Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-12-11
Q. II. BERRY & co.

to the public without my protest--namey
| that this is a matter of idle curiosity.
, The Chairman: L did not say idle GU
General Hundley: protest against it,
and desire my protest entered OF record;
! that, so far from 1t being matter OF
! idle curiosity, in my humble judgment as
/ a lawyer and a man this Is matter or
| the utmost Importance to this inyestiga-
J ton. loud applause)
/ The Chairman: will state to my friend,
General Hundley for whose opinions and
views | have the highest respect. that L
! did not use the expression, as L remem-
1 ber-that IL was a matter or idle curiosity.
| / mentioned the fact that ii was matter
| of curiosity to the citizens and to us;
but. however that may be, I said that
we did not consider 1t was question that
| affected this investigation. The facts that
! the checks are before us, and that they
are admitted to be true, ended our IN
vestigation on that point, and we de
cllned to go into an investigation that
might detaln us here some time, but which
could not affect the ultimate result
WOMACK PRESSES THE POINT
The witness: with your permission, 1
will say that 1t is Of the utmost impor-
lance to know how these checks came
into the hands Of the party who delivered
them to this committee, because whoever
exposed those checks did something he
ought TO be punished for.
The Chairman: That Is something Tor
you to investigate.
The witness: He ought to be punished
| for ii, because that is what caused this
whole investigation and all of this Juror
| In the State. People would say on the
street that those checks showed that
| money went from the American Book
Company to a member Of the History
Committee as member OF that COM
mittee.e
Judge Green: Did you ever ask the bank
what they did with your checks?
A. No, sir; because | never called for
them until the other day.
O. l ask that because the check was
properly in your possession, or in that
OF the bank?
A. Yes. sir; and I am going to find out
how they got out of there; or else / will
sue the bank for damages.
Judge Green: If you want to find that
out, you can do so; but ii is not for this
committee to find out what became Of
your checks.
The Chairman: ] will read your COM
munication now, Mr. Womack, and see
what its contents are, before | express an
opinion as to whether we will admit 1t.
AS TO THE SONS INQUIRY.
Chairman Woods examined witnesses
written statement, and said: This paper,
which is addressed by you to the Dis
patch. you ask to be read in connection
with this investigation. We have no OBJ
lection TO its being read. If you state in
connection with IL what you stated here,
as TO your reasons for not appearing here
tofore-that you did not care TO discuss
the private affairs of your company.
will state that this committee has no de-
sire to go into the private affairs of the
American Book Company, except in so
far as they may be connected with the
bringing of improper influences to bear
on members OF the History Committee OF
the Grand Camp.
Judge Green. / move that the paper be
allowed to be read. as the witness desires
IT; but that 1t not be made part OF the
record.
Witness than read his statement re-
ferred to- as follows:
To the Editor OF the Dispatch:
Dear Sir,-Some OF my friends have
asked me why L did not go before the
Investigating Committee of the Sons of
Confederate Veterans and volunteer my
testimony inasmuch as my name had
been mentioned I'm connection with the
subject under investigation. In order to
make my position clear TO my friends
and others interested | beg to make the
following statement through your col
umns:
First. I wish to say most emphatically
that L have had no arrangements, rela-
tons. or intercourse with any member
OF the committee, or outside of the com
mittee. which are improper or question:
able in any respect whatsoever, and have
at no time had anything to conceal from
the committee touching the questions in
volved In the investigation, but l did not
think it proper to volunteer as a witness
for the following reasons:
My business as the representative or n
publishing house, having considerable In
terests in the State OF Virginia, is OF
private nature; and while neither / nor
my employers have the slightest oDJec-
ton to the citizens of Virginia, or any
of them, particularly those in an official
position. being fully informed in regard
to my business and business methods, 1t
will be readily seen that a disclosure or
such private business Information would
be hailed with delight by rival publishers,
who are now seeking to secure the pa
tronage OF the State, and who would
make prompt use Of 1t TO their own adj
vantage. In short, my duties are prac-
tically those OF an attorney acting for his
clients and while the courts protect an
attorney from questions touching infor-
nation tina. comes TO him while acting
I'm his professional capacity, l should re-
ceive no such protection before the COM
mittee: and could readily anticipate that
numerous questions would be PROFOUND
ed. I'm perfect good faith by the commit
tee the answers to which would afford
information to my competitors In BUSH
ness which would materially aid them in
the prosecution or their plans; at the
same time IL would add nothing to the
denial / should have made as expressed
i'm the first paragraph of this statement.
l am sure that my friends and others
who take the foregoing facts into con-
slderation will agree that my course IN
the premises was a proper one in justice
to myself. Yours very truly;
Petersburg, Va, -, 1897.
The witness: will state that after I
wrote this, / concluded that, In view or
the fact that this committee would soon
meet and take action, / would not pub
lish IL until now, and, therefore, 1t was
not given to the public.