Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-08-06
The Legislative investigating
Committee Does Its Work.
THE REPORT NOW PREPARED.
In Few Days It viii be Filed and Then Given
TO the Public by State Official.
The Peculiar Action of Whitaker and Bon
ner-The Report to be Presented to
Two Absent Committeeman
for Their Signatures.
The Trunk Came.

Special TO the Gazette.
AUSTIN TEX. Aug 1.-The arrival last
Thursday morning of Chairman AIckin-
news trunk freighted with the documents
and papers i'll the case virtually ended the
International and Great Northern receiver
ship investigation. The committee had
waited three days for it, and for Il direct
answer from Whitaker and Bonner of Tyler
stating whether or not they would appear
and testify. The trunk came but they
never did.
When Chairman Mckinney received their
TELEGRAM Wednesday night formally de
c.inIug, after three days nollvcaOddliug, to
appear and testify. il was seen that there
was nothing more TO do but wind up and 20
home For three days the committee had
been discussing the various points mace
prominent by the investigation, and arriv-
ing 1T such conclusions, or making such
findings as it thought warranted and proper.
\ rough draft of these needed only to be
licked into shape, and the committees task
would be completed. 1t was decided Thurs
day. after the report had been prepared. to
submit it to the two absent members for
their concurrence and signatures, before
giving it to the public. No other reason
was assigned for Withholding it than
courtesy 10 Messrs. Gresham and Gar
wood.
This last brief chapter in the inquiry into
the Tyler raceivership is quite pregnant with
significance In the first place. the absence
of two members Of the committee, one Of
whom was known to be the avowed friend
OF those prosecuting the case, who was
placed on The committee as a representative
Of that side to prevent possible white
wash and see TO it that the Waco crowd
should have fair play and tuu justice in
their contest with the Tyler crowd, was
significant. An hours ride would have
brought Senator GarwOOd to Austin, and
=, ~, oil f,,,
pOrterS could learn. was that he was TOO
busy to leave home. That was how he
looked after the interests of the accusers in
the framing of report that was TO say
whether or not the charges which they at-
tached such gravity and Importance to
We're well or Ill founded, were preferred in
good faith or trumped up for political pur-
poses. Clearly he had lost all interest
in the case, as the principals, the ac-
cusers themselves. had done, and as
Clark abandoned il at Galveston when he
failed to reach the governor with his glis-
teuinG claymorc. so did they all. Garwo0d
included. abandon il at the windup in Aus
tin when the result of the investigation was
10 be formulated. Not Il soul connected
with the prosecution came here, or mani
tested the slightest interest in the report Of
the committee. They had accomplished
their purpose at Galveston in arraigning the
accused and suhjccting them to i searching
examination and cross examination. the
purpOrt of which was TO create prejudice
against them in the minds of the people
That was the object from the beginning, as
stated in THE GAZETTE repeatedly after the
introduction of the resolution in the house
last winter. There scarcely ever existed
hope in the minds OF the accuSerS
thai they could supply such testi-
mony as would warrant COM
mittee framed of partiSans even, in
he apai,CpI e-rril-4- Tho -aT
moter, or promoters, Of the investigation
saw favorable opportunity at the states
expense 10 inaugurate q vicious attack
against state receiVershIpS of railroads, and
incidentally secure such revenge as was
possible against political enemies over
whose characters shadow would be cast
by the mere circumstance Of preferring
charges. To irtimidate state judges and
make state receiverships odious. and TO
sMIRCH TEE CHARACTERS
of few leading politicians, appear to be the
ends had in view. All that could be done
in attaining these ends was accomplished at
Galveston. and there the prosecution drop
ped the case for good and all fully realizing
that they had failed in accomplishing the
avowed purpose Of the inquiry, but hopeful
that some of the mud flung At the accused
would stick. for time at least.
The singular conduct of Whitaker and
Bonner as manifested in their CORES pond
ence with the committee while here last
week IS worthy of some attention. When
the committe arrived here last Monday
morning. Chairman Mckinney wired
MeSSrs. Whitaker and Bonner stating that
the committee desired TO give them another
opportunity 10 testify with reference to the !
matter about which they declined TO talk at
Galveston. In reply 70 this overture from
the committee, they wired, asking what
would be the consequence If they declined
n faS-iTv Chairman Mex SNya1,a1
by wire Monday night that the consequence
would be that the committee would report
the circumstance to the legislature, as I'M
der the opinion OF the attorney-general, it
tthe Committee) could not punish for con-
tempt. Next day came i rather queer let
ter from the two Tyler gentlemen in which
they Gisclaimed any intention Of being in
contempt. and rather than appear SO, or
undergo any punishment for it. would
testify, but ana then followed d mess Of
equivocal tiummery that did not deceive the
committee one particle, and only proved that
they were dallying or monkeying with that
body in very unbecOming manner.
As the letter WIGS neither yes or no, and
wholly eQuivocal, evasive, and nOn-com-
initial, Chairman Mckinney, resolved TO
secure q direct answer, wired again, asking
point-blank, will you testify or not An
swer." To this Bonner and Whitaker re
piled, asking Will you be in session to-
morrow meaning llurSUaN. chairman
Mckinney wired back Wednesday after
noon. ''INill hold session tomorrow. if you
will testify; answer quick" To this came
their response Wednesday nieht-which
was published in these dispatches Thurs
day-stating that they had intended 10
meet the committee again for further
consultation and explanation" but as they
had not been informed of the decision of
the committee with reference TO the con-
sequence of their refusal to testify. and as
il was probably now too late for further
action, they would res pectfully decline TO
come to Austin. So ended this ridiculous
little by-play that for miserable pettifog-
ging. evasiveness, clubbing and shutting,
surpassed anything that has appeared since
the bulldozing farce was first sprung upon
the public.
No one suspects for a moment that Whit
aker and Bonner ever intended TO go upon
the witness stand with their cock-and-bull
story, that If told would ruin one Of the
very men at whom the investigation was
aimed! They knew very well that there
was far more TO be hoped for from a re-
fusal 10 testify than from going on the wit
ness stand and subjecting themselves TO a
cross examination that would expose them
selves and their hollow mockery OF a bug
bear. whatever it was, 10 public contempt
Their shutting and evasive replies TO the
committee last week were fully in keeping
with all that had gone before, and were in
tended TO deceive that body as to their real
purposes, as they hoped to deceive the