Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-02-05
He Shows That He Knows Much but
He Will Not Divulge His
Information.
tie Intimates That a Senator Wx
Connected With the Silver
Pool.
His knowledge is All Contained
in Books and He Remembers
Nothing.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 2.-Mr. Taylor said
he did not know of any senator or other
representatives having bought silver, be.
fore the silver pool investigating commit
tee this morning. Witness did not buy
any silver before the law went into effect
nor while the legislation was pending. He
had dealt some in wheat since he had been
; In congress. He ha6, after a consultation
| with the president secretary of the treas
ury and director of the mint (by whom is
| was approved) introduced bill at the be-
| ginning OF the present session looking to the
purchase of the $4,000, 900 Ounces surplus
In the United States He did not hold an
ounce of silver at that time and did not
before the introduction of the bill have any
conference with any man supposed to own
silver.
Representative Clunie, of California,
testified that he never dealt in silver and
did not know any senator or representa-
tive who had.
JAS. A. Owenby was sworn. He resided,
he said, in New York but spent most of
his time In Washington. His business
last year was that of broker.
He handled all sorts of securities, and
when he had an opportunity, dealt In sill
yer.
His original business was mining.
He had desk room in the Office of Wells,
Fargo & Co., In New York.
Mr.. Payne asked if witness talked with
Stevens, the correspondent of the Globe
Democrat, about the silver pool.
Witness-"I probably have used the
word pool in speaking of parties in
conversation about silver. | had some
knowledge of different parties who | be-
lieved were engaged in silver training;
but of an organized pool | don's believe
did. He had seen accounts upon the
books of Wells, Fargo & Co. Witness
out if any names on the books were
those of senators or representatives.
He evaded these questions and volunteer
ed the suggestion that the committee
| should have experts examine the books of
| Wells, Fargo & Co. During the testi-
mony, witness at one time asked if his
questioner meant 1.-THE books of any
bank" Mr.. Payne wanted to know after
a while what witness meant by this ques-
ton and finally learned that he referred
to the books of J. M. Donald, cashier of
the III mover National bank, and of Hall
the assistant cashier
Owensby was asked if on any OF these
books, was the name OF any senator or re-
preventative.
And after considering the question
awhile he replied, Donald had once picked
upa letter, while they were canvassing
the silver situation and said:
That man is in it, know what he
will do"
Mr.. Payne-''He mentioned the name
did her"
Owenby-'You are very anxious to have
me mention that, are you; yes, | will state
positively it was a senator's name.
AS an excuse for not being able to give
information, with regard to other ques-
tions asked, Owenby said that the in
| formation was in his books. The
books refened to were his private
affairs, and he would not state
how thev could be obtained unless com
PEELED to do so. He was doing business in
| Chicago and was interested with the firm
of Field, Wercher & King. There husi-
ness was of a personal nature, and it would
probably be detrimental to the firm to state
where the books, accounts and stocks are
kept. He did not remember what was in
! the books and he did not
want to. Other questions brought
oat the fact that outside of these books,
witness had in his trunk and other recep-
tacles memoranda relating to silver specu-
lations. The deputy sergeant-at had
brought him 20 Washington in suCh a
hurry that he forgot all about the papers
in New York.
The committee then adjourned.