Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-01-18
,,eoIines to Disclose to Senate
Committee Source Of His lnfor-
nation on Panama Canal.
PIT HIM ON BREAD AND WATER
Or Send Him to Colon Yet Will
He Not Divulge Confidence
Given Him.
p.fusal Taken Under Consideration
Rut No Decision Northumberland
TO be Sworn Because a Quaker.

washington. Jan. 1s.-Poultney Bige-
now. the magazine writer who was de-
,ounced by Secy Taft for his criticism
NJ the management of canal affairs,
d.nlned TO disclose TO the senate canal
committee the source of his informa-
ton.
Upon being instructed to answer, he
dtclared
'aThe committee can put me on bread
and water or even condemn me to Col
op but II cannot compel me To dlyulge
that which was given me in comb
dence."
The committee went into executive
SESSION to determine what course should
BE- taken.
Nr Bigelow's statement was made
when the public hearings In the in
Yesleation OF questions relating to the
Panama canal We're begun today before
the senate committee on nterocoanlo
canals. Mr.. Blgelow was the first Wit
ness. on motion OF Mr.. Morgan, the
oath was presented to the witness. but
Mr. RigelOw said he was a Quaker and
therefor, he was perm tied to affirm
rather than swear"
He was then asked to tell his story
In his own way.
Il am embarrassed to appear in any
capacity before respectable body after
having been described as a sensation
f,uonger from an off dial source said
Mr. BIgelow He asked to be allowed
10 put himself right and proceeded to
tell OF his public works, where he had
lectiired and the respectable bodies that
have done him honor. He said he was
not attempting to get advertising or to
fell his books by such tertimony but
believed that In the fact of the at
tack made upon him such testimony
Is pertinent. In terms OF great famli-
iarlty he referred TO men OF letters and
publclsts of high standing In an effort
to set himself right,
AS TO what / saw personally on the
isthmus," said Mr. Bigeiow, 81 viii say
that had the better para of two days,
arriving at Colon at 3 in the morning"
Going to a map OF the isthmus he
pointed out that laborers were landed
in an oozy swamp of pestilential
character, and he asserted that the
sanitation was OF the worst character.
He said that to use names would sub
feet the persons who helped him in get
ting his information to embarrassment
and make their flames worth nothing
BY the time official replies were con-
Guided"
In reference 20 his article In the In
dependent. he said that it. had been
declined by Harper's and Golfers
Weeklies before it was accepted by the
Independent.
Replying to an inquiry by Mr. Cor
man, the witness said he had not rep
resented any American interests on the
isthmus Returning to discussion of
his visit to tho isthmus, Mr.. Bigelow
said he spent most of the time in
vestgating sanitary conditions lie
thought he had been in grave danger
there because of the fact that Secy.
Taft and Gov. Magoon had not been
through these swamps, and that there
must have been some good reason for
their avoidance of these places.
The executive session continued for
an hour when an adjournment was
taken until 2'30 p. IN. No decision Yves
reached as to what action should be
taken concerning Mr., Bigelow's con-
tumacy.