The Washington herald., 1912-02-07

Two Of the ofiicial stenographers en-
ployed in general official reporting at the
Capitol took the witness stand In the
Lorimer investigation yesterday as expert
witnesses and corroborated the opinion
Of Milton w. Blumenberg that the steno-
graphic notes submitted In evidence by
]. A. Sheridan were fabricated. The
witnesses were H. II. Pechin. who -testi-
fed that he had had twenty-five years
experience as a shorthand writer and had
been employed for several years in re-
porting committee hearings and other Of
fetal work. and AIlister Cochran, who
for ten years has been a reporter Of Of
fetal debates In the House OF Represent
atives.
Practical Test Ordered.
The testimony has impressed the COM
mlttee with the Importance OF going
more fully into the question OF the au-
thenticity OF the stenoEaphic notes of
w. J. Burns dictagraph operator, and
he will be required to give q physical
demonstration Of his capacity to report
conversation under the circumstances
which, he alleges, surrounded his taking
Of the conversation between Detective A.
G. Bailey, Harry Kerr, and Charles Nc
Gowan in the hotel at Toronto. The
"lloAc Ease OI lue attorneys IOE the COM
mittee, In their efforts to impeach the
testimony OF Charles MCGOWAN, the
young Canadian who testified for Lori
mer, rests upon the evidence furnished
by Detective William ]. Burns and his
assistants, A. C. Bailey and ]. A. Sheri-
dan. corroborated by the witness, Harry
Kerr, friend Of Bailey.
BlumenberE TeatIAes.
Milton W. Blumenberg. Official report
er OF the Lorimer investigating commit
tee, who gave a sensational turn to the
hearings Saturday night by publicly
charging that the Burns stenographer
had faxed his shorthand notes, was the
first witness yesterday. He declared that
he was perfectly normal Saturday night.
said that the alleged friends" who had
assumed to inform the newspapers that
he was suffering from extreme nervous
ness had no authority to speak for him,
declared that he needed no guardian, and
when asked specifically IL he had any
consciousness of having committed any
wrong" replied that he had not. He ad-
mitted that he had been getting only
about four hours of sleep each night for
several days, and admitted that he had
had five or six drinks on Saturday, but
declared that he was sober and normal
he could qualify as an expert stenog-
rapher, the witness replied:
II have reported everything from death
declarations on the gRllows TO decisions
Of the Supreme Court"
He said that he was forty-one years
old and had been employed at the Capitol
in official reporting practically ever since
he was old enough TO do such work.
Stiu Waiting for Money.
Have you had any intimate relations
with Senator Lorimer. either in a per-
sonal way or business way?" asked
Judge Hanecy, attorney for the Senator
The most intimate relation, I may
say, is that have been trying TO coll
Iect some money from him for copies
Of testimony furnished him, but I haven't
had much success along that IIne," re-
piled Blumenberg.
Senator LorImer Joined in the general
laughter that followed this remark.
Have you had any intimate relations
with Mr.. Edward Hines or the attor-
neys on this side of the case?" inquired |
Hanecy.
only such relations as have describ- |
ed between me and Mr.. Lorimer," re- |
piled the witness. y have furnished |
them copies of testimony and tried from |
time to time to collect for the same, |
with only fair success" |
Judge Hanecy dropped this line Of |
at this point.
Mr.. Pechin and Mr.. Cochran. who were
examined at some length, pointed out the |
Of the stenographer's |
notes, which led them to believe that |
they had been fabricated. Mr.. Pechin |
declared, in reply TO a question, that I
NJ. W. Blumenberg was one Of the very /
best Official reporters in the country, and |
that his character was unimpeachable.