Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-08-02
THE %RECEIVERSHIP.
The Legislative investigating
Committee Does Its Work.
THE REPORT NOW PREPARED.
In a Few Days It viii be Filed and Then Given
to the Public BY a-State Official,
The Peculiar Action of Whitaker and Bon
ner-The Report to be Presented to
Two Absent Committeeman
for Their Signatures
THE REPORT NOW PREPARED.


Thursday morning of Chairman Nickiu-
neyis trunk freighted with the documents
and papers in the case virtually ended the
international and Great Northern receiver
ship investigation. The committee had
waited three days for il, and for 4 direct
answer from Whitaker ana 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
Ginning. after three days mOllycaOCd!lng. 10
appear and testify, il was seen that there
was nothing more To do hut wind up and go
home. For three days the committee had
been discussing the various points made
prominent by the Investigation, and arriv-
ing at such conclusions. or making such
findings as ii thought warranted and proper.
A rough draft of these needed only Ia be
| licked into shape, and the committees task
would he completed. II was decided Thurs
day, after the report had been prepared. to
submit il TO the two absent members for
their concurrence and signatures. before
giving il to the public. No other reason
was assigned for Withholding il than
courtesy TO McssrS. Gresham and Gar
wood.
This last brief chapter in the inquiry into
the Tyler receiverShip 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 avowcd friend
of those prosecuting the case. who WAS
placed on the committee as a representative
of that side to prevent a possible white
wash and see to il that the Waco crowd
should have fair play and tull Justice i'll
their contest with the Tyler crowd. was
significant. An hours ride would have
brought Senator GarwOOd to Austin, and
the only reason alleged, so far as the re
porterS could learn, was that he was ''tOO
busy" TO leave home. That was now he
looked after the interests of the acCuSerS in
the framing of Il report that was to say
whether or not the charges which they al
tached such gravity and Importance TO
were well or i'll 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 it at Galveston when he
failed to reach the governor with his gliS-
tening claylnore, so did they all. Garwood
included, abandon II 1T the wiudup in Aus
tin when the result of the investigation was
TO be formulated. Not u 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 i'll arraigning the
accused and subjecting them to q searching
examination and crO~SS-eXaminatiOn. the
purport of which was TO create prejudice
against them in the minds of the people.
Tha 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 a
hope in the minds of the accusers
that they could supply such testi-
mony as would warrant a rom
mittee framed of partisans even, in
finding the accused guilty. The chief pro-
moter, or promoters. of The Investigation
saw a favorable opportunity at the states
expense to ~inaugurate a vicious attack
against state receiverShipS of railroads, and
incidentally secure such revenge as was
possible against political enemies over
whose characters q shadow would be cast
by the mere circumstance of preferring
charges. To intimidate state judges and
make state receiverships Odious, and TO
sMIRCH II CHARACTERS
of a few leading politicians, appear to be the
ends had in view. All that could be lone
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 a time at least.
The singular conduct of Whitaker and
Bonner as manifested i'll their correspond
ence with the committee while here last
week is worthy of some attention. When
the Committe arrived here last Monday
morning, Chairman Mckinney wired
NeSSrs. Whitaker and Bonner stating that
the committee desired to give them another
opportunity to testify with reference TO the
matter about which they declined to talk at
Galveston. In reply 10 this overture from
the committee, they wired. asking what
would be the consequence If they declined
to testify. Chairman Mckinney answered
by wire Monday night that the consequence
would be that the committee would report
the circumstance to the legislature. Us I'M
der the opinion of the Encouragement, it
1.-THE committee) could not punish for con-
tempt. Next day came a rather queer let
ter from the two Tyler gentlemen in which
they diScldimed any intention of being in
contempt. and rather than appear so, or
undergo any punishment for it, would
testify, but and then followed a mess of
equivocal fiummery that did not deceive the
committee one particle, and only proved that
they were dallying or monkeying with that
body in a very unbecOming manner.
As the letter was neither yes or no, and
wholly equivocal. evasive, and nOn-com-
initial, Chairman Mckinney, resolved TO
secure 8 direct answer wired again. asking
pCint-blank, viii you testify or not? An
swer." To this Bonner and Whitaker re
piled, asking Will YOU be in session to-
morrow" meaning Thursday. Chairman
Mckinney wired back Wednesday after
noon, viii hold session tomorrow, if YOU
will testify: answer quick" To this came
their response Wednesday night-which
was published in these dispatches Thurs
day-stating that they had intended TO
meet the committee again for further
consultation and explanation" but as they
had not been informed of the decision of
the committee with reference 10 the con-
sequence of their refusal to testify, and as
it was probably now too late for further
action, they would respectfully 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 90 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
fusal to testify than from going on the wit
ness staLd and subjecting themselves to a
cross examination hat would expose them
selves and their hollow mockery of a bug
bear, whatever it was, to 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
public also.
But they were grievously disappointed.
The committee was ION to- their little
game and forced them 10 quit m%onkeying,