Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-12-15

George E. Lemon, the pension attorney, was
before the Raum investigating committee To-
day. Mr.. Lemon testified that he had never
recommended to Commissioner Raum the ap.
pointment Of any person in his employ. He
did not recall in his whole career ever having
recommended any person to any com.
missioner Of pension, save Mr.. whelpley,
whom he recommended to Commissioner
Tanner, but whelpley was not appointed. He
had never spoken to Commissioner Raum about
the appointment or promotion of any person,
and had never directly or indirectly requested
any other person to secure an appointment
from the pension Office. He employed 90 to 100
persons: and in his twenty-five years practice
as pension attorney had employed Between
2OO and 800 different persons.
On cross-examnatiOn by Mr.. Cooper Mr..
Lemon said Whelpley had been in the pension
ONCE before coming into his employ. During
the last campaign he got leave Of absence,
and at Gen. Dudley's instance was EMPLOYED
by the national republican committee. After
the campaign Whelpley became q candidate for
deputy commissioner OF pensions. but he did
not get the place. Witness recommended him
because he was competent.
After objection and at the request Of the
chairman witness told the salary he had paid
Whelpley and Eainey when they were in his en-
ploy. There were several passages between
witness and Mr.. Cooper and the former charac-
ter,zcd us untrue the declarations of the latter.
Inc consequence OF the completed files order
Is that it has naturally operated rs a private
order for the benefit Of the man who procured
Its making. OF the thirty test cases submitted
by Mr.: Lemon, the evidence shows only Is per
cent OF them were completed in fact"
lie explained that of the 115,455 claims put in
under that order witness had only S,11O.
He certainly had more than One-fourteenth
OF the claims before the pension Office. A
man named Stevens. an outside attorney filed
3, l53 claims under the order and from sixty to
eighty thousand of the claims filed had been
put IN by attorneys outside of Washington.
He said he had never Endorsed any note for
Gen. Raum except for Sc. 900 with the Bank of
the Republic, never procured any money for
the general at the Citizens National Bank. for
Gen. Raum had been depositor there for
years and whatever accommodation he got was
on the strength of his indOrsers, who were
among the best men in the city. Gen. Ram,
never came to witness to secure the discountinc
OF any paper. He declined to give the amounts
OF notes discounted by the Citizens National
Bank. but offered to give the names of the in
dOrsers
The various questions about these financial
transactions raised little breeze all around.
which finally subsidized when Mr.. SAWYER sug-
Sested that the line of inquiry be postponed
untlt the full committee could pass upon the
matter.
Edward Renaud. n former clerk in the pen
slo', office. who WIS dismissed by Commissioner
Raum after the publication of articles CRITICS.
ing the management of the pension Office in
the New York Iy,,Jsape. was called to the stand
and asked II he had written or inspired publ
catlofs charging the commissioner with intilni-
dating CLERKS from making adverse comments
on the management of the Office By threats of
dismissal.
Witness declined to answer, on the ground
that Gen. Raum had made scrrrilous and libel
GUS statements affecting witness personal
character and party loyalty, and suit for dam
ages had been entered. ANY answers made
now might prematurely disclose matters in
yOlved in witness libel suit