St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-03-19
WOLCOTT CAN TELLIT
Wheat Growers Want His
Version Of the Big Ele-
vatoP Suit.
A Charge That He Was Paid a
Large Sum to Dis
miss 1t.
Inspector Clausen Wants His
Department indicated
Therein.
The Wheat Case Practically
Ready for the Sum-
ming UP.

taken recess until Monday, when per-
hapS with little in the way of cross
examination, the testimony will be all
In. When the session opened yesterday.
Chairman Geissel remarked that all
the testimony was before the commit
tee. r. j. Hall here appeared and said
he thought not. He said there was still
serious matter to be considered.
1.-The intention of the prosecutor"
said Mr.. Hall, Sin putting the Minneap-
oils attorney, Arthur Moves, on the wit
ness stand yesterday was to gain infOr-
nation with regard to a suit of c. G.
Wolcott against the Minneapolis q
Northern Elevator company. Mr..
NoyeS refused to testify III the matter
on the ground that by so doing he would
violate the confidence TepOSed in him
by his client. The prosecution had eX-
peeted evidence from NOyeS of a
gigantic steal involving a discrepancy
III the weights between the state weights
and those of an elevator or mill in Min
neapOliS into which the same wheat was
weighed on the same day. THIS wheat
had been owned by Mr.. WOIcott, who
is now an invalid IN Florida,
and he had made the transfer simply to
satisfy himself of the falsity of the
weights. Now we request of the conf
mittee that Mr.. Wolcott's testimony be-
secured in this matter. We also request
that Frank II. Irons, the Minneapolis
price regulator, be recalled before this
committee Monday and that Mr.. Erwin
be given an opportunity to crOss-eX-
anime the Witness"
There were also number of equally
or perhaps more important matters to
place before the committee Monday.
The details of this movement of forty
carloads of wheat were not known to
either Mr.. Hall or Gen. Barrett. They
did not know exactly when the test
transfer occurred, or what the numbers
of the ears were, but they knew that a
heavy sum was paid by somebody in set
tlement of Mr.. WOlcott'S suit. The only
was to get the actual facts in the case is
to compel WolcOtt to testify.
when was this transaction" asked
Senator Smith.
81 don't know" was the reply; al
only heard vague details and couldn't
pretend to say exactly when it occur
red"
could you tell within year?'
mo, reckon not"
could you tell within two, or five
years."
mo, don't know that l could"
"What elevator was it?'
81 don't know"
"Who threatened the suit and who
compromised it for ST. OO?"
81 don't know.
"Who gave that money in settlement
of the Wolcott claimP That Is what |
want stated" said Inspector Clausen.
''WaS it the inspection department."
NO" replied Gen. Barrett, "that is,
don't know who paid it, but | am
satisfied that it was paid"
"Well, now, Mr.. Chairman" went on
Inspector Clausen, Il want to ask that
Mr.. Halls request be granted. The in
spectiOn department Is involved here,
and the matter should be gone into.
Again, Mr.. Chairman, the inspection
department will ask to be allowed to
produce witnesses here to refute any
and all statements against its methods
by persons summoned here as a witness.
We have any number of witnesses to
produce, and have decided objection
10 being frozen out by an adjourn
ment."
Gen. Barrett formulated the request
OF the grain growers, as follows:
We want information from MFR. VOL
cCxtt regarding the transfer OF forty cars
OIWheat, or some either amount, from
one state elevator to another elevator or
mill. after it had been tested by tho
state weighing department and the loss
of a large amount of wheat, a large dis
creDancy having existed between The
weights at the public and the private
houses.
Mr.. Clausen said that if these charges
are to be made part of the record, he
wanted an opportunity to defend his
department, the weighmasters of which
had been charged with either criminal
ity or gross error.
Senator Smith said there was no ne
ceSSity for Summoning another horde
of witnesses to testify. There had been
q long, weary procession, and unless Il
halt was called the committee would be
required to keep on listening until the
last dollar of the appropriation had been
dropped into the capaciouS nav of this
rapaciOus octopus. AS to these last
Senator Smith said the charges would
be startling but for their YaguenesS.
He thought it was time to call halt on
hearsay evidence. He said this case
was as chmerical as all the rest. lie
said it would be found that the wheat
was shipped to Minneapolis and sold to
milling company. Subsequently, lt
WAS uIIIlll6u lildI tiG OCdlto NClG OuJ VI
order, and the claim was settled by the
milling company without dispute. Mr..
Smith declared further that there was
not an innuendo, an aspersiOn or all as
sertlon against the,railroad companies or
the inspection department that was sup
ported by any evidence that would cOu-
Wet.
Chairman Geissel declared that he
believed these last charges were made
for effect, and turning to Mr.. Hall said:
81 have believed you honest, but when
my mind is made up am not in the
habit of mincing words"
Before the commission closed its SEES
sion this morning resolution offered
by Senator Smith was adopted, instruct
ing the attorneys on both sides to pre-
pare their summaries of the case and
submit them 10 the attorney general not
later than March %.
The committee then decided to adj
journ until Monday next ab 10 a. m,
when Frank II. Irons will be re-
called for discrimination. ID. A.
Christy will also be allowed to testify.
and this will close the evidence. 1t is
expected that by Monday the committee
will know whether or not the attorneys
will avail themselves Of the offer of the
committee to submit synopsis Of their
opinions. If they do not do so the COM
mittee will go on with the consideration
of the case Immediately. But if they
attorneys express n willingness to
submit such document the committee
will probably adjourn after hearing the
two witnesses until April in order to
give the attorney general from the 25th
to the Isl to prepare from the attorneys
opinions an opinion for the committee.
Before adlournlng yesterday the COM
mlttee voted to dispense with tho
further services of the sergeant-at-
arms.