The San Francisco call., 1897-03-10
Refuses to Confess the Audacious Fake, and
the Senate Commits Him
for Contempt.

Wuere u6 udu ptdCeu u1mSoiA oo as W US
almost com pletely free from observation.
PROFOUND to Mr.. Lawrence the ques-
tions in the order as submitted In the
report of the investigating committee, !"
added the President. ''And yon are in
structed, Mr.. Lawrence, that you are as q
witness required to answer the questions
propounded.
Secretary Brandon asked the witness
the first question, which he declined to
answer, as before the committee, but not
until Garret McEnerney, acting as counsel
for the culprit, made an objection on the
ground that the information Lawrence
possessed was privileged and that whether
it had this character or not it was lmma-
terial, Incompetent and irrelevant.
Here Senator Bulla asked that the wit
ness be placed before the bar where he
could be seen and heard by all the mem
bers. President Jeter so ordered.
Senator Boyce at this time gave gentle
hint to the audience that it remain as
quiet as possible by suggesting that if it
was found impossible to preserve proper
decorum the Senate as court In this case
might go into executive session. The
Senator from Santa Barbara had been abb
sent from the Senate yesterday, owing to
indisposition, and was uninformed OF
what had then transpired and OF the plan
of the Senate in reference to procedure.
In the ardor Of his desire for speedy JUS
tice he rose to point OF order when the
second question was propounded to Law
renee and McEnerney remarked, 81 will
answer for him." Boyce said the witness
was under oath and answered on his con-
science, and could not employ conscience
to answer for him. His counsel might
advise, he added, but could not answer
for HIM.
Lawrence, on the instructions of his at
torney, followed exactly the same course
as before the committee, except that he
gave as his reasons for declining to
answer the question the same as were en-
bodied in the objections OF McEnerney to
the first interrogatory.
Levings and Murphy followed the same
programme. The questions were asked
partly by Secretary Brandon and partly
by President Jeter.
Boyce created another diversion after
Lawrence had refused to answer the first
question by making speech at length to
the effect that the witness be at, once pun
ished for his co.tumacy. He was called
to order by one of the Senators or the
ground that there was nothing pending
before the House, and the proposed
course of the Senate was explained to him.
He then made motion that the news
papers be exclud from the cham Der dur
ing the examination of the witnesses. as
their appearance tended to divert the at
tention of the Senators, and he believed
that the matter under consideration was
of the highest and gravest Importance to
the Senate. The motion was adopted.
The next formal step in the proceedings
was to ask the three witnesses to take their
places at the bar together, where they were
given seats in row, and in plain view OF
everybody.
"Mr. Lawrence" said President Jeter,
"have you any reason to present why you
should not be punished for contempt for
refusing to answer the questions asked p
and Levings.
Then George A. Knight. who had been
specially selected 10 make the argument
before the Senate on behalf of the culprits,
took the place of Secretary Brandon.
He began by asking the Senate to divest
itself of all partisan feeling and any pre-
judice caused by the publication of the
fake article. The power of the Senate to
take up slanderous publica tions directed
against that body was questioned. Ad-
missions were made by the eloquent ad-
vocate of the taking newspaper that the
article was baseless and had been pub
lished on hearsay and rumor. The Senate
was advised 10 60 to the courts, which
stood with open arms to receive them,
and secure justice. if its memo had
been libeled. No one was charged by a
regularly drawn indictment, and for that
reason the faker's attorneys claimed there
was no legal cause before the Senate.
What are you going to do with us2''
he had the hardihood to ask. "If we ad-
nit it is a lii and libel-what jurisdiction
have you if we admit what you are trying
to proven This bold Haunting of the
faker's shame was followed by an impu-
dent implied threat. "Beware-beware
Don't be tempted to be called out in the
ofIing by great Democratic newspaper, "
he shouted In conclusion he said: Il
ask you that these witnesses be permitted
to go without day, and that the Senate say
these questions were not pertinent; tha,
they do no. look to the expui sion of any
memb ber of this Senate charged with
bribery"
knight had not closed his argument
when the usual hour of recess arrived, and
his time was extended without limitation
to permit him to close at his pleasure
His effort fell fiat, many leaving the
chamber while he was delivering his
speech.
Morehouse attempted to introduce the
resolutions providing for the punishment,
of the witness when Knight had finished
but Seawell. by springing point of order
that the Senate was at recess, prevented
1t was o'clock when the morning pro.
ceedings came to an end. AT O'Clock the
Senate was again filled to its utmost ca
pacity.
Senator Morehouse sent the Lawrence
resolution to the desk and asked that it be
read. which was done amid silence and
the deepest attention. The text is as fol.
lows:
WHEREAS Heretofore, this Senate. by reso
luton duly passed, appointed Senator'S John
H. Dickinson. Eugene Aram and ]. H. Seawell
an Investigating Committee to investigate the
charges of bribery preferred by the San Fran
cisco Examiner against this Senate; and
whereas, said committee had A. NJ. Lawrence
managing editor of the San Francisco Exam.
iner, before said committee; and whereas
upon the said A. NJ. Lawrence being duly
sworn to answer questions before said com