The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-12-21

| the object and intention Of the committee.
| and vas satisfied that / had hastily ana
| Improperly written that article and
| regret Il now. have no reason TO sup
pose that there has been any improper
| use Of money in this campaign.
The Third Section;
l deem Il Just TO the committee that II
| I had known Of the examination of any
| but the three witnesses named, / would
| not have written that section OF that ar
| ticle. The third section contains a state
| ment rumored in my country that Mir. j.
Taylor Ellyson had declared that it was
| absolutely necessary for the Legislature
| to elect Mr.. Martin to the United states
Senate and give the railroads what they
asked for. as the railroads furnished most
OF the money with which he conducted the
| last campaign. That statement i had
| heard a dozen or more times from promi-
nent Democrats in my section Of the cOun-
try. / had heard it said time and again,
| and thought as a member or the Demo
cratic party and one who had worked Tor
IL all his life that the matter should DC
Investigated | had long felt that rallroad
money and influence was danger 10 the
State Of Virginia, and as a Democrat l
thought il improper that we should take
other corporation; and / wished IL in
vestigated. On Monday / received a tele-
gram from Mr.. Joseph Bryan stating that
Mr.. Ellyson had sent a denial Of that
statement and said that the committee
desired me to appear before them. | i'm
mediately wrote Mr.. Bryan that ! knew
nothing personal about the matter, that
! stated II as a rumor, that ! had no in
formation except what | had heard and
IL. Il.
testimony before the committee, and that
my presence here would be unnecessary
When / saw the papers containing Mir.
Ellyson's letter I felt II due 10 him, 10
myself, and to the committee for me TO
be here. That statement is true: IL was ru-
mored In my country as / say by dozens
of men. immediately upon the receipt OF
Mr.. Bryan's telegram telegraphed to the
gentleman who had given me this informa-
ton, telling him desired to use his name
IL necessary. In answer 1 had letter
from him last night, In which he said that
he had no knowledge of the matter: that
he remembered distinctly telling me the
facts, but had forgotten who told him and
was unwilling for his name to be used
before the committee. / am therefore in
the position Of either exposing names of
gentlemen who do not desire their names
80 be exposed, or assuming whatever
responsibility attaches to that statement
I'm the paper myself, and I prefer the lat
ter. I wish to say that think it is due
to all parties interested that should say
that in spite Of the very offensive manner
in which Mr. Ellyson is reported i'm the
Dispatch TO refer to that article, I cannot
see how that absolves me from the duty
of saying that | am satisfied that he did
not make use of that expression or any
thing like 1t; and l add that regret very
much that | wrote the article In regard
10 the article being anonymous will say
that my natural modesty led me TO be-
lieve that my name would add nothing to
il: but my name was in the hands OF the
editors of the Times, and | cannot help
thinking that II Mr.. Ellyson had applied
there he would have found out without
any trouble who the author was. / came
before this committee just TO say these
things I'm justice to myself and in justice
TO the other parties. As to any other
matters i have no knowledge whatever.
Mr.. Eryson.
Mr.. Ellyson then read the following
extract from an article i'm the Times OF
yesterday. and asked that it be made a
part of the record:
MIR. Nicol: MIR. Ellyson, do you desire
TO ask Judge Green any question?
MIR. Ellyson: After the full and frank
v!thdrs wal of Judge Green's, | have no
questions TO osk.
Judge Green VIII the committee lust
indulge me one minute? Mr.. Ellyson is
guilty Of a slight inaccuracy in saying
that l withdrew my statement | did
not but / did withdraw any belief what
ever that Mr.. Ellyson made the state
ment
Mr.. G. V. Meredith then took the
stand
Mr.. Meredith: l would like to make n
statement in regard to what Mr. Dlges
said about his going up TO the bead
quarters of Gen. Lee. He said that he
came In and that / undertook to talk
with him and tnat i offered him a drink
The facts OF the ctse are these: There
were several OF us in this room and
Mr. Digs came in with Mr.. Minter |
knew Mr.. Diggs and the rest OF the
gentlemen did not. He said TO me- Il
expected TO meet Mr.. Sands here" /
looked around and said, he is not here.
lie said "Mr Minter told me he was
here" He said that l led him into a
side room and asked him to have a
drink. ] don't think did ask him that,
though | would not have minded asking
him IL l had wanted one In regard
10 Mr. Diggs' statement, that / met
regard the rumor that Mr. Martin had
all the funds-possibly ! did tell him that
There was "a rumor to that effect and
| was trying TO prevent that belief from
getting abroad. But l did not tell him
that Gen. Lee was collecting money
Tor the campaign and that / would see
that he got part of the fund. / have
never undertaken to manage the distribu-
ton OF the campaign money and Mr.
Eliyson Will tell you that / never knew
where il went. l never undertook 10
promise anybody to get him funds. 1
never did know where the money went
and did not ask. / simply wanted TO
correct these two statements
Mr.. Ellyson was then questioned by
the committee as follows:
MIR Nicol: Mr.. E.lyson was any money |
at any time ever sent to Prince William |
county?
Nh. Eilyson: No. sir, the chairman Of |
that congressional district said that he |
never used any money in elections. that |
he did not want any money and II | (
sent II there he hoped 1t would stay I'm /
the pocket or the man who received il. |
told him he need have no apprehension.
Mr.. Mushbach: The chairman of the '
Eighth congressional district said that?
Mr.. Ellyson; Oh. no sir the chairman |
OF Prince William said IT, The chair
man OF the congressional district would /
have never made that mistake.
The chairman here asked each MEM 1
Der OF the committee in turn whether /
he had any further testimony 10 intro /
duce, and no member appearing 20 desire
TO continue the investigation any further.
on melton OF Dir. Downing, the investt-
vation WAS declared closed,