The herald., 1897-03-06
Hedge About the Examiner In
vestigati0n
NOBODY KNOWS ANYTHING
Or n He Does, Simply Declines to An
swer Questions
peporter Levinrs, Who Made Charges Of
Bribery, Committed for Contempt-Pro-
ceedings Adjourned TIL Monday
specIal to The Herald

tion cases have been decidedly humor-
Gus. They have resulted in discovering
who wrote the articles charging pripery'
hut were unable to force witnesses 10
disclose who was his source OF informa-
tion. All the force of the Examiner was
ON hand and placed on thewitness stand
In the afternoon before the assembly
committee and in the evening before the
senate. A great crowd was present on
both occasions and the senate was un-
q BILE to get a quorum for the transaction
of business in the evening, senators
being in attendance at the trial.
Valentine of Los Angeles conducted
sbe case before the assembly and More
house the case before the senate COM
mittee. All the Examiner men declared
they knew nothing of the article except
Managing Editor Andy Lawrence, A. ).
Murphy and l.. l.. Levings. Murpny's
information was all hearsay, so ne was
excused by the assembly. In the senate
Lawrence and Levings' refusal to testl-
fy was taken under Amusement py the
committee, who will tomorrow report 10
the senate Probably the newspaper
men will be summoned before the par
Of the senate and if they refuse to an
swer will be sent to Jail for contempt.
Levings was to have been sent TO jail
this evening by the assembly committee,
but nothing was done with him.
His testimony was substantially the
same before both committees. When
asked IL he wrote the articles he object
ed TO stating.on the score that as news
paper man he could not divulge any in
formation he had gathered He said as
newspaper man he would at once lose
his place If he divulged anything he
learned in confidence. Mr. Levings then
explained that he was in an embarrass-
ing position. The matter he searched
for and wrote was the property of his
employers, and he could not. without
their consent, give up his source of in
formation. If he did give up such in
formation, his usefulness as news
paper man would be ended.
Attorney Valentine made the direct
question: "Dd you write the article?"
The newspapers attorneys made objec-
ton. but the committee promptly over
ruled them. George Knight, who, with
Andy Clunie and George McEnerney,
are the attorneys of the Examiner, ar
gued that it made no difference who
wrote the article the point was, are the
assertions true? The question was then
withdrawn.
Levings was then asked If he knew
that money had been paid to any assem-
blyman. An objection was made. The
witness was then asked If he could di-
rect the committee where to learn the
facts. He said he thought he could.
Levings said that one source of his in
graph company.
Ibid you go there?" Here the news
papers attorneys made objections. The
question was temporarily withdrawn.
Levings was asked if he could name
any individual who had received money.
The attorneys objected. knight said he
did not propose to permit the witness to
tell any names. He would only allow
him to direct where to go for informa-
ton. He had told that the Western
Union Telegraph company would be a
very mine of information. This COM
mittee had the same powers as the
Lexow Legislative committee of New
York. and could go into the telegraph
offices and get every message. The
Jaynes law, decided by the supreme
court, said Knight. was not worth the
paper 1t was printed upon.
Valentine declared that rlevings
had been a newspaperman long enough
to know that he could not assail people
without facts, and he should answer the
questions which had been put to him.
Levings was asked If he knew of his
own knowledge that money was paid
to any assemIblyman. He said he did not
see any money passed. He was again
asked if he had written the article
Levings was instructed by Knight AMI
Clunie not to answer. Levings said he
could not answer without jeopardizng
his position LevinNs was asked what
information he had in his possession.
This brought forth another objection.
and Valentine declared that the Exam
iner had published an article besmirch-
Ing the characters of legislators and
then baked the efforts to learn the
truth.
Inthe evening the same farce was gone
through with before the senate COM
snittee. The same questions were asked
the same objections were made, only
Clunie and McEnery did the objectng
Senator VOORHEES, and Alvinza Hay
ward were called. Both of them de-
clared they knew nothing of any brib-
cry, and Hayward expressed his willing
ness to allow any kilograms he had sent
to any member of the legislature about
the bill in question to be produced. He
had sent none, and therefore none could
be produced.
Lawrence admitted that he had "a
ceived written communications about
the matter. but said that he had de-
stroyed the writing, and declined to
state what the contents of the papers
were.
The matter was finally allowed to rest
1
punish newspapermen for not answer
ing questions.
The attorneys for the Examiner de-
clare they will not allow their clients
to answer any questions or give any io-
formation as to where they got the
facts they published. They want to
conduct the prosecution themselves in
their own way, and have the senate AMI
assembly give the Examiner the power
to subpoena witnesses, etc. as it chooses
This both senators and assemblymen
say they will not for o moment agree to.
The assembly passed the lunacy bill
to third reading this evening. It
also has before it a bill providing that
city clerks and attorneys in cities OF
the fifth class shall be appointed by the
council and not elected by the people.
That bill has passed the senate
The governor is out of town and will
not return before Monday. He is forced
to leave Sacramento every few days, as
here he is continually attacked with
rheumatism.
Mrs Senator Androus and her two
sons left for Pomona this afternoon.
FRASIER.
THE ASSEMBLY INQUIRY.
SACRAMENTO. March 5-The in
vestigation into the charges of bribery
made by the Examiner was resumed
this morning before the assembly COM
mittee. Assemblyman Valentine ap-
peared as counsel for the committee.
The Examiner demanded that all tele-
ms that had Dassad hafWeap w It