Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-07-09
STAHLMAN DECEIVED
"PURPOsELY AND wILFULLY" MS
LED CONGRESS, SAYS COMMITTEE.
his and BARBEE'S TESTIMONY.
No Part OF Money Received by stabl-
man Paid to Anybody for Corrupt
ay Blame1ess. u

1
committee into the payment of the claim
OF the Methodist Book Concern and the
payment to Major Z. b. Stahlman of
sloO,SO as an agent in getting the claim
through.
The report OF the committee says:
| 'The testimony before the committee
clearly shows that no part Of the sum
received by Stahlman was paid to Messrs.
| Barbee & Smith for their personal use,
| or to any senator or member of Congress,
or to any other person, for corrupt pur-
| poses"
| The report also says that "Mr. Stahl-
man, in conversation and correspondence
| with Senators and Representatives, con-
| cealed from them all knowledge of the
existence of a contract, withheld from
! them all information regarding it, and
| purposely and wllfully, by misleading. IL
not by false, statements, impressed them
| with the belief that Mr.. Stahlman was
not acting as the agent or attorney Of the
book agents with the expectation of pecu-
MARY remuneration for his services, but
as personal friend of the book agents
and a member of the Church."
Referring to the assurance received
from Messrs. Barbee & Smith, the COM
mittee says:
"No candid person who examines this
correspondence can reach any other con-
clusion than that the subject Of this in
quiry was rse existence OF such a con-
tract and not the percentage that an at
torney was 10 receive. The replies of the
book agents 10 this letter and telegram
make it manifest that the policy of silence
with reference to the contract was main
tained 20 the end, even to the extent Of
Withholding the truth. and misleading
and deceiHng those who made an earnest
effort TO obtain It,"
THE CHURCH BLAMELESS.
With reference TO the Church itself, the
committee says:
1.-THE committee deems It proper 10
state that no censure should rest upon
the Methodist Episcopal Church. South.
for the acts of its book agents. The
Church has been injured by the miscon-
duct of its agents. and for such :niscon-
duct it is held entirely blameless."
The testimony taken was also made
public. The principal witnesses were Mr..
Stahlman and Mr.. Barbee.
Mr.. Stahlman said he had been giving
more or less attention to the claim since
1892, but the contract for 80 per cent. had
been made in 1895. Mr.. Stahlman said he
had cautioned the book agents against
making the contract public. because"
he continued, "if l went 10 Washington
as their representative for fee of any
amount I would just be bounded, day in
and day out, and I would probably fall
into the hands of the vultures who hang
around the Capitol. which would involve
the passage of the measure by ques-
tionable methods. They agreed to that"
STAHLMAN AND PASCO.
Mr.. Stahlman said he had told Senator
Pasco that he had no contract with the
book agents. Technically this was cor
rect, as his contract was with the Book
Committee.
Senator Fairbanks: Did Senator Pasco
ask you whether or not you had a con-
tingent fee in this claim?
Mr.. Stahlman: He did not. I will say
this, though, for Senator Pasco, he had
right to assume that no contract existed
The Chairman: And that no fee was
to be paid?
Mr.. Stahlman: Yes. He said that he
had permitted Senators Bacon. Lindsay,
and Clay TO understand that no attor-
ney's fee was TO be received. He had
told Senator Turley subsequently to the
passage of the bill that the money was
all going into the church treasury and
they could do what they pleased with
il afterward."
In reply to a question from Senator |
Teller as TO whether members of the |
Book Committee or the book agents had |
received any share OF the profits, Mr.. |
Stahlman replied in the negative, also |
stating that he had paid no money to |
attorneys with the intention of its reach
ing Congress.
NOT BETTER THAN PETER.
Mr.. Stahman said he was willing to /
be held entirely responsible, adding: |
Even if Stahlman be made the martyr.
Peter denied his Lord three lines. He /
told story. 1 do not claim to be bet
ter than Peter. If Peter was forgiven.
and II the Church was founded upon the
rock Of Peter, Stahlman can be forgiven
for the crime he has committed"
Mr.. Barbee, in his explanation of the
reply Of himself and Mr. Smith to Sena-
tor Pasco's telegram said:
Senator Pasco conveyed to us perspicu-
cusly that you did not want any infor-
nation, but he asked us to deny a rumor
10 the effect that we were to pay 40 per
cent Of the claim. 1t seemed to us as II
the inquiry was propounded to us in such
a way as TO elicit a categorical answer
in the form OF denial. and we answered
accordingly. We stated the exact fact
that the report was untrue that we were
paying 40 per cent"
Replying to this. Senator Pasco said
that his letter calling for a full state
ment of the case, and called attention
10 the fact that no further explanation
lad been made in response TO Senator
Bates dispatch. asking for information
IS TO the 40 per cent. contract, or con-
tracts at any other rates. To this Mr..
Barbee said they had not intended to re-
NV 10 Mr.. Bate at ALL He had, he said,
that both Bate and Pasco
we're friends OF the book agents, and the
,,,onorters of the claim. He thought he