New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-08-23
GENERAL RAUM ON THE STAND
DEFENDING HIMSELF BEFORE THE HOUSE
SPECIAL COMMITTEE.
MR.. CooPERs IMPERTINENT AND IRRELEVANT
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS TRYING TO
INJURE THE PERSONAL CREDIT OF
THE PENSION COMMISSIONER.
fey TELEGRAPH TO TIE TKIBUNE.l

oucer conduct of Prosecutor Cooper who insisted on
asking all sorts Of irrelevant and impcrtncnt que
and had 10 be continually held in check lie eAipi'c"
a spirit and degree OF spite which closely resembieo
mallpnfv and which must have seriously injured his
cosc-f indeed he has any case. on the very
threshold of the investigation he attempted 10 prove D!
General Raum himself that the latter Is, ana lor years
has BEEN a creator or promoter oil "iiuca" ooiPo"
lions and speculatons, and that his business Iuuehe'
s as unsound as his alleged business ventures nave
heen unsuccessful Many Of Mr.. Cooper's questions
we've so grossly impairment visiby to disgust Inc
Democratic members Of the committee, DOM Va "no'
are LAWYERS and who knew that the qucS'lohs "oui"
not be admitted in any magistrates court cNeh III
Southern Indiana ,
some Of the spectators present. who have attended
many other investigations by committees Oh |onb'e
rerc astounded: and several of them began to sus-
moot that Mr. Cooper through either ignorance or DC
sign was trying to injure General Raulhs perSoi"'
credit and his private business interests raer IMAM "
find out whether not the AFFAIRS OF the rcilSi"h
purcau were honestly and efficiently managed by him.
In answer 10 questions by Mr. Cooper the 'o'ninis
or described the details Of the formation OF tiio
refricerator company which was organized on 'ahua!
IA 1900 lie said he mad paid part OF the money u''o
D., the comnanv Oh his stock at the time OF organza
ton, probably using some Of the " Lemon money LOT
the purpose but he had good deal OF money az 'o
,imo and drew a check on the Bank Of the Republic
Mr. Cooper asked witness he had money deposited
Tho commissioner declined to answer the question
Mr. Cooper argued that he had right to trace up
the Lemon money In this way The "lthcsS' lie saiu
Yesterday had conveyed the impression that all OF tha
money went into the West Virginia gypsum mine
The Commissioner replied that all OF the money
| had NOT been invested in the mining company, ana
that he had money in other banks than the BANK Oh
tho Republic lie declined TO say how much h tIio
Lemon money paid in TO the refrigerator company
MIR. Cooper presented article published In Tho
Cincinnati Commercial Gazette" on June 9, containing
= denial Of the truth of the charges brought by Mr.
Cooper
Tho Commissioner denied that the article had been
nrcnarcd In his Office and had been taken to Genea
Boynton. lie had had number OF interviews dDo"'
that time with newspaper men on this subject
Mr. Cooper said that lie would call General Boynton
as he expected 10 prove that the article had becn SUP
mitted to the witness in typewrtng at the wines
eouest before publication. He also called attention
"a the fact that the article stated that the ComIis
soncr had obtained his interest in the refrigerator
company before he became Commissioner OF PENSIONS
statement which conictcd with his testimony yestcr
day.
Tho Commissioner said that lie lad stated In gchcr
terms that he had taken up the refrigerator business
in advance which was a fact and the newspaper man
might have got the impression that his investment hh
been made al that time. The interview was he addcd
substantially correct. Continuing, he sald mat III
owned majority OF the stock of the Gypsum Mining
Company. The first payment on that account VIM"
was in the form Of a payment upon lease hau peo
$4,000.
Mr. Cooper again sought to learn how much vas
paid for the mining stock but the witness declined l"
answer the question and sustained by the com
mittee.
Mr.. Cooper next sought TO ascertain what business
ventures the witness had engaged IN: but ai'er uc
velOplng the fact that he held stock In two deiuhc,
mining companies the committee cut OF tins line Oh
off oh Mr. protested
70 impeach the witnesses Judgment as to the value OIL
mining and other stock enterprises. Mr. cooper an
nounced that he wished 10 show that General Raun
| was insovent when Mr.. Lemon went on his note
Moreover. he expected TO prove that George Lemon
| knew IT,
Chairman Merrill said that he did not see the reic
vspcy Of this testimony, unless it shown that The
| Commissioner had done something Improper, ana
| meanwhile it tended TO nIure the witness
Mr. Cooper held that the turptitude was s/sYn in
every line OF the charges 1t gross ndclcacy 70
say the least for the witness 10 borrow money it0h
Mr.. Lemon.
| Commissioner Raum said that under the Gse OF
friendship Mr. Cooper was seeking 10 break down his
character and credit by trying TO show that ne was
| lnsolvent That not the is-ue IL was ~helh'r
or not he had been corrupt in Office. lie was not he
| asserted an ins0vent man when he borrowed ue
| money.
Tho committee then declined 10 take testimony upon
| thc ,,olnt Of the witnesses solvency.
The examination was interrupted at this point for
| fine and General II. V. Boynt0n, correspondent Oh
The Cincinnati Commercial Gazette was put on inc
stand and questioned relative to the in~Vle" pc'"'c
referred TO- The witness said that the article except
the introduction had been hanGed TO him By another
CORRESPONDENT Conquest Clarke. with the statement
| that General Eaum would like 10 have him nave IL.
| witness had previously asked General Ranm Tor a
statement hut received this in the regular course OF
| news exchange. ,.
| Anor a short recess the examination Of Commits
,ono- p,pm was resumed He said that probably
Mr. Lemon had spoken 20 him abont advanced cases
before he submitted his letter Certainly othcr at
| ,mncvs had done so. At great length the Commits
sioner described the progress of pension case through
the Pension ONCE dcvoting especial attention 70 INC
system OF completed files. Under the procedure no"
In vogue he said the Office relied solely upon the ocu
acae OF the atoney-who was assumed TO be credible
person. being accredited by cour-tlat INC CASE wa
!, complete and ready for action
Mr. Cooper remarked that he objected to thai
, | procedure.
You didn't always object" replied the Commits
, sioner.
Mr. Cooper wished to know what he meant. and th'
| witness replied you have HE'D humorous ano
thousands Of slips for attorneys
| Mr.. Cooper-As member oi Congress
wtness-Yes, but for attorneys
Mr. Cooper-Well, did nol do 1t while you vert
, | In Office.
Witness could not state whether or not the privat
claimant was placed at disadvantage rs compare
, | with the attorney The responsibility for pOmp
, action upon pension claims was, by the complete.
dies order, shifted from the lnresl TO the claimant
and In the opinion Of the witness, that order ht
great merit. lie admitted that oneha OF the hlril
cases selected by Mr. Lemon as complete, were rll
ncompletc: and that true OF many of the othc
cases There blockade Of cases In the hna
adjudicatlng divisions when the order was issued Us
January The blockade did not last long. Altosethe
he would say that the Pension once was now OWN
. largely to the labor OF the employs an eAceilii
machine for the transaction Of the public business.
4 "For the attorneys" commented Mr. Cooper .
"Wen' replied the Commissioner. Il believe tha
when the attorney gets his fees the old soldier Is no
!, | far behind"
Z ale is unless he happens 10 have an attorney,
| reloined Mr.. Cooper. =,
= | The Commissioner produced statement OF tn
cases on the completed files showing that there wer
now 115,564 snch cases Including all Of Mr. Lemon
| rasoa Eonr othcr atfOrnevg had JGS 4lOI. 81