Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-12-19
On,.,c, 7,r,orc,n 10 ths R.0,tsr.

Spseia, telegram 10 the R'Grsn.
CHICAGO, December 1S.-ln the mat
ter OF an investigation raised upon the
communication Of General j. w. ST.
Clair, of West Virginia, to the Board OF
Reference and Control Of the Worlds
Columbian Commission, concerning the
awarding Of the contract Tor the print
ing of the catalogue and directory OF
the Worlds Columbian Exposition, the
following is the testimony in SUBSTANCE:
MIR. c. H. TANEY's TESTIMONY.
Charles II. Taney, produced before
the committee as witness, being hrst
duly sworn, testified as follows:
The Chairman-What is your name?
A.-Charles Ii. Taney.
O.-Where do you live? A.-Wheel-
ing, West Virginia.
O.-What is your business? Al
am in the newspaper business ana
printing business.
O.-The Chair can ask you direct
question? .L,
and will respond to II as best know
how. WY O..
The Chairman-Has Mr.. j. w. st.
Clair. either directly or indirectly, any
interest in the concession that you are
supposed to have? A.--No, sir; mono
whatever.
q. DlrectIy, indirectly, remotely or
Immediately?
A. No, sir, In no way.
|
present you can take the witness. do
not see how we can go any further.
That is conclusive.
Mr.. Martinda-You are the person
named in the concession?
A. Yes, sir.
O. You are the Charles II. Taney
named in the concessionp
A. Yes, sir,
O. You may state In detail what
General St. Clair's relations to the mat
ters In hand have been? A. Yes, sir.
General ST. Ciair's relations to me have
been
PURELY FRIENDLY RELATIONS,
and through Mr.. ID. L. Stalnaker he got
me to come out here. He said he could
get a concession for US, and In that way
| have been out here several times.
When first came on the information
was that / could get II for nothing, and
! really thought ought to have had IT
for nothing, but after Developments
went on a little 1t was thong best, In
order TO prevent any possibility OF any
thing being said about this concession
being given In an unfair way, should
money for IL. Well, we cast about and
talked about it among our friends,
and we decided TO give S20,-
600 for It, and In that way IL
went through. / really thought 1t was
too much for ID. Mr. McNally told me
I was undertaking a big sort OF con-
tract, and l thought so myself for
while. Then we cast about 70 get some
body to handle Ii. We talked about IL
with big corporation that does great
deal Of advertising In our own home,
and asked that concern TO take hold OF
IL, but they wouldn't do 1t. They
thought II was too big thing. Then
we wrote TO New YORK, TO two different
persons in New York whom we had
correspondence with. Then l run
across Mr.. Conkey aud made arrange
ments with him to publish IL. After /
had partially completed that arrange
ment, might say practically completed
it. | came out here and found that Mr..
Conkey was
AFTER ANOTHER CONCESSION,
and he told me he thought he could
work the two together much better than
with one. 1t was something i knew
nothing about. had no idea about II
and after discovered the magnitude OF
the affair, was amazed At the money
had TO pay for it. And In the mean
time th6re was talk about getting up q
corporation for our affair alone. Then
we talked about getting up another cor
poratioa to ipcIude both, but II was
wholly dependent upon what he did, IS
| had no interest In his corporation
whatever. ] merely signed an spplica-
ton paper for a charter in or 10 ex-
pedlte matters, as ] wanted re.
When / was here the time st
Judge Page suggested tina
an application for a. charter
him l had no objection to DOH
/ didn't know what they were gt
do wIthIt, and / didn't know
whether we would iRm corpo
but in prder to Jediate rns
told hif they NIT apply 70
l signed the sp ation pap,
is all e connd Won have
application so
Conk 's st;
con ned,
potG bg al
2 :