Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-01-24
INTERROGATING NAVAL OFFICERS
[Continued from First PAGE. I

un0mcially, that he would be glad to help III
and advised us to have the bill introduced in
bers on both sides and have taken steps to THU
end. do not know whether or not this could
be called an organization"
MONEY RAISED FOR PRINTING.
"N-no," said the witness, when asked If this
body had solicited money for the purpose OF
influencing legislation. I'VE raised about s2C
by contributions for the payment Of the ex.
pense Of printing our circulars"
The witness is also a member of the line
officers organization, and he explained that in
cases of necessity when acts were before Con-
gress affecting the interstate Of the line officers
the central committee would wait on members
OF Congress and present arguments for OF
against the proposed legislation.
THE THoMAs-cowIg CIRCULARS.
he, too, had evidently been on Mr.. Thomas
mailing list, for he had received the renowned
as circular and the Cowie letter. Copies Of
these documents, which had escaped their gen.
eral waste-basket fate, were produced and iden.
titled by the witness. The judge advocate ther
read them.
The witness knew Of no acceptance Of Mr..
Thomas proposition.
In reply to Mr.. Loring Ensign Alger said that
the line officers organization had no constitu.
ton or bylaws. When the witness was a mem.
Der OF the committee. in 1888, they waited or
ization. He supposed that this practice was
continued each year.
MEDICAL OFFICERS EXAMINED.
The court took half hours recess at ~ 80.
Upon reassembling at / o'clock Medical In
spector VIM. X. Van Reypen was called to the
stand and testified that he knew nothing to his
own knowledge of naval officers organization
lie knew positively that there was no such
organization among the officers of the medical
corps of the navy,
lie also had been presented with token of
Mr.. Thomas attention.
Passed Assistant Surgeon W. A. McClurg was
IN the same state of ignorance as to the exist.
ence OF naval organizations as his predecessor
on the witness stand, and had received the
Thomas letter.
Medical Inspector Henry NJ. Wells gave cor.
roborative testimony, his evidence eliciting nc
new points.
NO UNIFORM AND NO INFORMATION.
Pay Inspector Albert s. Kenny had some
difficulty about getting his uniform to the de-
partment in time, and so he was permitted te
appear before the court in citizens clothes. He
did not know anything personally of any naval
organizations.
The court at 2:4O adjourned to meet at 1C
O'Clock tomorrow morning.
THE LETTER FROM MR.. THOMAS.
The circular letter from Paymaster Cowie
referred to during the proceedings, dated
December g. 1889, announced that Hon. John
r. Thomas of Illinois had been engaged as at
torney to advocate the bill Paymaster Cowie
had framed for the reorganization and equal.
cation of the pay of the personnel of the navy
and urged officers to take an interest in the bill
and to respond to communications from Mr.
Thomas. Inclosed with this circular was one
from Mr.. Thomas stating that his acceptance
of the proposition to take charge of the bill is
dependent upon the approval of the naval
officer to whom the circular was sent the re.
mittance of a retainer fee of IS in advance
and a contingent fee equal to 10 per cent of the
average increase of pay of each officer for @
year. A contract to this effect was inclosed fol
the officers to sign