Evening journal., 1890-10-28
Ahhesrep FoR LIeEL.
Pennsylvania Newspaper Men Arouse Ex-
Governor Pattison's Wrath.


PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 2s. s.-Ex-Governor
Robert ~ Pattison appeared before Magis-
trate Obscen. at his office at Fifteenth
street and Ridge avenue Monday, and sub
scribed to afiidavits charging with libel
james Elverson, president OF The In
quirer company; Charles II. Heustis. edit
or Of The Inquirer, Clayton McMichael.
editor and proprietor Of The North Ameri.
can, and w, L. Jordan and j. ]. Me.
Claurin, of The Harrisburg Call. War.
rants were at once issued by the maais.
trate, which were served during the day on
Messrs. Elverson, Heustis and McMichael.
and a hearing OF the case was arranged
for late in the afternoon before the same
magistrate.
The case Of Messrs. Jordan and Me.
Claurin, Of The Harrisburg Call, will be
held on Wednesday. The article upon
which Governor Pattison bases his libel
suit was prepared by The Harrisburg Call.
morning newspaper published ia that
city, and appeared simultaneously on
Saturday last in that jouEaal and in The
Inquirer and North American, Of this city.
Portions OF the narrative also were printed
in other papers throughout the state. The
Calls leading headlines were as follows.
Turn on the Light-Robert +. Pattison,
Stand Up and See What the Blaze Of the Cal
cium Reveals "The South Pennsylvania
Infamy-True Inwardness OF the Most vii
lainous Legislation That Ever Disgraced
the Commonwealth Of Pennsylvania-pe Per.
tidy, Dishonor, Crime - Judge Blacks
Scathing Exposure Of the Veto That Never
Reached the Senate--Thrilling Tale Of
Base reachery-Unmasking a Self Ex-
tolled Champion Of the Good, the True
and the Beautiful
In the afternoon a hearing was given in
the case. Mr.. Elverson and Mr.. McMiehael
are out of town and the constable had not
served the warrants on the Harrisburg
editors. Mr.. Heustis was present and after
the testimony was held in 81 800 bail
Counsel for Mr.. Elverson consented that
the evidence offered against Mr.. Heustis
should also be considered as having been
offered against Mr. Elverson, and bail for
his appearance was fixed at 81 500. The
hearing OF Messrs. McMichael, Jordan and
McClaurin, was set for Wednesday noon.
Ex-Governor Pattison, Ex-State Senator
Judge, J. G. Gordon, and William S.
Stengen, ex-secretary Of state, swore that
every allegation published in the article
complained OF was false.
The articles complained OF charged that
Governor Pattison had been bribed by the
NandeFbilts to sign what were known as
the South Penn bills of 1888, and that the
governor sought out and retained ex-Ju Judge
jeremiah S Black 10 write veto message
and having received il with the under
standing that il was TO be sent TO the leg.
islature he changed his mind by the next
morning, and without notice to Judge
Black approved the bills, and that Judge
Black denounced Governor Pattison for
this alleged deception and severed all am
icable relations with him. The article also
charged that $4,000 in stock had been paid
TO Governor Pattison and Attorney Gem
! eral Lewis 5. Cassidy for the signing OF a
bill chartering a Pittsburg natural gas
corporation.
AZ the hearing yesterday afternoon Mr.
Pattison testified that the bills referred to
in the article passed the legislature in the
regular way and came to him for his ap.
prevail Before they were signed, Judge
Black requested an opportunity to present
some arguments to show why the bills
should not be approved. This was granted
him, and at the conclusion OF the inter
view the witness said he disagreed with
Judge Black, and told him he could not
concur in his conclusions. Judge Black
tAtA tteANA " DG htAfn lufAntF IN WIlLlnK
During the progress Of his interview with
Judge Black the witness said he never
used such language as was attributed to
him, or anything like it. He went on to
give the reasons which governed his acs
tions at that time and the grounds OF his
objections to two Of the bills. One Of
those grounds was the amount Of capitali.
cation per mile on the new South Penn.
Continuing his evidence, the x-governor,
to show the good feeling existing between
Judge Black and himself up to the time Of
his death, produced testimony showing
that the judge dined with him as late as
June l following the alleged breech be-
tween them. He made a general denial Of
the charges, and said the only truth in the
articles was that he had approved the bills
and Judge Black opposed them; that as
governor OF the state he thought the peo-
pie would be benefited by letting all rail-
road corporations into the state that want
ed TO get ia, but that Judge Black con
tended that in approving the bills he would
only assist in building up another mon
opoly.
Judge Gordon, who was a state senator
at the time, gave corroboratiye evidence.