Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-03

intensif1es the contrast between his meth
DDS and COTS. They point out further that
while Hughes observed the rules of evil
dence. so called, In his inquisition, Golf did
net; that while Hughes permitted and even
urged the witnesses to tell both sides of
the story, that which was to their credit as
we'll as otherwise, Golf would hear only
what he wished to have brought out.
1t is not asserted that Goffs nquisiton
did not produce proper results, but that
they were reached by methods that some
times lacked a good deal in the way of
perfect fair play, whereas Hughes was al
ways entirely fair, though never allowing
himself to be imposed upon and never
missing the real point through lack of
thoroughness.
A Terror to the Witness.
As an examiner Golf was truly a terror
to the witness. He is an Irishman ana ne
must have kissed the blarney stone surely,
for, when he so desired, he was able to
make his voice sweet and as
smooth as honey. It was when he
dropped, into his purling Irish brogue,
the most persuasive accent in which
the English language can be touched. that
certain of his witnesses were most in dan
ger. 1t was at such times that many of
their most damaging admissions were made.
1t was at such times that the interests he
was seeking to betray came before the
close of the inquiSition, to be most terrified.
But there were soma witnesses who could
not be drawn out by soft-spoken ques-
tons; witnesses who were not deceived by
sugared tones into mistaking the real pur-
port of the terrible queries he was making,
sometimes seemingly almost at random For
such witnesses Golf had an entirely differ
ent method.
For them there were no sweet words.
When he questioned them the meilifiuous
Hibernian intonations We're missing and in
stead there were rough, rasping tones that
suggested the filing of rusty cross-cut
saw more than anything else For them his
entire bearing, somewhere so insinuating,
so, kind, almost, inviting condolences Of tne
most Intimate nature, was changed into
browbeating, bullying, overbearing Ge-
meanor which rarely failed to Brighten out
of them the admissions which he wanted,
but which he knew 70 amount of persuasion
would elicit.
Golf had one characteristic as an in
quisitor which he never dropped. either
when leading his victims on or soaring the
truth from them. He always kept at it.
He never paused to think up a fresh ques-
ton, seeming to have everything h pro-
pcsed to ask throughout the day all
thought out in advance.
Thus he never gave a witness time to re-
fleet or to formulate answer. Also Golf
never seemed to recognize the fact when
witness made a particularly damaging ad-
mission, and nine times in ten the witness
himself-Or herself, for several wretched
women, as well as many men, had to an
Swer his questions-would hardly be aware
VI the cilnCTnnS nature or the answer I'M
less the spectators giggled, thus making it
perfectly clear.
Golf, Jerome and Smyth.
William Travers Jerome, the ant-boss
district attorney Of today, and quite as ir-
repressble either Parkhurst or Goff was
the latter's assistant counsel before the
Lexow committee, and though COTS repu-
tation grew faster than Jeromes, during
the committees sessions Jerome's pro-
crossed by leaps and bounds.
They are not good friends now for we'll
known reasons, which there Is not space 40
put down here, but their teamwork then
was as perfect as that of Hughes and his
associate, James McKeen, was during the
insurance investigation. 1t may be said in
passing, by the way, that many Of Hughes
warmest admirers, even. do not think that
McKeen has received all the credit he
should get in this instance
For, they say, while Hughes use OF the
facts upon which he based his searching
inquisition was almost faultless, the ever
lasting and persistent digging and burrow-
ing after those facts by McKeen and the
arranging of them effectively for Hughes
use were among the strongest factors of the