Sacramento daily record-union., 1890-09-09
COMMISSIONERS RAU8.
Testimony Taken Before the Committee
Investigating His Actions

WASHINGTON, September Sth-The Raum in.
vestigation was resumed to day, ana Lemon
was called to the stand. He read a prepared
statement, which was TO the effect that as the
first charge did not concern him, he had moth
ing to say. As to the sec0pd charge, which re-
feTred to himself, he said he had known General
Raum for twenty five years. His financial stand
ing was high, ano his indTose were men of
reputation. SO when ne wanted money TO open
up the mining property, witness indorsed two of
his notes-one for S2,C0J and one for 10000
which were subsequently extended.
Respecting the charge that witness secured an
undue advantage from the completed flies order,
he said the completed files order WIS not
novelty 10 principle, but il had been the prae-
tice of the office for years towards the end of
the fiscal year TO pick ont sueh completed cases
and dispose OF them such had been done by
Commissioner BLACK. II was a wise practice.
The charge that Commissioner Raum had
given him any undue advantage in the COM
pleted files order was sn unqualified islsehood.
and furthermore, II would be absolutely an i'm
possibility Tor the Commissioner to favor nm.
Witness never asked anything from Commis-
sioner Raum or any other Commissioner to
which he was not entitled as an attorney.
Unfair as Cooper had been, he invited him to
come to his Office and examine every case and
every employe. He wanted him to come in The
front door like a man, aud not hunt up dis
charged CLERKS that would obviate a necessity
Tor making baseless charges.
Cooper cross-examlned the witness He asked
what the witness fortune was, to which the
witness promptly rep led that it was none OF his
business, and returned the same answer to the
next qus stiOn, as TO he amount OF his annual
income Cooper then returned to the attack by
asking If witness had been charged with forging
Mr. Colfax's name TO 2 certificate and replied
that he had not. II the committee desired to go
into that, ne wished to be allowed to call
witness, as it related to q transaction twenty
two years ago
General naum had first spoken to witness
about money matters in January, before he
became Commissioner. When the witness
proposition to make an order like the completed
files order was under discussion, Deputy Com
missioner Lincoln objected; that its effect would
be to turn all of the Office force upon witness
cases, but that was a wrong belief The com
pleted files order was made January 9th, and
witness indorSed the note January 7th. Ee did
not then know that the order had been issued.
The effect of the order upon cases i'll the ordi-
nary files was beneficial as it reduces the files
in number and encouraged the effort to com
plete the cases.
Lemons testimony having been concluded
Cooper renewed his request for production of
the books of the Refrigerator Company, assert
ing that they would show that the refrigerator
was fraud and the Commissioner had been
manipulating rom the Pension Office a traudu-
lent scheme.
Commissioner Raum said ne was present to
answer charges of official misconduct, and had
done so completely. The committee had seen
the stock book of the company. He denied
that the refrigerator was fraud. Cooper
knew he had sold no stock to Pension Office
employees. There was conspiracy in this city,
and Cooper was being used as a tool to break
down his (Raums) credit. Cooper knew the
charges were dismal failure and could not be
sustained, and he wished to draw in other
things, so as By hook or crook, to iDjure him
(Rsum). He should rest on his legal rights
and refuse to have his private business dragged
out by Cooper.
Cooper insisted on the necessity for produc-
tion OF the books as the best proof OF the stock
holders.
The committee, after a private consultation,
decided that it would reserve its decision on
the question until it had an opportunity to
ascer; r;ain the exteat of its powers to compel the
production of private papers
Adjourned