The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-01-19
Senator Morgan Gels the Witt
ness BaIIsd Up
He REFUSES TO ANSWER
Magazine Writer Was Called to sus-
tain His Charges of Mlsmanage-
ment of Affairs on the
Isthmus OF Panama.

Isthmus OF Panama.
Washington January 1s.-Poultney Bige-
low. the magazine writer whose arraign-
ment of the administration and manage
ment of the isthman canal affairs in an
article published In the Independent.
which was denounced by Secretary OF
War Taft proved to be contumaclous
witness before the Senate committee on
| interoceanic canals today and involved
| the committee In a controversy which
continued to the executive session, and
must be considered again tomorrow before
action can be taken.
| The recalctrancy Of the witness was
shown as the result of statement made
! by him that many eminent engineers had
| declined to accept employment of the
| government because of physical conditions
on the isthmus. The committee demanded
the names of such engineers and Bige-
low declined to give them. saying that
to do so would be to violate a confidence
and subject these persons to embarrass-
ments.
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"
Persisted In His Refusal.
Two opportunities TO answer were given
| to Mr.. Bigelow but he persisted I'm his
refusal Senator Morgan. who conducted
the last examination, warned the wit
ness in such manner as seemed to commit
the committee to punishment II he contin-
ued to bring himself into contempt. but
the advice was of no avail. and the doors
were ordered closed for a second time. In
executive session 1t developed that the
committee was agreed that the conduct
| of Mr. Bigelow was not of such ma
ture that there could be no doubt Of
the committees power TO have him dealt
with summarly.
Senators Knox, Hopkins and Morgan
favored certfcatlon of his recalcitrancy
to the Vice President for submission OF
the case to United States Attorney Baker
for the District of Columbia. This course
met opposition from Senator's German
and Simmons on the ground that II would
prevent further examination of the wit
ness on other subjects mentioned in the
magazine article which makes charges
against the canal commission
interfere With Investigation.
Several members of the committee said
that Mr. Bigelow's usefulness as a witt
ness was at an end and urged and argued
| so vehemently against any delay In pro-
ceeding against Mr.. Bigelow that Sem
ator German and Senator Simmons de-
clared that their purpose seemed TO be to
| interfere with the thorough investigation
! of canal affairs which was ordered by the
Senate.
When IT was apparent there could be no
action today. a motion to adjourn until
tomorrow at IL o'clock was carried. This
was with the understanding that the
records OF the hearing should be printed.
and be In the hands of the committee at
tomorrows meeting.
Mr.. Bigelow was commanded to hold
himself in readiness to appear tomorrow
II wanted.
Says He Is Quaker.
on motion of Mr. Morgan, the oath was
| presented to the witness, but Mr.. Bigelow
said he was a Quaker and therefore he
was permitted to affirm" rather than
! swear" He was then asked to tell his
story in his own way.
| II am embarrassed to appear in any
| after having been described a sensation
monger from an official source" said Mr.
Blgelow He asked to be allowed to put
| himself right and proceeded to tell OF his
| public work, where he had lectured and
| the respectable bodies that have done
| him honor. He said he was not attempts
ing to get advertising or to sell his books
by such testimony, but believed that in
| the face of the attack made upon him
| such testimony Is pertinent In terms OF
| great familiarity he referred TO men OF
| letters and publicists of high standing in
an effort TO set himself right.
"As to what I saw personally on this
isthmus" said Mr.. Bigelow, II will say
! that I had the better part of two days.
arriving at Colon at 10 o'clock In tho
! morning" Going to a map of the isthmus
| he pointed out that laborers were landed
| In an oozy swamp of a pestilential char
| acter and he asserted the sanitation was
Of the worst character. He 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 re-
! plies were concluded.
In reference to his article in the Inde-
pendent he said 1t had been declined by
| Harpers and Golfers weeklies before It
was accepted by Abe Independent. Reply
| ing to an inquiry by Mr.. German the Wit
ness said he had not represented any
American interests on the isthmus.
Investigated Sanitary Condition.
| Returning to a discussion of his visit
TO the isthmus, Mr.. Bigelow said he spent
most of the time investigating sanitary
conditions He thought there had been
grave danger there because Of tho fact
that Secretary Taft and Governor Magoon
| had not been through these swamps. and
that they must have had some good rea-
son for their avoidance of these places.
Describing conditions he declared there
are no sanitary depots. His testimony
was general and on motion of Mr.. Knox,
the witness was instructed to confne It
to stating the facts on which he based
his article on the mismanagement of canal
affairs He replied that his article was
based on his personal visit TO one hun
dred different shacks which Secretary
1 Taft Mr. Stevens and Mr.. Shonts had
pronounced to be In good heathful con-
| dItion and which he found to be with
out water or sanitation. He was inter
| rupted again and told that the impressions
were valueless and asked to give facts
well, here Is a fact" said the witness.