Evening star., 1897-05-28


In a certain sense the committees record
was q witness. ard as such was subject
to crOSS-eXaminatiOn.
After Mr.. Baker had concluded his read
Ing and left the impression that Mr.. Searles
was pretty weak Oh his catechism Mr..
Johnson took up that formidable looking
document and proceeded to read at greater
length for the purpose of showing how
very many questions Mr.. Searles really
had answered and what an admirable wit
ness he had been except when he was sat
isfied that the committee was exceeding
it's authority.
Several others of the interested parties
were also in cour. this morning Mr.:
Chapman was not brought up from jail
this morning. but Mr.: Shriver was present
and sat with ex-Judge Dittenhoefer just
back of Mr.. Searles' counsel. Arrange-
ments were made this morning whereby
the trials of Mr.. Shriver and Mr.. E. J.
Edwards. the two contumacious newspaper
correspondents. will begin Monday, June 7.
The Trial Started.
District Attorney Davis was assisted by
Mr. Daniel W. Baker. one of his assistants
and both sides stating that they were
ready to proceed. little time was exhausted
in the selection of the jury, the following
being sworn to try the case: Samuel Wen
DELL Chas r. Dodge John NJ. White. Jo-
seph Walker. Geo. H. COLLISION. Walter S.
Clifford Geo A. Hoffman E. Walsh Ash
ford, Geo F. Rateman, NJ. f. Flynn. FL
mer E. King and A. Campbell.
After it had been agreed that the court
will adjourn the trial from this afternoon
over to Tuesday morning, Mr.. Baker open
ed the case to the jury on behalf of the
government, explaining what the prosecu-
tion expected TO prove. He recited the APP
pointment of the Senate's investigating
committee. the summcninS Of Mr. Searles.
the asking of the questions and his refusal
to answer them.
Counsel for the defense reserved their
opening. and after Mr.. Davis had put in
evide,-ce. his time without objection on
the part of the defense, the great mass of
documentary testimt ny admitted in the
Havemeyer trial respecting the election of
Sc natcrs Murphy of New York and Smith
of New Jersey. the appointment of the
Scnates committee. the Legislation in cor
rection With the Wilson tariff bill. etc. as
we'll as the SummOning OF Mr.. SearieS be-
fore the committee. Mr.. Davis called as his
first witness Stenographer Prentiss. who
took Mr. SearleS' testimony before the
committee Cot nsel for the defense. how
ever. stated that they would not put Mr.
Ptentiss to the trouble OF tsstifying. agree
ing to accept as evidence of the proceed
ings before the committee the printed re-
port of the committee.
Reading Extracts.
Mr. Baker then proceeded to read eX-
tracts from Mr.. Searles' testimony. during
which it appeared that Mr.. Searies stated
that while contributions were made by his
company for local campaign purposes. none
were made to the national campaign. Ask
ed as to what state contributions had been
made MIR. Series declined to say on the
ground that it was not in the province of
the investigating committee to make that
IL quiry. 1t also transpired that the de-
fendant refused 20 state whether the conf
pany contributed to the state democratic
campaign in 1892, on the same ground.
Mr.. Johnson next read from the report
showing that Mr.. SearieS admitted cali
Ing upon Senator Jones of Arkansas.
chairman of the Senate finance committee.
Ia relation to the action of the commit tee
in the matter of the sugar schedule.
Mr.. johnson showed by the extracts read
by him that Mr.. Searles had an interview
of about an hour with Senator Jones, the
interview being very pleasant one. dur
ing which the defendant explained that all
his company wanted was that 1t should re-
ceive the same fair treatment at the hands
of the Senate that other similar interests
received. 1t was also developed by Mr.
Johnsons extracts that the defendant told
the investigating committee that since the
organization of his committee the price OF
sugar was made about three cents a pound
cheaper to the consumer. Replying tC
questions asked him by Senator Allen
Mr.. Searies stated that while political
contributions were made by the American
Sugar Refining Company to local and prob
ably state purposes in 1892. he had no per-
sonal knowledge of them. or how or for
tributions. he explained. were generally
made by an officer of the company, usual
Iy the president, and were. he imagined
charged up AGAINST the expense account.
Testifying further. Mr.. Searles said tina,
he had never hesitated to ask the opinion
of senators as to the probable action of the
Senate In the matter Of the sugar schedule
and received about many opinions a.
senator's asked.
The defendant. IL appeared, refused tt
produce the company's books, and tha
point was not pressed by the committee
He declared that the company had no pri
vate wire between here and New York
and also declared that he had never giveI
any senator or representative points in tn,
matter of speculation in sugar stocks. ant
had never speculated in them on behalf O.
any senator or representative.
senator Grny.
After the reading of Mr.. Searles' test
mony hac been conclrde District Attor
ney Davis called Senator George Gray o.
Delaware. the chairman of the investigat
ing committee. to the witness stand. HI,
stated that i've. as chairman of the commit
tee. first examined the witnesses wheI
they were turned over to individual mem
tcrs OF the committee for examination Ii
that way Mr. Searles was examined. r,
Mr.. johnson Senator Gray stated that IL
the case Of Mr. Chapman he asked tn
question Mr. Chapman refused to answer
Senator Gray also said that in the opinion
of Senator lindsay and himself Mr.. Searle
was not in contempt. because he ma,
stated that no contributions for nationa
campaign purposes had been made by hi
company. and because he mad said that n
contributions rad been mad by the com
pany to influence legislation.
To Judge Bradley, Senator Gray said tha
the examination of MIR. Seartes was COL
finued after he had refused to answer tn
questions set out n the indictment tn
senator also told Judge Bradley that tn
. defendant was-not advised by ths commit
tee thar he must answer the questions q
issue.
~, Uoh,scr ssJ>y,are x.os rct av~, . .,,o