Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-09-09
LEMON ON THE STAND.
A Little Life at last Infused Into the
Raum Investigation.
THOSE TWO NOTES FOR $4,000
Endorsed the Day After the Completed Files
Order Was Made.
A REFUSAL TO PRODUCE THE BOOKS

WASHINGTON, September s.-The Raum
investigation was resumed to-day, and Mr..
Lemon was called to the stand. He read
prepared statement, which was to the effect
that as the first charge did not concern him,
he had nothing to say. As to the second
charge, which referred to himself. he said
that he had known General Raum for %
years. His financial standing was high, and
his indorsers were men of reputation. So
when he wanted money to open up his
mining property witness Endorsed two OF his
notes, one for $1,000 and one for $4,000.
which were subsequently extended.
Respecting the charge that witness Sc
cured undue advantage from the completed
files order he said that the completed files
order was not novel in principe, but that it
had been the practice of the Office for years.
toward the end of the fiscal year, to pick
out such completed cases and dispose of
them. That had been done by Commits
sioner Black. 1t was wise practice.
AN UNQUALIFIED FALSEHooD.
The charge that Commissioner Raum had
given him any undue advantage in the
completed files order was an unqualified
falsehood, and Furthermore it would be an
absolute impossibility for the Commissioner
to favor him. He could not do it if he
would. He Nemon) denied in the broadest
terms that the order was asked for or intend
ed to apply to his case or in any manner to
favor him over other attorneys. 1t was
general rule against which nothing could
be said except from ignorance or malice.
Witness had never asked anything from
Commissioner Raum, or any other Commits
sioner, to which he was not entitled as an
attorney. Unfair as Mr.. Cooper had been,
he invited him to come to his Office any day
and examine every case and every emplove.
He wanted him to come in the front door,
like man, and not hunt up discharged
clerks. That would obviate the necessity
for making baseless charges:
COOPER ASKS SOME QUESTIONS.
At the conclusion Of the reading Of the
paper, Mr.. Cooper cross-examined the wit
ness. He asked what witness fortune was,
to which witness promptly replied: "Fhat
is none of your business" and returned the
same answer to the next question, as to the
amount of his annual income.
Mr.. Cooper then returned to the attack by
asking if he had not been charged with forg-
ing Mr.. Colfax's name to a certificate.
Witness replied that be had not. If the
committee wished to 60 into that he wished
to be allowed to call witnesses, as it is re-
lated to transaction % years ago. General
Raum had first spoken to witness about
money matters in January, before he became
commissioner. When witness proposition
to make an order like the completed files
order was under discussion, Deputy Com
missioner Lincoln had objected that its ef-
feet would be to turn all of the force of the
Office upon witness case; but that was a
wrong belief
JUST A COINCIDENCE.
The completed files order was made jan
uary 6, and witness Endorsed the note JAN
uary7. Did not then know that the order
had been issued. The order was not sub
ject of conversation between himself and
the commissioner when the Endorsement was
made The effect Of the order upon cases in
the ordinary files was beneficial, as it re-
duced the files in number and encouraged
effort to complete cases.
Mr.. Lemons testimony having been con-
cluded, Mr.. Cooper renewed his request for
the production Of the books of the refriger-
ator company, asserting that they would
show that the refrigerator was fraud, and
that the commissioner had been manipu-
lating from the Pension Office a fraudulent
scheme. The committee would not be doing
its full duty if it failed to turn its light
upon that enterprise.
Commissioner Raum said he was present
to answer charges Of official misconduct, and
had done SO completely. The committee
had seen the stockbook OF the company. He
denied that the refrigerator was fraud. Mr..
Cooper knew that he had sold no stock
TO pension Office employees. The men who
penned the lying articles knew they were
lying when they wrote them.
A CONSPIRACY AGAINST HIM.
There was conspiracy in this city, and
Mr. Cooper was being used as tool to break
down his (Raum's) credit. The committee
saw the papers day by day filled with lying
articles. Mr.. Cooper knew that the charges
were dismal failure, and could not be sus-
tanned, and he wished to drag in other
things, so by hocus pocus or hook or crook,
to injure him (Raum). He should rest on
his legal rights and refuse to have his
private business dragged out by Mr.. Cooper.
Mr.. Cooper insisted on the necessity for
the production OF the books as the best proof
of the stockholders, and declared that the
commissioners testimony had been contra
dicted by Mr.. Smyser, who had since told
the minority members of the committee that
he had not put 81 into the stock.
The committee, after a private consu1ta-
tion, decided that it would reverse its de-
cIsion upon the question until it had an op-
portunity to ascertain the extent of its
powers to compel the production of private
papers, adjourned.