The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-01-19
BIGELOW RECALQTRANT
 BEFORE THE COMMITTEE

was interrupted again and told that the impression were valueless, and asked to give facts.
 Well. here is a fact" said the witt ness Many engineers of note deciined to accept Government employment m clearing up these unsanitary conoi- tions.'
 "Nano ther.- demanded Mir. Knox.
 T think it would be embarrassing to them to have their names made pup lic,- said he. Upon insistence being made. MT. BigeIow gave the name Of John F. Freeman of Boston. and said there were others, but he declined to give the names.
 Several members of the committed. notably MT Hopkins. MT Knox and MT. Simons, urged that Mir. Bigelow be compelled to answer.
 Referred to Roosevelt.
 eMr. Roosevelt can tell you said MT. BigeIow.
 MT. Roosevelt is not on the stand said Mir. Knox, severely.
 After a controversy in which MT. Bigelow sought to be relieved from giv- ing authority of his statements sew eral times asking that the President or Secretary Taft be called to corrobo- rate his charges. MT. Morgan protested that MT. Bigelow should be given op- portunity to give the foundation of his article. so that the committee can tell whether he spoke the truth. It was denied by Mir, Hopkins and MT. Kittridge that there is any con- troversy between the Secretary of War and the witness.
 After long discussion, Mir. Knox formally moved that the witness be compelled to give the names of all per sons who furnished him information concerning affairs on the isthmus, or to confine his testimony to matters to which he was an eyewitness The motion was carried and the witness in structed to proceed. Beginning dis cursive form of testimony in which generalities abounded, MT. Bigelow was brought to an abrupt pause by several members of the committee.
 MT. Knox said: T insist. Mir. Bige- low, that you adapt yourself to the ruling of the committee and give the information as demanded" You can put me on bread and water or even condemn me to Colon. but you cannot make me disclose that which has been given me in confidence" replied l the witness. His response was cut short by d motion by Mir. Knox that the committee go into executive session l The motion was for the purpose Of giving the committee an opportunity | to consider the situation and to deter | | the witness. The room was cleared of spectators and the doors closed. At 3:20 o'clock this afternoon the doors of the committee room were opened and Mir. Bigelow was interro- gated by Mir. Morgan. His attention was called to his statement that Free man had declined to accept a position with the government on canal work. The witness said he had not been told personally by MT. Freeman that he would not take tho place. He was l asked to name others hut declined. He said. however, that he had had conver- sation with MT. Dunlap, editor of The Mining Journal; with Barclay Parsons | and Mir. Freeman as well as others. Morgan Questions Witness. | Have any of these gentlemen said | they would not be willing to go to the 1, isthmus to undertake engineering work because of physical conditions or other reasons of that character?" asked MT Morgan.
 Tt would be very unfair to these | gentlmen for me to answer that ques- l tion,t replied Mir. Bigelow. Continuing he declared that he would not quote I any of these gentlemen and he declined to disclose any conversations with per | sons who had not given him authority to do so. He said that Tracy Robin son and others he had mentioned in I hlS ATIlCle ndu DcGil CONGACO WAIh AAhd by administration officials and that he would not think of embarrassing oth- CTS. He offered to quote parts of 8 letter from Mir. Robinson, but would not put in the entire letter.
 MT. Morgan's interrogations was se- we're in holding Mir. Bigelow closely to facts and in demanding details con cerning the generalities Of his early testimony.
 q would like to withdraw the names I have already given" said MT. Bige- low, but he was told that he could moi withdrew anything; that he had been called to tell the truth and would be expected to tell it on all matters oi l which he claimed to have knowledge.
 The law requires that you answer any questions put to you by this com mittee," explained MT. Morgan. Tt re- uuires you to answer even though Il might violate private conversations oi incriminate you. Should you refuse, il Is our duty to report your conduct tt the President of the Senate, and fol him to proceed against you in couri of justice. Do you want any further authority on that point of law?'
 T accept your word on law ques tions." replied the witness, but should like to state--"
 Cut short by Morgan.
 His statement was cut short by Mir | Morgan, WnO llStIuCteu tAo StcHoSi d pher to read the question. which wal whether the witness would name an! engineers who had declined to go tt the isthmus on. account of physical ol other conditions.
 ~Do you refuse to answer withou their consent?" asked Mir. Morgan.
 q should like to appeal to the chair man. was invited here to make statement concerning my experiences
 Again the witness was cut short. MT Morgan demanded an answer to thu question.
 DO you refuse to answer?' he asked with great severity of tone.
 "of course do, for the reasons
 have stated" replied the witness. H was nos permitted to make any eXplan ations.
 Mir Hopkins then inquired of tn witness if he refused to give the name
 of the other engineers than the one
 he had mentioned as declining to go t
 the isthmus. Mir. Bigelow said that h
 had not said that any engineers Ina
 told him personally that they were un
 willing to take a government positio
 on the isthmus but that he had give
 information he had gathered in variou
 places. "I have no names Of engineer
 that have told me they would not go |
 the isthmus," he said. and neither vii l say that either of the gentlemen men
 tioned have told others that they woul
 not go.'
 Upon being questioned further he sai
 that while he would not say that the
 had made statements, neither wolyd h
 say that they had not. Getting no sat
 isfaction from the witness, Mir. Morgai
 moved that the room be cleared. tha l tLa committee miEtE again consider th