New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-01-24
MR. LITTLER On TIE STAND
HOW HE RIPPED THE RASCALS Up THE
BACK

WINGED THAT so SILVER POOL EVER TX
1sTEp-sAYs He BOUGHT SILVER FOR
| ,TOE CAMERON PENDING LEG
IsLATIoN-A POOR MEMORY
FOR NAMES AND DATES.
GsY TELEGRAPH To THE TRIBusR.l
,,,.-,,;ro.or Ian o3.-David r. Litter. of Illinois.
~ RI testimony before the silver Pool Committee
=. .o uouse thi, afternoon. ,lr Litter arrived IN
woht,gton last night and s0On after his arrival he
j. said 10 have held 4 long private conference WIN
peprcsentatve Taylor Of Illinois, VINO i ono oi MS
clients and also a member of the Coinage committee
Mr. Litter is politician Of some noe' l. sau 10 De "
man ~ considerable wealth. and rs he testified today
bo + a professional lawyer In Cmcae" dispatch
rhlisbed I'm The Tribune several days ago MI iltler
- ,,nortod as saving that he was on his way To
Washington 10 tell all he knew about SILVER poor III"
rim IN, rascals up the back As Tar as MS 'e'u
uony to-day concerned, the o''N'',P ''N
,roccss must be regarded comparatively hu ana
uainless operation; and he did NOT eAPi'i'' Yep "
a General way. who the rascal,' were upon whom
n ouer,tion with the ooA-curdling name was per
f,,ed althourht he denounced them ~ mars ana
,beir statements rs lies with a. Hu'h cP"Ns Dis
oythorn himself could have used
Mr. Iittler's statements IN regard to the purchase
ard sale Of silver, pending the slNcr '-''"''h u
"'' ,. ve,c to,er,hIy definite. although hi'
"A
ia a certain however. that the purchases ana 'aie'
I'D, before the bill became law vi. Litter
- ,.c... mi bu,inc,, man and he iorcsaN' a. ne 'N
ii,od IN I'm, committee. that silver bullion "olu IA
,o,ce and 80 he bought "a Small H"''cI Vi ''"''
~. s,o 600 worth Of silver on MS own d'''"n'. j."
tro form Of exchange on Calcutta lu'' '''''-"
, hou.c lie was so confident that the ~pecu1
,io, vond be profitable one that h' 'a'Hc" u '''
friends on thc subject and freely expressed W oPo"
ar ,i, ono for whom De bought any silver Wa
cor,.or cameron who ordered Il small amount db"I'
stoooo witness thought that tins also was III '''
form Of exchange ON Calcutta but was not 'rr'a'"'
and his testimony did not make IL qui'' ''''' ""'
Tho "mar-nr was 100000 or whether '' "'n""n
rcprcsentcd by the margin Wa' Tloo'o""' WI wiz !"
exnIan the process Of buying Indian or "hcF DIE ."
exchange by putting up margin an explanation
,bicn might have enlightened some members oil tho
committee. - a.,
cbairr,ap Dinglcv's efforts To- ascertain f.on the
ritr.,, the name, Of any Of the numerous N'na'orS
and Rcprcsentativcs with whom he hhd '"nN'I''u q"
,lc subject and to whom he had freely cNpi'''" INV
oniuion that the silver speculation wa PROMISING
one wcr,. almost fritlc>s lie dd reh'uher anu
awhile t,s, he had talked with senator Vest on III"
subject p. we'll with divers and sUndH "'n'F
Seuator, and Representatives who's" names ~
did not recall at present ON TINS par"'u"'
point hi, memory va, absolute biahh' "' i'''N
rcvecd in aciucncc Of forgctfrln",> 10 rcrr' 10 o
names although he remembered that u" H'N'F ""'
solicited sny BODY to engage in the speculation
don't recall Them at present. was MI L''c' "P"
when pressed for the names.
Hut on one point he most clear ana cmpl"u''
He did believe that silver pool over '-l'''
in tact De felt convinced that non" '\~'1' '' '"''
All ASSERT Oh, 10 The contrary were l'-. Il' ora h'
cxpain the ground, Of h, belief and CONVECTION ule''
hi, testimony that he knew Of no silver lions
IA any senator or Representative. except senator
Cameron could be called such an explanation VhV
side Of that and his small pure iise M L''HF
testified that he knew ~ silver pcculaon'. that j.
bv personal knowledge OF course 81 VIZ nov W.
curLent upon Mr. Litter TO volunteer any explanation
a. :, how IL happened that senator Cameron VINO is
an active aud experienced bu>Lc>~ man ana hI''''cl
OK large wealth. who = familiar with the manner ana
opporunitle, Of making Investment, and VINO d"'Ot''
hn, business associates and relations 10 Ne">"iK ~
well ~ in Philadelphia ii happened mat nc
selected Mr.. Litter. Of springfield Ill., WHO Wa
.oiourulug I'm Washin.to for pleasure Hud l."
attend 10 some Professional business II be Ms
agent u the SILVER speculation Probably NJ 'a''
er0n will take occasion 10 do that when Ie app W
before tbe committee 10 testify, q, Il b, understood
thai he j. aINiUus To- do - a. soon ~ Pa'"'aDe'
Il {, presumed that after reading the report 4 Mr.
Litter, t,.timory. tie senators and Representatives
with whom he ,onvcr,cd and to whom lie expressed
the opinion that a speculation in liver would Weld
handsome returns. bur whose name, lie unfortunate Els
did not recall" day, VIII De anxious to APPEAR
before the committee and give then testimony. lh
fact that would . De- wise course Tor them
TO pursue.
Mr. Litter was asked several questions by members
q the committee which seemed 10 De designed to
elicit something which would tend 10 discrcdit one
of the witnesses for whom subpoena has been Issued
but who has yet been before the committee lie B,
J. A. GWenl,v who asserts that Ire can prove that
II number Of Senators and Representatives. were Ell
gared in silver spccaiIon- and declares his willing
r.saA mall trt.s
that the committee intends in good faith TO 20 To
the bottom Of the matter \, there be
to doubt the good faith OF the committee, Mr. Owcnby
probably Will be willing 10 appear ana tell all he
knows; End he declares that he knows great deal
Perhaps he docs, for IL IS certain That no lncon
siderable amount Of anxiety appears TO be manifested
in some quarters di,crcdt his testimony in
| advance.
In response 70 further questions Mr.. Litter said
he had talked generally with good many people,
senators and others, about silver; but he could no,
| undertake who they were. Never talked with
anybody though. with view 10 inducing them 10
| purchase. He said be only did for Cameron what
one friend would do for another. apd that perhaps
| lie had suggested the purchase. As he remembered
H. the purchase for Cameron also In the form OF
Calcutta exchange. lie had no knowledge as TO where
silver was held He did not recall ever talking with
any other person bought silver, and did not know
who did bny silver
Mr. Ltcr further testified that he had no knowledge
of any conferences being held in Washington else
where during the pending Of the legislation and lie
| had never himself met any gentlemen interested in
| silver legislation.
Mr. Litter's attention then called to an inter.
view In which lie was represcntedA, saying that he
would 70 Washington and rip Of tho
| rascalS up
! ness said rather dry, and added: d" / want 10 say
| that ! have been much provoked at the amount OF
i 1 nj IA cha n