The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-01-21
INVESTIGATION BEGUN
OF CHARGES OF BRIBERY IN THE
HANNA ELECTION
The Committees of the Two Houses to
Make Separate Investigations-The Sen
ate Committee Holds its First Meeting.
Telephone and Telegraph Managers Ex-
Refuse to- Produce Copies
of Messages-A Sensation I'm the senate

Columbus, Ohio. January 18.-The
senate committee began its investiga-
tion into the charges of bribery. made
by R~epresenotive Otis during the re-
cent senatorial cOneSt. The members
of the house commlttee, appointed to
investigate the same charges, We're in
vited to be present, but they did not
participate officially and there will be
w separate Investigations.
The committee in executive session
decided not to allow any attorneys
and adopted other rules of procedure.
1t was decided to hold executive ses-
sions for business and TO take testimo-
ny in public. The commjttee went
from the committee room to the sem
ate chamber when 1T was ready to call
witnesses and a GROVE awaited them.
The committee consists OF Senators
Robertson, Fink and Long, democrats,
and Senators Burke and Garfield, re-
publicans. Senator Burke was One Of
the leaders of the opposition to Sena-
tor Hanna. Senator Garfield is the
only m of the committee who
voted for Hanna and the votes taken
were 4 to /.
There were four witnesses examined
tonight as follows: Samuel Pentland,
proprietor of the Neil house; Shep-
DeTu vi. DuHldp, IIdlEdSeI VI lIc
Western Union Telegraph Company;
w. l.. T~ruesdale, manager of the Pos
tai Telegraph Company, and Frank L.
Ross, manager of the telephone COM
any
Nothing new has developed during
the session of four hours. The wit
nesSes refused to anSwer some ques-
tions and to produce their books and
copies of messages.
Mr.. Pentland refused to produce his
books to show who paid for rooms at
the Neil house and for other expenses
and was given until tomorrow to do so.
Manager Ross wanted to consult his
superior officers before telling who was
connected with the private telephone
in the Neil Gus by their long distance
lines and he was given more time till
tomorrow night.
Managers Dunlap and Truasdale were
given till tomorrow nirght to produce
copies of telegraph messages sent and
received by the managers for Senator
Hanna.
The investigation will drag along for
some time if no more progress is made
at future sessions than was made to-
might. AS the senate stands 10 to IL
against Hanna, with Senator Burke
voting with the democrats, it is quite
probable that there will be soma report
adopted in that body to transmit to the
United States senate. In the house
vote is Sc to 50, the other way and the
house investigating committee may do
little more than look on at the senate
investigation.
In the senate today there was a SEN
sational and somewhat unexpected out
cropping of the bitterness ~engendered
by the senatorial fight. When the
standing committees were reported Sen
ator Alexander presented a formal pro-
fest in very bitter language against
the placing of the name of Senator
Burke, of Cuyahoga county, the only
republican of the senate who did not
vote for Mr.. Hanna on the committee.
There was immediate objection from
the democratic members to the Ian
guage of the protest, but a motion to
xpung objectiOnal phrases was ruled
u of order by the president on the
ground that the protest was made un-
der "a constitutional right.