Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-28
INDIGNANT SENATORS
Comment on the Barnes In
vestigation. saE
BUT ONE SIDE PRESENTED
Assertions Contradicted by Reliable
Evidence.
ABOUT MRS. MORRIS INSANITY
Assertion That She Was Treated for
Malady in Asheville Flatly
Denied. &,
BOUT MRS. MORRIS INSANITY

There was considerable indignatiou
among many senators today when II was
fully understood that the Senate commit.
tee on post Offices and post roads had or.
dered printed for distribution among sena-
tors ex parte statements that have been
gathered together in the case of Mr. Benz.
f. Barnes, nominated to be postmaster OF
this city, and at the same time had re-
fused to permit absolute contradiction OF
these statements to accompany them.
The ex parte statement which The COM
mittee is distributing in the form of an ex.
ecutivc document for the confidential infor.
nation OF senators contains many asser-
tons that were known to the committee TO
be contradicted by reliable evidence that
could have been obtained by merely issuing
subpoenas to witnesses TO appear and tes-
tify. Many OF these assertions reflect upon
Mrs Morris in way to injure her standing
before the community. One of these asser-
tions is from physician in Asheville, n. G.,
who says that two years ago he treated Mrs.
Morris for insanity. Mrs. Morris herself
has said that she has never been in Ashe-
vile, at which place this physician declares
she was his patient.
DR.. Morris has asserted that his wife has
not Deen Soutn Oh river IoF
fifteen years. 1t is understood that Sena-
tor Tilman, who went before the commit
tee several days ago, offered to prove the
entire falsity of the declarations of the
Asheville physician, but the committee
brushed him aside, declared, in effect, that
1t was not interested in his contradictions.
and forthwith ordered that this allegation,
absolutely unsupported by testimony other
than that Of the physician and contradicted
in positive manner, should be printed as
part of an executive document and distrib-
uted to senators.
The White House Incident
The committee in Its report to the Senate.
it is understood has stated:
''The facts as herein stated are substan-
TALLY coroborrated by all the persons who
were present during the transaction
That assertion referred to the ctrcum-
stances attending the brutal ejectment OF
Mrs Morris from the White House. her be-
ing dragged along a muddy walk to tho
west entrance of the White House. and the
further disposition that was made OF her
at the house of detention.
The facts referred to In the committee
report relate to the statement by Mr.
Barnes of what occurred and to the state
ments of others who gave testimony in sup
port of his narrative of those events leay-
ing out of consideration other testimony
that was contradictory to 1t In practically
all of its essential features, which testt-
mony the committee was told it couid read
witnesses who are in this city.
The Senate will be called upon Monday
afternoon to take up the Barnes nomina-
tion. That body has been provided with
only biased testimony, and senators have
had no opportunity up to the present time
to learn anything from the committee or,
the other side of this case. Some sena-
tors declare that no more pronounced and
offensive star chamber proceeding could
be imagined than that on which the
Barnes nomination has been considered
since it has been in the possession OF the
Senate committee on post Offices and post
roads.
There is also comment on the remarkable
proceeding of Mr.. Barnes in taking meas
ures for securing his bond as postmaster or
this city, In view of the fact that an in
vestigation OF his course had been de-
manded.
A good deal of interest is attached to the
nature of the underground Information that
he has received from some place to warrant
him in preparing to enter the office under
these circumstances.
Statement by DR.. Morris.
DIR. Morris today in speaking OF the star
chamber proceedings by which the Senate
committee on post offices and post roads
has refused to allow testimony to be SUBJ
mjtted to II in relation to his wife, said:
$50 far as the statement that my wife
was treated for insanity In Asheville, n: g,
is concerned, I can say positively that 10
my knowledge she has not been south or
the Potomac river in fifteen years
..She states that at no time in her life was
she In Asheville; she never heard or the
physician whose name Is given as the one
who treated her for insanity. and that there
is absolutely no truth in this entire ailega-
ton. Mrs. Morris has never been treated
by any one for insanity. She has never
been in a sanitarium. / think l can be eX-
cused for being indignant over the manner
in which this case is being handled. As a
matter of fact. my wife is not under inves-
Sbn and instead of
directing the inquiry toward her IL seems
strange TO me that the committee does not
exercise it's powers in securing testimony
bearing on Mr.. Barnes and his conduct, be-
cause he is, or should be, under investiga-
ton. as his nomination for public office Ia
before the Senate.
Departure From the Portner.
Another statement that Is being placed
before the Senate to the effect that Mrs.
Morris and myself were ordered to leave
the Portner fats in this city is quite as
false as that relating to her treatment FOR
insanity left the Portner flats after oc-
cupying apartments there for three years
lacking four months. / was never asked
to vacate these apartments. and did SO
only under circumstances that aneeted my
own comfort In the construction of an
addition to that building an engine was
PLACED under my. window, and II disturbed
us so greatly that consulted lawyer 10
ascertain whether l could vacate the fiat
without being held to the conclusion or
my lease.
III understood that ! could do so. and /
Immediately notified the manager, Mr..
stokes. that would leave the house.
cannot understand why Mr.. Stokes should
make an attack upon my wife when both
Mrs. Morris and myself have had only the
kindest feelings toward him. But 1t seems
that he has gone out of his way to make an
attack upon US.
..But to have such false statements pub
lished In an executive document and placed
in the hands of members Of the Senate.
without the least opportunity to deny them.