The San Francisco call., 1897-03-18
MISERABLY FAILS
TO GIVE PROOF
OF CORRUPTION
Every Charge Made by the
Hearst Scandal-Monger
Found Groundless.
RESULT OF TWO INQUIRIES.
Assembly and Senate COMMITTEES Denounce
the Monarch of the Fakers- Total
Collapse of the Coyote-Scalp
Sensation.

SACR Cal. March
1.-THE charges and state
lments made i'm said article in
the Examiner were and are
in so far as bribery, attempt at
bribery, corruption, attempt
=. at corruption or the use OF un-
due influence i'm amy manner
connected with the said bill is
concerned.
This is the official brand of 'liar," ex-
pressed in the diplomatic language OF
statesmen, that will be burned in the hide
of the monarch of thousand and one
lakes tomorrow; this will be the gist OF
the report made to the Senate by its COM
Tnittee appointed to investigate the vile
and slanderous article headed, bribery
in Aid of Thievery." which appeared in
The Examiner on February 81, in &C.
tion with Assembly bill 273. amending the
law relating 10 change of venue. The
main features of the committees report
are as follows:
Your committee, appointed by resolution of
1897, to make a full and complete investiga-
tion as TO the truth of the charges and state
ments contained in that certain article pub
lished in the Examiner on the 9th day OF
February, 1897, and which article Is headed
bribery in Aid OF Thievery," beg leave to re-
port as follows:
That your committee has held eleven meet
ings; that at its first meeting A. NJ. Lawrence,
managing editor OF the Examiner; L. L. Lev
5r,rrc tors fJ11fy OF n
State Capitol; and also Al Murphy, Franklin
Hichborn, &. H. Jessen and 1. Alexander, also
reporters of said paper, on duty at the State
capitol, were subpenaed and called wit
nesses, your committee deeming it proper
method OF proce dure to begin with those
whom they believed to be responsible for
the statements and charges published as afore-
said.
That from the examination of these wit
nesses no information was elected that threw
any light upon the statements and charges
mentioned except to the effect that they had
been made on hearsay. Three of the wit
nesses-A. N. Lawrence, L. L. Levings and Al
urphy-declining to answer certain ques-
tions propounded to them by the committee,
were brought before the bar of the Senate and
committed for contempt, and have not yet
purged themselves OF contempt nor endeav-
ored to do SO. The proceedings regarding the
contempt proceedings already fully appear
upon the journals of the Senate.
The managers of the Western Union Te]e-
graph Company and of the Pacific Postal Tele-
graph Company appeared before your COM
mittee in obedience to subpenas requiring
them to produce all kilograms passing be-
tween certain members within certain dates,
two subpenas being issued at the request of
the representatives OF the Examiner, by which
subpenas they desired to have produced ali
kilograms without reference to the subject OF
them, which had passed during the sixty days
Immediately preceding the Investigation, by
and between all the mem bers of the Senate
and all the members of the Assembly who
were recorded as having voted for Assembly
bill 273, that being the bill mentioned and re-
ferred to in the aforesaid article.
The managers of said telegraph companies
appeared before your committee ana jected
10 being required to produce the kilograms as
aforesaid because they had no authority to
do so, and that ii is contrary to Jaw for them
to do so. They stated they would produce any
particular telegram from any particular per-
son TO or from any particular person that
might be specified with such particularly as
to date and subject matter as would enable
them TO find the telegram OF kilograms, should
any exist.
After consideration by your committee your
committee sustained the objection, and at
various times during the examination also
requested of the representatives of the EX-
sminer, who frequently appeared before your
committee, that if they would specify the
name or names of any person or persons, to-
gether with the date or approximate date OF
the sending or receipt OF any telegram, and If
such telegram had reference in any manner
to Assembly bill 273, the committee would
require the production OF such telegram or
kilograms; but no further Information was
given.
Your committee as a consequence had no in
formation upon which to proceed in the mat
ter OF the investigation, as the parties who had
made the charges and statements, rs in said
article set forth, declined to give the source or
sources OF their information, and we, there
fore, concluded TO, and did, examine each and
every one OF the forty Senators constituting
this body, and the most searching ques tions
were put TO each and every one of them re-
gerdihg the reason why he had voted for,
voted against, Assembly bill 273, when IL was
under consideration in the Senate; also, as to
whether he had been Influenced By any cor
rupt or improper motives in voting for or
against the sa bill; also, as to
whether he had received any tele-
gram or kilograms. letters or communications
of any kind regarding the matter, and as the
result we find that but one telegram was re-
ceived regarding Assem mbly bill 273 and that
was the one received by the Senator from
Santa Clara which telegram is in the posses
sion OF the committee of the Assembly inves-
tigating like charges. The Senator appeared
before the committee and fully explained the
circumstances and the reasons why he voted
as he did concerning Assembly bill 273, and
also the receipt of the said telegram, and his
explanations were and are entirely satisiac-
tory TO your committee, and there is no reason
for his actions or motives concerning AS
sembly bill 273 being lmpugned or questioned
as to their honesty and sincerity.
The evidence also discloses that Senator
shippee, from Tehama and Butte. received
letter from Mr.. Cross, and that is the only con-
nee ting link there is between Mr.. Hayward
and the Hale g. Norcross business AID AS
sembly bill 273, for Mr.. Cross has long been
the agent of Nh. Hayward and has long been
acquainted with the Senator to whom he