Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-08-02
WATSON'S CHARGES.
CUMULATIVE EVIDENCE TO THE EF'
Feet THEY ARE uNFouNDEo'

lnr ,eIegraph o ths pIspa.eh.l

Representative Wise Saw what
Was In tho Cup.
rBy telegraph TO the Dispasch.l
wAsHrxoros. August 1.-The special CON-
mittee appointed to investigate the
charges Of drunkenness of members Of the
House resumed Its sessions this morning.
and half dozen witnesses testified that In
their opinion Representative Cobb. OF Ala
bams, was not drunk when he delivered
his Argument in the Noyes-Rockwell cleo
ton contest, the witnesses generally testi-
flying that, in their opinion. Mr.. Cobb was
suffering from exhaustion incident to the
delivery when in poor health OF long
speech marked by many Interruptions and
much bad management on tie part OF
other members.
Representatives Patterson of Tennessee,
Byrum OF Indiana. Meyer Of Louisiana.
Delegate Smith of Arizona, Peyton Wise
of Virginia, clerk to the House Commerce
Committee, and Solicitor Hepburn, OF the
Treasury. testified 20 Mr.. Cobb's sobriety
on the occasion in question.
THERE WAS CUP, BUT
Messrs. Patterson, Bynum, and one OF
two of the other witnesses testified that
they had seen q cup on Mr.. Cobb's desk
| and had seen him drink out of 1t. but from
close observation and knowledge of Mr.
| Cobb they knew that he was not under the
| influence OF liquor. Mr.. Bynum testified
| that he knew 1t was not an uncommon
practice for members TO take boullion, beer
| tea. coffee, and other stimulants out OF Q
cup during long continued arguments, ana
| from knowledge of Mr. Cobb's physical
| condition he was satisfied that that gem
| tleman could not speak continuously Ior
| two hours without taking some stimu-
lants.
Delegate Mark Smith said that he had
Speaker where was at?" Mr. Cobb had
been frequently interrupted, and this had
caused him to lose the thread OF his argu-
ment, and Mr.. Cobb used the remark Ior
the purpose Of getting back into his argu-
ment.
NO DRUNKENNESS AT ANY TINE.
Mr.. Bynum, Delegate Smith. and Repre-,
| sentative Myer alto testified that they nad
| not seen any members drunk on the moor
| of the House during the silver debate or
at any other time this session. Mr.. Bynum
was testifyine IN eulogy of the general
| sobrlety of the House during this session
| when Mr.. Simpson, the Alliance member
| of the committee, objected and said that
| their side had been closely held down In
the investigation and latitude should not
be allowed other witnesses, but the chair
man overruled him.
Delegate Smith had been so emphatic in
testifying that he had seen no drunkenness
on the floor during this session that MIR.
Simpson asked MIN If he had seen any
| members under the influence of liquor
during the three terms he had been in
Congress, but the question was ruled out
of order on the ground that the conduct
| ruoQ no n
| yestigation. Solicitor Hepburn testified
that he was on the floor of the House part
| of the time that Mr.. Cobb was speak
ing. and paid close attention to his
! argument, as he had boarded at the same
house with Mr.. Cobb for some time. He
did not suspect Dir. Cobb OF intoxication
IN any degree. The witness was asked
about Mr.. Cobb's habits. but MIR. Simpson
| objected to the admission OF any testimony
relating to matters outside the floor of the
| House on the ground that they bad not
been allowed even 10 prove drinking IN
| the House restaurant.
Mr.. Grout, of Vermont, wanted to in
sist upon an answer to the question, but
the majority ruled 1t out of order.
THE CHARGES THOUGHT UNTRUE.
In the afternoon Representative Rayner,
of Maryland. testified that, in his opinion,
the charges made in Mr.. Watson's book
were absolutely untrue, SO far as MIR. Cobb
was concerned. In his opinion, no man
under the influence of liquor could have
made the argument Mr.. Cobb made in the
case. He sat close 10 Mr.. Cobb, and had
no idea that he had been drinking.
Representative Kilgore, of Texas. who
also sat near MIR. Cobb, testified TO the
samo general effect as Representative
| Rayner.
Dir. Kilgore testified that he had seen
one member drunk on the floor of the
House during this session. and perhaps
one or two members who, he thought, were
under the influence of liquor. He could
not recall having seen any men,
Der Keeling through the aisles. He
recalled one particular occasion when q
member addressing the House seemed
under the influence of whiskey. Mr. Kill
gore SAID that he was in the chair during
the greater part Of Mr.. .Cobb's argument.
II never occurred to him that MIR. Cobb
was under the influence of liquor. He was
little petlilant over Interruptions caused
by members conversing behind the screen.
Petulancy was rather the rule than the ex-
ception in the House.
| FOR Mr.. COBB.
Representative Breckenridge. of Ken
lucky, corroborated the testimony OF pre-
yious witnesses who had said that they
had seen no evidence OF intoxication on the
part of kir. Cobb. MIR. Cobb, he said, was
little bedevilled during his argument,
aud once or twice was little put out at 1T.
Witness saw in some newspapers an ale
CATION that Mr.. Cobb had been drinking,
and wrote to him expressing surprise at
the statement, as he had listened to his (hr.
Cobb's) argument with admiration. DE
put that letter in evidence as showing the
cOntemporanoous impression he had. Wit
ness had not seen single member within
the rail of the House at this session who
impressed him as being under the in
huence of liquor. He had vague i'm
preston that on one occasion he saw
member flushed with liquor behind the
rail.
Representative De Forest, of Connecti-
cut. did not think Mr.. Cobb at all under
the influence of liquor. He sat so near
Mr.. Cobb thathe thought no would have
detected the odor had Mr.. Cobb been
drinking. He saw Mr.. Cobb sip from a
cup, but its contents could not have been
strong. He remembered one speech on
penslon-night which he thought erratic,
but he did not attribute 1t TO liquor.
GENERAL ABsOLUTIos GIVEN.
Representative Fellows, of New York,
testified and gave general absolution to
members of the House as to drunkenness.
He saw "a telegram in q New York paper
charging that Mr.. Cobb was drunk during
the election debate, and was so aroused by
II that he sent long telegram of denial to
the paper He knew we'll that Mr.. Cobb's
condition was due TO exhaustion.
Representative Mutchler. of Pennsylya-
MIA. testified in denial of the truth OF Mr.
Watson's charges. and SO did MIR. Tracey,
OF New York.
The members of this House. Mr.. Mutch-
Ter said, were particularly free from habits
of intoxication and were as sober a set of
men as he had ever seen In his life. He
would not say that he bad never seen
member on the floor of the House under
the influence Of liquor, but be had never
seen member drunk there this session.
KNOWS Mr.. COBB WAS NOT DRUNK.
O'Brien Moore, correspondent of the st.
Louis Republic, testified that he talked
with Mr.. Cobb Immediately before and
after his argument. to which he had
listened, and he knew Mr.. Cobb was not
under the influence Of liquor.
Andrew Deyine, one Of the official
stenographers of the House, produced the
manuscript Of the Official report of Mr..