Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-01-29
SILVER POOL TESTIMONY.
Representative Dockery Tells why Senator
Vests Appearance Was Delayed.

| sstbhe-chiabSc DOchery AehS why Seu8IOr
| Vests Appearance Was Delayed.
| IT WAS TO PREVENT HIS TESTIMONY BEING GIVEN
| UNTIL SENATOR CAMERON SHOULD BE RE-
| ELEcTED-HE WAS SATISFIED cAMERoN's WOULD
| BE ONE MORE VOTE AGAINST THE FORCE BILL
Gen. H. V. Boynton, correspondent Of the
Cincinnati Commercial Gazette. testified before
the silver pool investigating committee yester-
day that gentleman of as good reputation as
| any man in this town, who was here by sum-
| mons of the committee, said to him that being
in the room he had heard-he wished particu-
larly to say had not ''oyerheard'--a CONVERSE
ton between Mr.. Dingley and lr. Payne. 1t
was to the effect that Mr.. Dingley and Mr..
Payne were talking in regard to the testimony
that had come out affecting Senator Cameron,
and each was apparently explaining to the other
that he had no knowledge or expectation that
| such testimony to come out, expressing
surprise at the testimony and practically apol-
| ogizing to each other that it had come out III
| the investigation. He therefore said Mr.. Dun
| nell was justified in sending out the dispatch.
Cen Boynton declined to give the name OF his
! informant.
Mr.: Dingley suggested that it was entirely
| possible that he might have said he regretted
exceedingly that any Congressman should have
| done any act which made il necessary that
| such facts should be brought out; but that was
very different from the statement that the COM
| mttee would have kept the testimony ont or
had purposely delayed it. That was totally I'M
true. AS matter of fact, both he and Mr..
Payne wanted TO continue the hearing on Mon
day, but MIR. Oates wanted an adjournment.
GEN. BoYSToNs STATEMENT.
Gen. Boynton was then permitted to make
statement in connection with the matter which
he had for some time been endeavoring to
make. He said that the day before the investi-
CATION began Mr.. Stevens, who was in the
same Office with him, received message that it
was the desire Of the committee that he (Stev-
| ens) should either be late next day or prolong
his testimony. The purpose of the committee
was to adjourn inmed iately after the conclusion
of his testimony until the next Wednesday, be-
cause Vest would not appear and give his testi-
mony in reference to Cameron until after the
following Tuesday. Witness had heard the
same thing two or three days before. Taking
all these things together he thought the con-
clusion reached very reasonable.
Gen. Boynton suggested that Mr.. Tanner and
Representative Abner Taylor might give the
committee some information.
WHAT MIR. STEVENS HEARD.
Mr.. Stevens of the st. Louis Globe Democrat
said he was the one who reported the interview
to Gen. Boynton.
Directing his testimony to Mr.. Dingley he
said:
"You began talking in a whisper, became
more earnest, raised your voice and we're talk
ing loud before you got through l heard Mr..
Dingley say something to this effect: 1T was an
entire surprise to me (meaning the Vest testi-
mony). did not know he going to testify
to any such thing as that You Cunning to
Mr.. Payne) said: 4 had no idea what he
going to say 1t struck me if you were
each taken by surprise and were trying to ex-
plain it to each other. There seemed to be ex-
pressions that the circumstances under winch
the testimony was brought out were peculiar
and that you regretted the time at which it was
brought OUT
Mr.. Dingley and NJ. Payne said that while
they may lave said something of the sort testi-
fed to by Mr.. Stevens they had no purpose ex-
cept to get at all the information promptly
| as possible, and they thought the publications
were not Justified
DELAY DELIBERATELY DELAYED.
Representative Dockery testified that it had
| been his desire to have the testimony of Sena-
tor Vest delayed as it was. He said: I did not
want to bring out the testimony concerning
Senator Cameron until Wednesday. l have no
concealment about that now. During the time
the resolution was pending before the ommittee
| / formed the belief that there were parties who
| might desire to use that testimony in respect to
another bill. was informed by Senator that
another gentleman had approached HIM q do
| not use approached in an offensive way and
suggested to the Senator that it would be just
as well to let the resolution for an investigation
| drop. To that suggestion the Senator APP
preached replied that he could not afford to do
that and that he wanted the resolution pushed.
The Senator then asked the gentleman why
he wanted it dropped. This man replied that
| he did not cure about it himself, but that he
| understood that some Of the boys had bought
| silver; and the impression the Senator got was
| that they were nervous and wanted the thing
| stopped. When asked to say who the boys
| were, the gentleman named two Representa-
tiyes. The conversation was given to me. and
thereupon 1 pushed the resolution. Now, !
| will state very frankly why l wished the testi-
| mony delayed.I believe that influences were be-
ing brought ON the Senator in question (meaning
| the Senator who was said to be connected with
silver speculation TO make him vote for the
| force bill, and 50 l wanted the investigation
delayed in the hope of getting one more vote.
1t was just a straw which proved very sub
| stantisl, and l want it distinctly understood
| that had no assurances whatever and merely
| went on the common rumor that his vote on the
force bill was doubtful. No, | did not think
| that the exposure at that time would enhance
his prospects.
publicity to the names of the two Representa-
| tives who were mentioned. but he would do sc
privately. Senator Vest Was the man who gave
him the information about the conversation.
OTHER REPRESENTATIVES sPECULATED.
Mr.. O'Brien Moore Of the st. LOUIS Republic
| was the next witness. He said he had no knowl-
edge. personally concerning silver speculation.
He had heard that Representatives Clunie OF
California and ketcham Of New York were will
ing TO testify that they had specialized in silver
and that Mr.. Clunie had lost money by it.
| He had advised Mr.. Peel not to serve on the
committee, because MIR. Perkins of Kansas. who
was his friend. had secured his appointment.
Mr.. Peel was sworn and stated that this was
true; but, he said that if MIR. Perkins expected
! 10 be screened by his (Peers) appointment he
had sawed the limb OH between himself and
the tree. for he would probe the matter to the
| bottom.