The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-01-20
Cosner on the Stand.

sworn, gentlemen.
Cosper on the Stand.
Mr.. Cosper, being sworn, testified as
follows:
On last Sabbath afternoon. at about
o'clock, l was in my room at No. 500 L
street, with my wife, doing some work in
connection with the contested election.
The door bell rang. Two gentlemen stood
at the door and said to the landlady that
they desired 70 see Mr.. Cosper, or some
thing to that effect stepped to the head
of the stairway and called them up.
corridors of the Goden Eagle Hotel bit
did not know them. They came into the
room and asked If they could see me
alone 1 said to them, Certainly and
requested that my wife go into one of the
other rooms that We have there She left
the room, and I then asked them what
! the language 1 used in that respect. And
they began TO tell me something of the
story that Mr.. Levtngs has detailed on
Gentlemen, the lady that was with me
| is my wife, and If you have any interview
70 seek with me it must be in the pres
tainly," that was agreeable to them. or
words to that effect. So 1 called Mrs.
Cosper into the room. They stated their
names to me. The smaller man said that
his name was Colver, and introduced me
TO the taller man, saying that his name
was Mr.. James. Then they said to me
Mr.. Colver, by the way was the spokes-
mamie said to me that they had a mat
ter to tell me about that they thought
hear was the reason that they had asked
me to see them alone. l said to them that
there was nothing in my actions or in
my career in any way at all that I was
not perfectly willing that my wife
should know. They said then that
that hs was T,anp perfectly satisfactory to
that there was rumor the street that
Mr.. Green was saying that had sent
| by the way-to him with a statement TO
| the effect-I do not know that 1 can re-
| peat the exact language, but the sub
stance is very clear in my mind-to the
effect. say, that Colonel Burns, or some
| body in his interest, and offered me $1,000
if l would vote for him for United States
| Senator, and that 1 did not so desire to
vote for him, but that if I should vote
for Mr.. Grant they ought to do well
Was Wy Used We'll was sa hs Gesgflem Sea.
from what sources do you receive any
such information as this?" They said
whom did Mr.. Green say this?" They
! said they did not know. I said to Mr..
Colver that the man who reiterates
morals with him who originally pub
fishes it, and hold you per-
l think, like what they say of my friend
| Wright, / was a little hot and said some
thing to the effect that l should hold any
body strictly responsible, and Mr.. Colver
! said that he was entirely willing to De
Iesponsibl e., is he SAID The man nan
"a libel suit or a suit for Islander is no
remedy for man that the newspapers
attack. The only remedy. is shotgun.
| for me to use it." That is irrelevant,
but still 1 am trying to give the entire
conversation. They said 1t was not in any
| aggravated sense like that they came 10
me, and they seemed to be fair in their
way of treating the matter, and 1 cooled
down. It is not my custom TO get off
! / then
| pressed the matter as to whom Mr.. Green
| had made this statement My theory is
| that he was not certain but that he
thought that it was Mr.. Leake.
Mr.. Mellick-Which Leake?
A. l think the term then was Mr. Leake.
My understanding was that it was the
man they called Sam" Leake. But how
! | got that understanding I cannot de-
! Green and Mr.. Leake." They said, we
| felt that you ought to have at least the
that 1 said, 81 thank you for that kind
ness or something TO that effect said,
You may say that If any man, Milton J.
Green or any other, says that 1 sent to
sired him to give 5000, one or any other
number of dollars for my vote for United
States Senator, he is a devilish liar" And
l think 1 said something to the effect that
l desired to crowd that lie down his
throat. 1 do not know what it was that
l said, but something TO that effect
I said further that if any man has init
mated that Daniel NJ. Burns. Ulysses S.
Grant or any other candidate for United
States Senator has offered me any con-
sideration of any kind whatsoever for my
vote for United States Senator that that
man is Har-that any such statement
or intimation is an absolute and uncon-
ditional lie, and l so reiterate that fact
to this committee now say that no
man has offered me, or so far as know
intimated to me that I might have a
meretritious consideration for my vote for
any candidate that IS before this Begfs-
Ia flIr office United States
ator. 1 think 1 said TO these gentlemen
that If they would inquire into my his
tory and antecedents they would readily
learn that such an offer would not be
entertained for moment by me or by
and hat on when these gentlemen came
and was about to go up to the Golden
Eagle Hotel to catch the news; When
they reported | went Immediately to the
Golden Eagle Hotel and sought to find
Mr.. Green. 1 did not find him. did not
know Mr.. Leake, but desired to see Mr..
Green first to know whether there was
any truth or shadow of truth in any such
statement as that that he had male such
a statement concerning me. 10 not low
remember whether l went nome to my
room prior to this second circumstance or
not. but the second circumstance is this
That that evening, while Stanqlng py the
lunch counter of the Golden Eagle Hotel.
Mr.. Colver came to me and said TO me
that we do not intend TO use that inter
view and the matter had better drop
where it is" What his language was I
cannot quite recall, but my understanding
was, as ne conveyed II 10 me, IndI LHey
had run 1t down and considered there was
nothing in it. AT least 1 so felt and said
nothing about 1t until two or three days
ago, met Mr.. Green in the hallway near
the statuary on this floor of this building.
As a reason for not finding those gentle
men before, l will say that, after having
been appointed the chairman of this COM
mittee. felt that 1 did not want TO be at
the headquarters of any of the can
didates for United States Senator,
and I have kept away from them
because | wanted to keep my mind In
the condition that the mind of juror
ought to be-unprejudiced and unbiased
by any of those incidental remarks that
q man is apt to get In such 3 place a.