The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-01-25
OTIS CHARGES OF BRIBERY.
The Committee Winds Up Its Hearing
at Columbus.

Cincinnati Jan. 24.--The executive COM
mittee tonight closed its investigation
here in the matter of the Otis charges of
bribery in the recent election of United
States senator. The committee will re-
sumo its work at Columbus
the committee has been here since last
Tuesday. Jared P. Bliss, Allen o. Myers,
Sr., and z. II. Archer were the principal
witnesses. They returned to Columbus
tonight with the committee.
The testimony of Representative John
G. OTIS and that of Representative Camp
bell is likely TO be very lengthy. Mr.. OTIS
will be likely to be the next witness.
1t is the intention of the committee TO
punish witnesses who refused to give tes-
timony, and H. Dougherty and others who
did not answer questions of the commit
tee will be brought before the bar of the
Senate to answer charges of contempt.
When II. II. Hollenbeck was en- route
from Columbus to Cincinnati. Jan. Z, he
received dispatch signed III D." and
the committee asked Mr.. Dougherty If lie
was the author of that dispatch. Mr.
Dougherty declined to answer the ques-
ton and continued to argue the question
of Jurisdiction, until he was excused sub
ject to punishment for contempt.
Manager Page of the Western Union
was asked to produce the III. D." dis
patch and other messages, and he said
that the company now had none of their
messages, as far back as Jan TO-
Chairman Burke announced that as
soon as the committee was through with
all willing witnesses proceedings would at
once begin to bring all unwilling witnesses
to the bar of the Senate for punishment
for contempt.
Allen o. Myers, was the first wit
ness examined to-day. He was
at the Great Southern Hotel in Columbus
Jan. T. where Mr.. Kurtz and others op-
posing Senator Hanna were then stopping
His son, Allen o. Myers, Jr., clerk at the
Gibbon House in Cincinnati, called him up
that night and told him of Boyce's move
ments. The next day his son reached Co
lumbus. with copies Of stenographic re-
ports of Boyce's talks from Cincinnati over
the telephone with the Hanna headquar-
ters in Columbus. AS the matter pertain
ed to Republicans he turned all over to
Chairman Kurtz and introduced his son
TO him. Mr.. Kurtz told Allen that Hollen-
beck would go to Cincinnati with money
Mr.. Myers detailed the shadowing of Hol-
lenbeck from Columbus 10 Cincinnati and
back, also the carriage drives of Boyce
about Columbus.
The testimony of Myers caused quite a
stir, especially when he became very an
CRY on the cross-examination by Senator
Garfield. He denied that he was party
to any conspiracy in getting up the Boyce-
Hollenbeck story about the bribery of
Representative Otis.
When Senator Garfield told the witness
he need not reply TO anything that would
incriminate himself, Myers became in
tensely enraged, and Chairman Burke had
difficulty in proceeding with the inquiry.
f. II. Archer of Columbus, deputy state
railway commissioner, testified 20 follow
ing e. II. Hollenbeck from Columbus to
Cincinnati and pointing him out to Jerry
Bliss and the detective at the depot
Harry NJ Daugherty, chairman of the
Republican state executive committee
was called but refused to be sworn be-
caused he claimed the committee had no
jurisdiction in the Otis case.
Detective Miller was recalled 10 explain
the telephone talks of Boyce and others
with Maj. Burke and others al the Hanna
headquarters. Miller had four men be-
sides himself at work In the shadowing.
Detective Slessinger followed Hollenbeck
back to Columbus Miller shadowed Boyce
back. The trail was lost in Columbus
Boyce and Hollenbeck only stopping there
between trains.