The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-02-12
A SILVER-PLATED SHAM.
THE POOL INVESTIGATION WON'T
BRING OUT THE FACTS

Iue OOmultto9 EnpengleQ IN the
Meshes of Technical Rules of Evi-
dence by the Lawyer Nembsrs-A
Difference of Opinion as to the
Right of Congressman to Speculate.
Owenby Again Given the Lie.
WASHINGTON, Feb. IL The silver pool
Investigating committee seems to have
come to standstill, and to be in a most
perplexed condition. Its members are
morally certain that half dozen senators
and dozen representatives of both parties
took advantage of their official position to
speculate in silver, the value Of which was
to be increased by their votes in congress,
but the committee seems to have great
difficulty in getting evidence TO support the
belief. The lawyers on the committee have
entangled it in the meshos of technical rules
of evidence. This has prevented it from
getting some valuable information.
IGNORED BY THE SENATORS.
Since Senator's Vest and Cameron and Rep
resentative Dockery testified the senators
generally have turned their backs on the in
vestigation, and as the committee caunot
| subpoena senator's, but must depend on their
good nature for compliance with its invita-
that interesting quarter. The members of
| the House are equally unwilling to give the
committee the information which they have,
some of them because they doubt the earn
estness of the committee, and some because
they feel that they can ignore it with impu-
| nifty and do not wish to be mixed up with
the investigation.
RADICAL DIFFERENCE OF OPINION.
To show that the quest for information is
as likely as possible to yield nothing more
| of value it only remains to be said tnat
there is a radical difference of opinion
| among the committee as to the propr1eties
of the case. Some Insist that it is wrong
for senator or representative to speculate
| in silver at all pending silver legislation.
| Others hold that while it is wrong for a SEN
| ator or representative to allow some out
slider to carry his speculations, guaranteed
| throughout not to cause him loss, it is
| perfectly proper for him to speculate in
silver on his own account 1t is evident
that the ugly truth of this matter will have
to be brought out by new investigation
next session If it is to be brought out at
all.
| DORSEY DENoUNcEs owENBY.
The silver pool investigating commit
| tee resumed its session this morn
ing, and Congressman Dorsey of Ne
braska said he desired under oath tc
make statement. He called attention to
| the interview with Owenby, "who was
somewhat notorious and not unknown to
| fame, f" in which Owenby said Nebraska
congressman had told him there was 81. SOC
waiting for him if he would forget whai
he knew when he went to the witness
stand. Mr.. Dorsey said he was satisfied
that his colleagues, Messrs. Laws and Con-
nell, had never seen Owenby. Mr.. Dorsey
said that he himself had known Owenby'
face three or four years, but until Owenby
came here to testify never knew his name
He had met Owenby in the hotels and abou
the capitol Owenby had asked him about
the tariff, silver and other bills.
SEEN UNDER ARREST.
When Owenby was brought here undel
arrest, Mr.. Holmes, sergeant-at- arms, me-
the witness about the House, and asked
him if he wanted to look at Owenby. The
| witness went to the sergeant-at-arms' offict
out of curiosity, and found about dozeI
members around Owenby, whom he recog
nized. Owenby greeted the witness, and
said that he wanted TO see Mr.. Mason o.
Illinois. The witness went out, not being
there thirty seconds. The only other time
the bar of the House. If the witness wa
the man Owenby meant, he (Mr. Dorsey,
| pronounced him an infamous liar in all thai
the term implied.
HADN'T DISCUSSED THE QUESTION.
He had never discussed the question witt
| Owenby and had not spoken with him for
| weeks before he went with the sergeant-at-
| arms and saw Owenby in the presence of G
| number of congressman, never offered
| Owenby cent, and never had any interest
in the investigation. He had never been
interested himself in silver, either directly
| or indirectly. He expressed the fear that
the committee would never get anything
truthful out of Owenby.
To Mr.. Payne Mr.. Dorsey said that he
had never gone to anybody to have the
investigation stopped, and had never asked
Senator Cameron, or any one else, to have
Ii stopped
| AJoCULAR CONVERSATION.
| Mr.. Dorsey then described jocular con.
versation between himself, Senator Butler
Senator Cameron and others, in which the
senators had jokingly twitted the members
| of the House about silver speculation, in
which the witness had also jokingly upheld
| the House. At that conversation some.
thing was said about the Dockery
resolution; and he (Mr. Dorsey had re-
| marked that it was the impression on the
| House side that that Mr.. Dockery was after
one of the senator's colleagues whose cleo
ton at that time was pending. He had
| laughingly told the senators to LOOK out for
MT. DOch0Ty tudD u6 Was Ddu mau. ne
had forgotten all alb out this talk until one
| of the senators reminded him of it a few
nights ago.
HIS REPUTATION NOT GOOD.
| Ex-Representative Phil B. Thompson of
Kentucky and j. Rudd of this city testified
that Owenby's reputation was not good.
Mr.. Thompson said that those who
knew Owenby regarded him as a
romancer. L. Zimmerman of Zim-
norman & Forshay was examined
with regard to speculation through the
| house with which he is connected. He said
he had no knowledge whatever Of any kind
| of silver dealings by bis firm on account of
| the senator's, representatives or govern
ment employees, either directly or indi-
| rectly.
Tho oororo;ttaa than adiournad