St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-02-04

was the victim of verbal contracts
Witness was to give all the information
he could possibly get His personal
expenses were to be paid and he was
to share and share alike with those
who went into the purchase of silver.
Donald was to carry the silver for him
and agreed to carry 245,C ounces. For
his personal expense in Washington he
drew on Donald. Ownbey said he had
borrowed some $500 from Donald, giving
a note. That was done, in order to
keep witness accounts at the bank
straight until after settlement on the
silver transaction. Donald still held
the note, and had never paid witness
anything on the silver deal either. Mr.
Payne next read the letter from Par
sons laid before the committee by Own
bey. 1t was in effect letter on the
subject of the prospects and present
working condition of
The BatOpOlis Mine
in Mexico. Owenby said the reason he
had previously insisted on its reading
standing with Parsons from what he
had when Parsons went on the stand.
Wells, Fargo & Co. were the financial
agents of the company; Parsons wanted
witness to see gentleman named FoW-
Ter and induce HIM to buy some OF the
cOmpany's bonds. The examination re-
verted TO the conversations with Don
aid, and witness said Donald told him
that he Donald) had information of
6,000.000 ounces of silver being pur-
chased by the five banks and brokerage
houses he had named. He believed
Donald knew some of the persons
for whom the purchases were made. and
witness mentioned the name of Repre-
sentative Ketcham, of New York, as
one of them. He insisted on this state
ment when questioned, and again want
ed to give names so as to make his story
clear, but Mr.. Payne replied that it
would be little short of an outrage to
permit the names of any respectable
uen to be given unless witness had
other hearsay testimony. Donald, Own
hey said. told him the parties to the sill
yer pool had got in a wrangle; that he
(Donald) had got out of it, and there
for witness. Donald took that method
of repudiating the arrangement with
witness.
The Silver Purchasers
sold out at LII, and witness figured
that he ought to get Is cents an ounce
on 245.0 ounces. or between $780, 600
and $4,000. He denied having any con-
tract with Donald. us stated by Donald.
that he was to receive only $3.50, and
said he had already received more than
that amount. Owenby said he had also
received information from David L.
LittIer, Billy Hall, assistant cashier of
the Hanover bank, and j. l.. Cunning
ha nf M hAinm N N Gil
yer speculation. OwenUy, as in all
other cases, could not remember dates.
but said that silver was at LOG when
he talked with Littler. Witness
mentioned the names of persons
interested, aud Littler asSented,
and also mentioned the names of con-
gressmen. Owenby said he had no
direct personal Knowledge of any con-
greSsi0nal silver speculation. At l
O'Clock the committee took recess for
all hour and then resumed its session,
with Mr.. Owenby still in the witness
chair. In reply to inquiries by Mr..
Payne, the witness recapitulated GER
tain parts of his testimony given in the
morning session, detailing particularly
his conversation with Mr.. Stevens. MIR.
Stevens letter to the Globe-Democrst,
on which this inquiry was based. he
said was true. He gave him the story
and obtained his information from con-
versations with Donald, Jennings. Gun
ningham and LIttIer. The statement
Ill Mr. Stevens publication that
The Largest Pool
was one of senators and New York
capitalists and that it was interested to
the extent of 100000 ounces, was based
by witness principally on statements
made by Lttler, who said the men were
freQuenters of Chamberlin'S. He had
stated to Mr.. Stevens that impecuniOus
congressman were permitted to borrow
money on their individual notes, with
out security,f for the purpose of carrying
silver. Donald gave him that Informa-
ton. He also told Mr.. Stevens that
Cullom, Teller, Cannon and others were
not in the po0l. His statement about
CullOm was from personal knowledge.
Witness went to Senator Cullom, stated
that he was interested in sill
yer purchases, and in polite
way stated that number of congress-
men were interested. Senator CullOm
further, that he (Nr. CullOm) had never
speculated, and that he would ne yer al
low any one 10 carry silver for him. The
statesments made in the publication by
Mr.. Stevens were gone over carefully,
item by item, and the witness in each
case said he had made substantially
that statement. In the course of further
testimony, MIR. Owenby said that his
failure to appear voluntarily and testify
was because of his lack of confidence in
the committee and politicians generally.
Adjourned.
A deputy sergeant-at-arms left here
tonight for Florida, where Cashier
Donald, of the Hanover bank of New
York, is at present, with instructions to
bring him to Washington at once.