The San Francisco call., 1898-01-20
Committee Decides to Report Back to the Senate for Instructions.
CAN MAKE NO HEADWAY.
Fails to Gather Evidence as to the Alleged Purchasing of Votes
 for Senator.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

COLUMBUS, Jan. 19.-The investi- gation into the charges of bribery in connection with the recent Senatorial election reached a crisis tonight No matter what may be the final result of the investigation, there will likely be several witnesses arrested for con- tempt. They had seven witnesses sub penaed for tonight, but they were not all examined because none of them would testify.
 The Senate Committee last night ex- amined Samuel Pentland, proprietor of the Neil House; Frank P Ross, man ager of the telephone company; w. F. Truesdale, manager of the Postal Tele- graph Company, and Shepherd NJ. Dunlap. manager of the Western Union Telegraph Company, who then asked to confer with their attorneys and were excused until tonight for that purpose. When they appeared tonight they said their attorneys held that the Senate had no jurisdiction in the investigation of the bribery of a member of the House and had advised them not to answer any further Ques- tionS before the committee. They all followed the advice of their attorneys, as did MT. Hollenbeck, who was not on the stand last night.
 When the committee found that the advice of the attorneys was being fol- lowed uniformly by all witnesses called the open session was closed and the committee went into executive session to make plans for further procedure. The Senate chamber was crowded while the committee in open session attempted to examine witnesses, and the action of the witnesses caused de- monstrations of deriS1On. The wit nesses did not decline to tell the name of their counsel, and their replies showed that most eminent lawyers had been engaged in the case.
 The members of the House investiga- tion committee were present by invita- tion and they were requested to ask questions, but none of them took any part Judge Robertson, who has served with distinction on the bench at Cincinnati Is a member of the Senate committee, and is prosecutor. He wore l himself out asking questions and get ting the monotonous reply:
 "On the advice of counsel, I decline to answer"
 Chairman Burke and Senators Lang and Fink did their best to draw out the witnesses, but to no avail. After the four others took their turns Senator Garfield would close each examination by asking:
 fDo you decline to answer questions because your attorneys say this com mittee has no jurisdiction in this case and have so advised you?'
 The reply was in the affirmative and the witnesses were excused. Each wit ness was told that he was held under service by the committee and should report tomorrow night at 7:30, or sooner if called for. As the commit tee will make a partial report to the Senate tomorrow a lively time is eX- pected. The committee will ask the Senate to punish the witnesses for con full authority.
 A. D. Hollenben of Chardon, Auditor of Geauga County and member of the Republican State Executive Commit tee, was among the witnesses called. Hollenben was asked repeatedly if his son was not in the employ of Senator Hanna, and if his son did not carry funds from Columbus to Cincinnati. Representative Otis resides in Cincin- natl and made the charges under which the investigation was instituted. He invariably refused to answer these l questions, doing so, he said, upon the advice of his attorneys.
 Shepherd A. Dunlap, manager of the Western Union Telegraph Company was asked specifically for messages signed HI. D." MT. Dunlap, too, de- clined to make reply.
 Frank P. Ross, manager of the tele- | phone company, was asked about H H. Boyce, s. D. Hollenbeck and others being called up at Cincinnati, but he declined to answer.
 In response to subpenas Justin Wight and Harry Ellinsworth, telegraph op- orators, who worked the wire at Sena- tor Hanna's headquarters in the Neil House, were present to testify, but the committee decided at p. m. not to pro- ceed with any more witnesses who were under instructions of attorneys.
 The committee then went into exec utive session to consider the extent of its Jurisdiction in the investigation and especially in the matter of punishine for contempt. The committee was in executive session from g to II o'clock ard adopted, by a vote of to 1, Gar field voting in the negative, resolu- tion to refer the whole matter back to the Senate and adjourned for further ,cfr