At least
5000 of Mr.. Lemons cases were original,
ard at $25 each bring a revenue tc
Mr.. Lemon of 100000, and 1000 other
cases at 80 increase Mr. Lemons revenue
$4,000 a very handsome amount"