Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-01-19
DECLINES TO GIVE THEIR NAMES
Thinks it Would Be Violation Of Conf
dsnoe and Embar-ass fnformants
COMMITTEE HOLDS EXECUTIVE SESSION
Division of Opinion Develops Regard
Ing Proposal to Punish Witness
for Contumacy and 30
Action Is Taken.

Ing Proposal TO Punish witness
for Contumacy and 80
Action is Taken.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 1s,-Poultney Bige
low. the magazine writer whose arraign-
ment of the administration and manage
ment off the isthman canal affairs in an
article published in the Independent, which
! was denounced by Secretary of War Tart.
/ proved to be a contuniacious witness beforo
! the senate committee on interoceanic canals
today and involved the committee in con-
/ troversy which caused two executive ses-
1 sions and must be considered again tonlor-
row before action can be taken The recall
! citrancy of the witness was shown as the
! result of statement made by him that
many eminent engineers had declined to ac-
cept employment of the government because
| of physical conditions on the isthmus. Tho
committee demanded the names of such en-
ginccrs and Mr.. Bigelow declined to give
| them on the ground that to do so would be
! to violate confidence and subject these per
sons to embarrassments. He intimated that
! the displeasure of the administration would
| be exhibited In such manner that their
regulations would be worth nothing after
the official replies should be concluded.
Two opportunities to answer were given
to Mr.. Bigelow, but he persisted in refusing
| to answer. Senator Morgan, who conducted
the last examination, warned the witness in
such manner as seemed TO commit the COM
mittee to punishment, it he continued to
! bring himself into contempt. The advice
was OF no avail and the doors were ordered
closed for a second time.
Division I'm COMMITTEES.
| hat tln
committee was agreed that the evidence of
Mr.. Bigelow was of such a nature that
| there could be no doubt of the commit
| tees power to have him dealt with sum-
marily. Senators Knox, Hopkins and Nor
gan favored a certihcation of his recall
citrancy to the vice president for suhanis-
sion of the case to United States Attorney
Baker for the District of Columbia. This
course met opposition from Senators Cor
man and Simmons on the ground that 1t
prevents further examination of the wit
ness on other subjects mentioned Al tho
magazine article, which makes charges
- af'hs' sns eon'mittss ns @ sssd sfst MI S1Ss,ess
fusefulness as a witness was ct an end ana
urged and argued so vehemently against
any delay in proceeding against Mr.. Bige-
low. that Senators German and Simmons
declared that their purpose seemed to in
terfere with the thorough investigation OF
canal affairs which was ordered by the
senate.
When 1t was apparent there could be no
action today a motion to adjourn until
tomorrow at IL o'clock was carried Tits
was with the understanding that the
records of todays hearing should be
printed and in the hands OF the commit
tee at tomorrow's meeting, Mr.. Bigelow
was commanded to hold himself ready to
appear tomorrow
Mr. BigeIOw's Testimony.
Mr. Bigelow was the first witness before
the committee. He was asked to tell his
story in his own way.
'I am embarrassed to appear In any
capacity before any respectable body after
, having been described as sensation mon
ger from an official source said Mr..
Bigelow.
He asked to be allowed to put himself
| right and proceeded to tell of his public
works, where he had lectured and the
respectable bodies that had done him
honor He said he was not attempting to
get advertising or to sell his books by such
testimony, but believed that in the face
, of the attack made upon him such testi-
. mony is pertinent. In terms OF great
familiarity he referred to men of letters
ana puDlclStS VI us oeohNthS az ~ oiAoi :
|, / to set himself right
"As to what ] saw personally on the
isthmus," said Mr.. Bigelow, II viii say
/. that had the better part of two days, ar
: irving at Colon at 10 o'clock in the morn
. ing"
,, Going 10 Il map Of the isthmus he pointed
: ont that laborers were landed in an oozy
swamp of a pesitilential character and
he asserted that the sanitation was of the
|, worst character lie said that to use
names would subject the persons who
helped him in getting his information to
embarrassment and make their names
: worth nothing by the time Official replies
. were concluded"
In reference to his article in the In
dependent. he said that It had been de-
| clined by Harpers and Golfers weeklies
before II was accepted by the Independent.
Replying to an inquiry by Mr.. German.
the witness said he had not represented
any American interest on the isthmus,
Returning to discussion of his visit to
the isthmus, Mr.. Bigelow said he spent
most OF the time investigating sanitary
{ conditions. He thought he had been in
n grave danger there because Of the fact
:. that Secretary Taft and Governor Magoon
d had not been through these swamps and
n that there must have been some good rea-
son for their avoidance of these places.
: Describing conditions he declared thar
there are no sanitary depots His testimony
!, WAS general and on motion of Mr.. Knox the
: witness was Instructed TO conhne 1t to stat
: ing the facts on which he based his article
y on the mlsmanagement of canal affairs. He
> replied that his article was based on HIS
personal visit to 100 different shacks which
Secretary Taft. Mr.. Stevens and Mr. shonts
9 had pronounced TO be I'm good. heaithful
: condition and which he found to be with
out water or sanitation. He was inter
rupted again and told that impressions were
!. valueless and asked to give facts.
Refuses to Give Names.
]; ''Well. here Is a fact. Many engineers OF
note declined 10 accept government EN-
n ploynlent in clearing up these sanitary con
" ditions.'
"Name them" demanded Mr.. Knox
II think Il would be embarrassing to shsn'
" TO have their names made public" said he.
Upon insistence being made. Mr.. Bigeio~