The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-07-09
POSES AS A MARTYR
BARBEE'S LAME AND IMpOTENT
DEFENSE OF Ills DECEPTION.
A BRAzeN ASSUMPTION OF INNOCENCE
The Greedy Stah'man Must have Kept all OF
His Immense Fee as the Evidence Show
ed He had Paid Out None
For Corruption.

w dShluStNli, ~ ~. uls .. Nv '~N''
ate Committee on Claims to-day made
its report upon the investigation made
10y the committee into the payment OF
the claim of the Methodist Book Con
Germ ind the payment to Major Il. b.
St;lhlman of S100,S00, as an agent in.
getting the claim through.
The report of the committee says:
''1he testimony before the committee
Clearly shows that no part of the sum
received by Stahlman was paid to
Messrs. Barbee and Smith for their per-
sonal use. or to any Senator or member
Of Congress or to any other person
for corrupt purposes.
The report also says that "Mr. Stahl-
man in conversations and correspondence
with Senators and Representatives con-
cealed from them all knowledge OF the
existence of Il contract, withheld from
them all information regarding it. pur-
posely and willfuly by misleading, If
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
pecuHlaTy remuneration lOT HIS SeTNiCeS
but as personal friend of the book
agents and member of the church.
Referring to the assurance received
from Messrs Barbee & Smith, the com
mittee says:
mo candid person who examines this
correspondence, can reach any other CON
cl,lsion than that the subject of this
inquiry was the existence of such Il con-
tract and not the percentage that an
attorney was to receive. The replies of
the book agents to this letter and tele-
gram make it manifest that the policy
Of silence with reference to the con
tracts was maintained to the end even
to the extent of withholding the truth
and misleading and deceiving those
who made an earnest effort to obtain
it,
With reference to the church itself,
the committee says:
'"The committee deems it proper to
state that no censure should rest upon
the Methodist Episcopal Church, South.
for the acts of its book agents. The
South has been injured by the miscon-
duet of its agents and for such conduct
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 claims since
1892, but that the contract for 81 per
cent. had been made in 1895. Mr.. Stahl
man said he had cautioned the book
agents against making the contract pub
lie, because" he continued, eff | went
to Washington as their representative
for fee of any amount. ] would just
be bounded day in and day out, and
that | would probably fall into the
hands of the vultures who hang around
the capitol, which would involve the
passage of the measure in questionable
methods. They agreed to that.
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
contingent fee in this claim?"
Mr.. Stahlman: ''He did not / 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: eyes. He said he had
also allowed Senators Bacon. Clay and
Lindsay to understand that no attorneys
fee was to be received. He had told
Senator Turley subsequently to the pas
sage of the bill, that the money was
going into the chtlrch treasury, they
could do what they pleased with it after
ward
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 I'M the negative also
stating that he had paid no money to at
torneys with the intention of its reach
ing Congress.
Mr.. Stahlman said he was willing to
be held entirely responsible. adding,
Even if Stahlman be made the martyr
Peter denied his Lord three times He
told story. Il do not claim to he better
than Peter. If Peter was forgiven, and
if 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 Sen
ator Pascos telegram, said: Senator
. Pasco conveyed to us perspicuously
that you did not want any information,
but that he asked MS TO deny rumor
to the effect that we were to pay 40
per cent. Of the claim. 1t seemed to us
as if the inquiry was propounded to MS
in such way as to elicit 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 called for Il full statement
of the case, and called attention to the
fact that no further explanation had
been made in response To Senator Bates
dispatch. asking for information as TO
the 40 per cent contract. or contracts
ut any other rates. To this Mr. Barbee