The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-29
4 CLASH At THE CAPITOL
Trouble Narrowly Averted During
the Occur d'Alene Enquiry.
Harsh Epithets Exchanged by Mem
bcrs of the House Committee on
tcrs Threntened-Thc Lie Given
and Returned-An Exciting Scene.

Several members OF Congress partici-
! pated in a TiotOus wraugle yesterday dur
| ing which the words lie" and liar"
were freely used and threats Of assault
and battery we're INDUCED in. The dis
order occurred during the Occur dAleGe
enquiry before the House Committee en-
Military Affairs. The relations between
Representatives Lentz of Ohio and Hull
of Iowa were strained to the breaking
point, and Representatives Cox of Teunes-
see, Jett of Illinois, Capron of Rhode
Island, Hay of Virginia, and Dick Of Ohio
| were involved.
The cause of the outbreak was an OBJ
lection to a question asked by Mr.. Lentz
| of Governor Steunenberg, and raised by
an attorney whose name is CLANCY. This
lawyers status before the committee is
not clear. According to his own state
ments he was retained by Governor
Steunenberg to represent "the officers of
the State of Idaho" but he is persona
non grata with the Democratic members
Of the committee, who have made the
charge that be is Standard Oil repre-
sentative.
Mr.. Lentz was quiZzing Governor
Steunenberg severely about his assump-
tion of arbitrary authority. the Governor
having said st one point in his examina-
tion that he had reserved the right to
do as he pleased"
MIR. Lentz Gives Offence.
Mr.. Lentz said with a considerable dis
play of sarcasm: Then you were the
State. like Louis XIV?'
Mr.. CLANCY arose and objected to the
question. He also said that the COM
mittee should confine its enquiry to the
matter of martial law in Shoshone County
and that it had no right to extend its
enquiry into the general administration
of State affairs in Idaho. This observa-
tion on the part of the lawyer disturbed
the temper of Mr.. Hay, whose relations
with Mr.. Chaney have not been placid
and serene, and he protested against the
''oflcious Interference" OF the lawyer
with the right of members of the COM
mittee TO ask questions of witnesses The
relevancy and pertinence OF questions
should be determined by the committee.
/ The committee was the court.
Mr.. Capron criticised the action of the
committee in permitting an attorney to
sit by and prompt one of the members.
This was a thrust at Mr.. Lentz, near
whom sits MFR. Robertson. who represented
Paul Corcoran, bull pen victim at
Wardner and who has been the legal ad-
wiser of the union miners in this contest
with Governor Steunenberg.
Mr. Parker of New Jersey gave it as
his opinion that the remark tn Governor
Steunenberg about the State and Louis
XIV was More Ot an insinuation than
an interrogatory. ana was improper
Mr.. Lentz sad he would not insist on
an answer to the question, but was ready
to proceed by. putting another. Mr.. Hay
wanted ruling on the point raised by
him that Mr. Chaney had no right to OBJ
ject TO questions by members OF the COM
mittee/ Mr. Parker thought that the at
toruey should have the right TO protect
the witness.
Mr. Lentz said He is not here to pro
tect the witness; he is here to protect this
committee" tMeaning the Republican
majority. .--
Mr.. Dick charged Mr.. Lertz with dis
turbing the pe&ce and alleged that his in
sinuation was discreditable to himself and
unfair to the witness Mr. C-Ffon Joined
tn the contention. Mr.. Lenta said he
would stand bY his record. fie said it
vas disorderly "a an attorney to tell the
committee what II @aS investigating or
what it had right % investigate. He at
tackled the Governor. He has sworn here
that he did as he pieased-he did not fol-
low the Iaw--he obeyed his will, his ca
price. his malice against a set OF men who
voted for him once. but refused to do it
again. He charged that Steunenbergs
deputies were running around with guns
and women and breaking into citizens
houses.
By this time Mr.. Hull was making q We
hement declaration tnat Mr. Lentz had in
suited the committee.
Il will not permit to pass unchallenged
these malicious attacks on the motives of
myself and other members Of this commit
tee. The offence must not be repeated l
warn the gentleman from Ohio"
Mr.. Hull was irste and he and Mr.. Lentz
were giaring at each other. Mr. Lentz
shaking his fist and preparing to say some
things as soon as Mr.. Hull should cease
speaking.
Fuel to the Flames.
At this critical point Attorney CLANCY
unfortunately iniect ed himself into the
snarl which had become ominous and ugly,
by declaring that Mr.. Lentz's statement
concerning Steunenberg's deputies was
falsehood."
This precipitated serious disturbance
Mr.. LentZ sprang to his feet, and said: If
you say that it is rot true that these
deputies in company with women ere
breaking into citizens homes, you tell
lie and am inclined to throw you through
the window. | call for the record in the
Paul Corcoran trial
Mr. Dick called for the reading OF the
remark of the attorney. Mr.. Hull shouted
for order, declaring that everything and
everybody were out of order-that Law
yer Chaney was out of order, that Mr.. |
Lentz was out of order that the committee
would please be in order-that gentlemen
would desist, etc. etc. Mr.. Hay Of Vir-
ginia was on his feet declaring that il the
insolent attorney would address to him the
remark he had addressed to the gentleman
from Ohio or anything like chat remark.
they would come together and the room
would be too small Cor them.
Mr. Hull was still calling for order. Mr.
LentZ shouted: Il want to say that that
hired man U.awyer Chaneyl lies and il
the chairman OF the committee (Mr Huln
protects him. he is a party to the lie.
Mr.. Hull declared that Mr. Lentz's Ian
guage was coarse, rude. and Indecent He |
was agitated but Mr.. Cox OF Tennessee |
was talking and saying: If hs calls me
a liar I'll hit him. But what is the sense |
in this ridiculous wrangle?'
Mr. Cox said yehemently that he did not |
think Lawyer CLANCY was longer entitled |
to the courtesy Of the committee. and |
shaking his clenched hand at Mr. Chaney. |
in a meudCIHB way say lHB Apologize or |
nght-that's the way to settle tiff man |
calls me a liar I'll hit him
Mr.. Chaney tried to explain. but Mr. |
Jett cut him short by making a motion to |
expel him from the room. Mr. Dicl. was |,
talking. Mr. Cox was talking. Mr.. Lentz !
and Mr.. Jett were on their feet. and Mr.. |
Capron was saying that if he had under |
stood CLANCY correctly, he tChaneyJ ought |
to be put out of the room.
-. N nd