The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-01-19
Declines to Give Source
 of Information. IS WARNED BY MORGAN
Witness Does Not Seem to Fear
 Punishment.
German and simmons Declare That Republicans Do Not Seem to want to Get at the Truth of
 Canal Affairs.


 low, the magazine writer, whose ar- raignment of the administration and management of the Isthmian canal af- fairs in an article published in The Independent which was denounced by Secretary of War Taft. proved to be a contumacious witness before the Sem ate Committee on Interoceanic Canals today and involved the committee in controversy which continued to execu- tive session and must be considered again tomorrow before action can be taken.
 The recalcitrancy of the witness was shown as result of a statement made by him that many eminent engineers had declined to accept employment of the government because of physical conditions on tho isthmus The com mitfee demanded the names of such engineers and Mir Bigelow declined to give them on the ground that to do so would be to violate & confidence and subject these persons to embarrass- ments. He intimated that the dis pleasure of the administration would be exhibited in such manner that their regulations would be worth nothing after the official replies should be con- cluded."
 Two opportunities to answer were given to Mir Bigelow but he persisted in his refusals. Senator Morgan who conducted the last examination warned the witness in such manner as seemed 10 commit the committee to punish ment If he continued to bring himself into contempt, but the advice was of no avail. and he doors were ordered closed for a second time.
 Liable to Punishment
 Tn executive session it developed that the committee was agreed that the offense of Mir. Bigelow was of such
 FE ~l sI4N of the committees power to have him dealt with summarify.
 Senators Knox. Hopkins and Morgan favored & eertification of his recalcit- rancy to the vice president for subnls- sion of the case to United States Att ' torney Baker for the District of Co., lunibia. This course met opposition from Senators German and Simmons on the ground that it would prevent fur ther examination of the witness on other subjects mentioned in the mag azine article which makes charges against the canal administrations.
 Several members of the committee Haid that MT. Bigelow's usefulness as n witness was at an end and urged and argued so vehemently against any delay in proceeding against MT Bige- low that Senator German and Senator simmons declared that their purpose seemed to be to interfere with the tborough investigation of canal affairs, which was ordered by the Senate.
 When 1t was apparent there could De no action today a motion to adJourn until tomorrow at il o'clock was car rjed This was with the understanding that the records of todays hearing should be printed and be in the hands nf the committee at tomorrows meet Inp Mir. Bigelow was commanded to hold himself ready to appear tomorrow if wanted
 BIgeIOw First Witness.
 r,rb1ic hearings in the investigation ,s questions relating to the Panama ,anal were begun to-day before the Senate committee on 1nter-oceanle canals Poultney Bigelow, the maga- zine writer, whose attack upon the ,.l, ao, ninistration of the affairs of the Canal Zone was denounced by Secretary of War Taft was the first witness. On notion of Mir. Morgan, the oath was presented to the witness, but MT. Bige- low said he was a Quaker and there lore he was permitted to affirm ra- her than swear" He was then asked to tell his story in his own way.
 ''I am embarrassed to appear in any character before any respectable body after having been described as sen- sation monger from an official source. said Mir. Bigelow. He asked to be all lowed to put himself right and pro- ,eeded to tell of his public work, where ae had lectured and the respectable bodies that have done htm honor. Ho ,aid he was not attempting to get ad- vertfsing or to sell his books by such testimony, but believed that in the face If the attack made upon him such tes- .imony is pertinent. Tn terms of great familiarity he referred to men of let .ers and publicists of high standing in m effort to set himself right.
 "As to what saw personally on the rsthmus." said Mir. Bigelow, '' will say that had the better part of two Jays arriving at Colon at 10 o'clock in Inc morning.
 Going to a map of the Isthlnus he pointed out that laborers were landed n an oozy swamp of a pestilentlal character and he asserted the santa . ion was of the worst character He ,aid that to use the names would sub ect the persons who helped him in get ing his information to embarrassment md make their names worth nothing ,v the time official replies were con- ,luded !"
 Tn reference to his article in The Independent he said 1t had been de- ,lined by Harpers and Golfers Week { Ies before it was accepted hy the In- Sependent. Replying io an inquiry by Hr. German, the witness said he had not represented any American fntertsts sn the Isthmus
 Taft Avoided swnmpa.
 Returning to a discussion of his yisIt to the Isthmus, Mir. Bigelow said, ,o spent most of the tlme Investigating tanitary conditions, He thought he lad been In grave danger there he- sause of the fact that Secretary Taft md Governor Magoon had not been through these swamps and that they must have some good reason for tbeiT avoidance of these places
 Describing conditions, he declared there are no sanitary depots His tes- iimony was general. and on motion oi tfr Knox the witness was instructed tc tonfine 1t to stating the facts on which he based his article on the misman- lgement of canal affairs. He replied hat his article was based on his per tonal visit to 100 different shacks whicf kecretary Taft. Mir, stevens and MT khonts had pronounced to be in good Ln.Ithfnl cnnaitinn- and which he fnmnh