Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-16
TESTIMONY ALL IN
Last Witness Before the Keep
Commission
WAS GEN. MICHENER
OTHERS WHO WERE EXAMINED
IN THE AFTERNOON.
J. Maury Dove, President of the Lam
ston Company, Tells of Visits
to His House.

Yesterday was an interesting time for the
Keep commission. The commission held
three sessions and crowded much work
as possible in the day and evening In order
to complete their examination Of witnesses.
It was stated that they would conclude the
taking of testimony upon their adjournment
last night at about II o'clock. There may
be additional evidence they will wish to
secure. and If so there will be further
meetings, and other witnesses will be call
ed. but 1t was generally believed that the
taking of testimony had been completed.
The chief witness of the morning was
Capt. Brian. chief clerk and formerly fore
man of the office. He was succeeded by
Mr.. Oscar ]. Ricketts, as foreman several
years ago. In the afternoon Mr.. j. Maury
Dove. president of the Lanston company.
went on the stand. and he was followed by
Gen. Kitchener, of the firm of Dudley X
Michener, attorneys for the Lanston COM
pany. Mr.. Kitchener did not conclude MS
testimony when the afternoon session adr
journed and he was again heard at 8
o'clock when the commission reassembied.
Testimony Ruled Out.
Mr.. Brian proceeded to give some testi-
mony that was ruled out by the commits
sion. He produced records of the office to
show how much Mr. Ricketts, made when
He had formidable array of tabulated
figures. but he had not proceeded far when
one of the commissioners remarked that he
did not think such testimony had any bear
ing on the case, and he expressed his opin-
Ion that 1t should be ruled out This the
commission did. so that none of the figures
presented by Capt. Brian were allowed to
go on record. He was asked concerning
the state OF the appropriation doing the
last six months the present year. He
stated that on account of large expendi-
lures for the quarter ending March 81, 1t
was not plain TO him whether there would
not be deficiency and that account
he advised the public printer that it would
be necessary TO go slow in ordering ma
chimes. The Merg. lawyers called atten-
ton TO the fact that 1t didn't look as
If there would be deficiency when s231-
600 were spent for Lanston machines and
nearly a quarter of million turned back
into the treasury.
Capt. Brian was questioned in relation TO
the occasion when Mr.. Ricketts, told him
that ii was unusual to have any material
ordered in the manner in which the Lam
stons were contracted for. This testimony
was generally corroborative of what Mr..
Ricketts, testified to the day previously.
Mr.. j. Maury Dove.
Mr.. ]. Maury Dove when on the stand
made a general defense Of the Lanston ma
chine. He reviewed all the testimony in
relation to it. and gave narrative of Its
capabilities He was also questioned in re-
lation to the visits of the public printer and
several of the forcmen to his home in this
city. This matter was gone into very fully.
both in the examination of Mr.. Dove and
Capt. Brian.
Paul Nathan of the firm of Wood e.
Nathan, sales agents for the I.anston type
setting machines. gave testimony as TO the
efficiency OF that machine. He praised the
many good points of the Lanston. and in a
general way alleged its superiority over the
Mergenthaler.
The next witness was Mr.. +. +. Buck
land. clerk in the time clerks division
of the government printing Offce. air
Buckland was also recorder of tie TaDley-
Bushnell committee in he prnt,ry. He
gave IL as his opinion that had Mr.. Mars: on
lived he would have affixed his signature
to special report No. >, upon which Pub
lie Printer Palmer predicated his action in
ordering the seventy-two Lanston machines
the purchase of which brought about the
present official inquiry. Mr.. Buck and added
that Marston was confined to his bed when
the report was written, and had never seen
II in its completed form. He was sure
however. from Air. Marstons attitude be
fore he became i'll that he favored all that
was shown in Special report No. o.
Capt. Brian testified that he had been at
Mr.. Doves house three occasions. He
was asked whether he had any stock IN the
LanSton company, and replied that he had
not. He said he had been sent to Mr..
Doves house by the public printer. but IL
was developed in the testimony that Dir.
Palmer did not know that Capt. Brian had
been To Mr. Doves house more than once.
Gen. Kitchener made a general defense or
the Lanston company in relation to secur-
ing the contract for the sevcnty-two Lam
ston machines, and claimed that that ac-
ton obviously proper in view Of the
merits that had been shown for that ma
chine in the work in the government print
ing office as well as elsewhere.