Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-09-30
HEISTAND HEARING
Senate Investigating Committee As
sembles Today.
ALL THE CORRESPONDENCE READ
Alleged Combination to Control
Hemp Output.
c. H A R G ES ID E n I 3 D
I'LL THE CORRESPONDENCE READ
G. H A r G ES ID E N E I

The Heistand inquiry began today, be-
fore Senators Hawley. Proctor, Burrows,
| Cockrell and Harris, who were constituted
a subcommittee of the committee on RI
itary affairs charged by the Senate with
investigating certain charges made before
the War Depa rtment and before the Sem
ate against Lieutenant Colonel II. O.. 8.
Heistand, assistant adjutant general, L.
s. A.
The resolution adopted by the senate re-
cited that it was charged that in the sum-
mer of 1899 Col. Heistand was engaged in
forming combination for the purpose of
controlling the hemp output of the Philip
pine Islands; also that Col. Heistand had
at various times represented that he had
associated with him IN the alleged enter
prise George D. Meiklejohn, the assistant
secretary of war; James E. Boyd, then as
siseant attorney general, now United
state district judge in North Carolina:
Chas. H. Allen, then assistant secretary of
the navy, afterward governor of Porto
Rico and Gen. H. c. Corbin, adjutant gen.
eral of the army.
1t continues that Col. Heistand had rep
resented that tariff duties would be adj
justed for the benefit of the combination.
Incorporated in the resolution was a letter
said to have been written by Col. He!stand
L. Il.
prosecutor in the case before the commit
tee. In this letter Col. Heistand merely
says he is sending pamphlet showing eX-
port duties as they were at that time, and
states that the needs of the future will be
met as developments require.
Another allegation is that because of a
claim made by Major Hawks upon Lieut..
Col. Hiestand for compensation for ser
vices in connection with the company AS
sfstant Secretary Meiklejohn guaranteed
and did appoint him to a substantial posi-
ton in the customs service in the Philip
pine Islands, and shortly after Hawks was
summarily dismissed from the service. The
resolution then directs the investigation Of
all the charges contained in the allegation.
Beginning the Inquiry.
When the subcommittee met today at II
o'clock all members were present, together
with Maj. Huxford, clerk of the military
committee; Mr.. Royal w. Thompson, the
assistant clerk, AID a stenographer. Lieut..
Col. Hiestand was also present, represented
by Mr.. Chas. w. Needham as counsel. Maj.
Hawks was in attendance, but at the be-
ginning of he meeting he had no counsel.
The committee decided that he could have
counsel If he desired, and he at once tel
ephoned to Mr.. CrandaI Mackey to come
to the Capitol, and he arrived later. He
did not wish to go on with his statement
until the attorney arrived. This delay was
granted
Mr. -,eedham suggested that inasmuch as
Colonel Hiestand had arrived In Washing
tor only on Friday and he had been con-
suited only on Saturday he would like to
have until Wednesday to prepare a reply
to the charges that had been made. The
committee said it would proceed now, and
II it was later deemed necessary to have
time 1t could be granted.
Then the proceedings were formally OPEN
ed by reading the resolution of the Sem
ate, the letter of the committee asking the
War Department for all papers bearing on
10 nj
rotary Sanger transmitting the papers
wanted.
These papers were read by Major HuX-
ford. and although the important features
of their contents have been heretofore pub
lished, yet they We're listened to with close
attention by the members of the commit
tee and the parties to the case. The papers
were the Endorsements of Major Hawks
when he was appointed major in the 10Th.
Volunteer 1mmunes and a customs inspec-
tor in the Philippines, together with all
the correspondence relating to his orders in
the Philippines, the revocation of his APP
pointment by Secretary Root.
There were many letters from Maj. Hawks,
some of which had been addressed to
President Mckinley, in which Major
Hawks complained of the manner of his
dismissal and asking that investigation
be made to the cause of his sudden dis
missaL The correspondence showed that
Major Hawks had been appointed to a
position in the customs service in the Phil
ippines, and assigned to duty In noilo and
had barely reached his place of duty when
a cable was received dismissing him.
In the papers submitted by the War De-
partment were the formal charges made by
Major Hawks against Colonel Heistand,
which was conduct unbecoming an officer
and a gentleman, the specification being
that he had engaged in a combination to
control the output of Manila hemp and the
manufacture of cordage, and had repre-
scented that Messrs. Meiklejohn, Corbin,
Boyd and Allen were engaged with him,
which these men had denied. These charges
were sent to Colonel Heistand in China and
his reply returned from there.
Col. Heistand's Reply.
In this reply Colonel Hestand states
that he first became acquainted with Mr.
Hawks when he was applicant for posi-
ton in the volunteer service, and was in
troduced to him by men of honor and in
tegrity." He then continues:
Some months after he was mustered out
of the volunteer service and without ex-
pectation on my part that he or / would
ever be in the Philippine Islands in an
official capacity, an effort made to
incorporate and promote company for en-
gaging in the hemp business in the islands
and for the manufacture of hemp rope With
modern machinery at or near the city Of
Manila. The proposed enterprise was a
perfectly honorable and legal one in which
any person might engage. l made no Sc
cret of my prospective connection there
WILL frequently SpOhS Ol II TO my
friends in the War Department and else
where.
Mr.. Hawks gathered statistics concern
ing the proposed enterprise, which 1 re-
garded as important for the division of in
sular affairs, and showed them to Mr..
Meiklejohn, and wrote Hawks to that
effect"
Col. Heistand then explains that letter
was written and signed by Mr.. Meiklejohn
Mr.: Boyd and himself, expressing their be-
lief in the integrity of Mr. Hawks who
was endeavoring to raise money to float
the company, and continues:
Some time thereafter l caused Hawks
to return this letter, because 1t had been
reported that he was using it as represent
ing that the signatory parties and others
were to give official support to the enter
prise
Hawks Makes a Demand
The enterprise was soon after abandoned,
because of failure to raise funds, and Col.
Hiestand went abroad, and soon after