Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1894-05-25
vulge information simply because it is CIV

The afternoon session of the investiga-
ton was brief and was brought to a sud
den halt by the committees demanding
that Mr.. Edwards give his authority for
the statements made in his testimony con-
corning Secretary Carlisle's interview with
the subcommittee of the finance commit
tee and the committees drafting the sugar
schedule. This Mr.. Edwards declined to
do, and, the committee insisting, he asked
to be allowed to consult lis attorney, Judge
Dittenhoefer of New York, who, Mr.. Ed
wards said, was in the city. The request
was granted, and the committee took an
other recess, while Mr.. Edwards went in
search of his lawyer
Mr. Edwards returned to the committee
room after an absence of an hour, accom-
panied by his attorney, Judge Dittenhoef-
er. After brief conference the committee
decided to postpone further consideration
of the question of excusing Mr. Edwards
from divulging his authority for certain of
his statements until the next day to allow
Judge DittenhOefer to consult the author
tiles bearing upon the case.
John S. Shriver, the Washington CORE
spondent of the New York Mail and Ex-
press, was before the committee. He was
examined in regard to dispatch which
appeared in his paper on May 10, in which
he had stated, with some circumstantiali-
ty, that an interview between certain
United States senators and members of
the Sugar trust held in a parlor of the Ar
lington hotel had been overheard by a wire
manufacturer who occupied the adjoining
room. After acknowledging that he had
written the dispatch Mr.. Shriyer was ask
ed the name of his authority and also the
name of the wire manufacturer mention
ed in his dispatch.
Overheard the Sugar Plot.
Mr.. Shriver said that the story had been
given him by congressman but he de-
clined either to give his name or the name
of the wire manufacturer, his reason be-
ing that the congressman, while he gave
him the story for publication did not wish
to be brought into the scandal or be called
upon to testify and had made witness
promise not to reveal his name. The COM
mittee tried by various methods to make
Mr.. Shriver disclose his authority, asking
him whether the member was a Democrat
or n Republican and where he lived or
could be found.
During Mr.. Shriver's testimony he stat
ed that he had fortified himself with facts
in regard to the truth of the story and had
found that the wire manufacturer had
beer. at the Arlington from March 6 to the
9th and had occupied the room next to
that occupied by Mr.. Terrell of the Sugar
March to the 10th. He gave the number
Of the rooms occupied.
Mr.. Shriver said that the wire manu-
facturer on the morning after the confer
ence met the congressman and seemed in
an excited state of mind. He slapped the
congressman on the shoulder and remark
ed that now he was certain the Wilson bill
would never pass because the night before
he had occupied Il room next to that oc-
cupied by some sugar men, and he had
overheard enough of the conversation to
lead him to believe that the tariff bill was
dead. The wire manufacturer also stated
that several senators were in the room
with the sugar men, and he had recognized
them by their voices. He likewise vol
unteered that at times the discussion be-
came so heated and loud that he was I'M
able to Sleep and was therefore kept awake
and obliged to hear all that was said. Mr..
Shrivcr stated to the committee that he
had no personal objections whatever to
giving the names of the parties.
The committee excused Mr.. Shrivcr aft
er a comparatively brief effort to arrive at
the sources of his information until 10
O'Clock this morning, informing him that
he could take the time in the interim to
consult the congressman who had given
him his information, and also q lawyer as
to his liability in case he should persist in
declining to reveal the authority for his
publication.
After Mr.. Shriver was excused Mr.. Har-
ry w. Walker, Washington correspondent
of the st. Louis Post-Dispatch, was called
and asked to state where he had obtained
the information published by him in a dis
patch in which he had stated that q prom
inent member of the cabinet and had in
timated that the president himself, had
confessed that the Democratic party was
under obligations to the Sugar trust. Mr..
Walker also confirmed Mr.. Shriver's story
about the occurrences at the Arlington
hotel between members of the Sugar trust
and certain United States senators, saying
that he also had received information from
a member of the house
Like Mr.. Shrvcr, he declined to give
the name of the congressman who had
given him the information.