The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1915-03-18

Morning Session.
The state opened the hearing zee
tsrday morning By asking Elliott two
questions on cross examination a. 10
his employment By Well To secure evil
dence for the Manufacturers Light
and Heat company. which were an
svered satisfactorily by Elliott Well
than took up the line Of questions
above indicated. and the 1rst question
was promptly objected TO By the state
on the ground that Well was trying
10 cross examine his own witness IL
win be- remembered that Elliott was
put on the witness stand yesterday
for the Manufacturers Light and Heat
company and examined In chief by
Well for the purpose OF showing por-
tons OF his alleged conversations with
Commissioners Ogden and Bronson;
that on cross examination by the state
the full conversations with the Com
missioners were brought out and that
IN these full conversations the offers
OF the bribes OF $4,000 and $4,000
appeared Well. therefore. began ques-
tioning Elliott TO indicate that he,
Well. had never given Elliott author
ity 10 offer brides. This first ques-
tion was objected 20. and was argued
at great length by Mr.. Sommerville.
Congressman Avis and Judge Nesbitt.
The attorneys for the state argued
that the question had no relevancy
whatever to the question OF alleged
interference by the governor with the
public service commission. II II had
any bearing at all. IL has bearing
upon a criminal case appearing in an
other court, and Il should not be con-
sidered here in any way. IL was also
pointed out that II was an EFFORT on
the part of Well to cross-eXamine his
own witness and TO bring in new and
prevalent matter. Well insisted that
the question had TO do with the mat
ter brought out by the state on cross
examination yesterday. After an ar
gument lasting over half an hour the
master ruled that the question should
be permitted. which ruling provoked
some sarcastic remarks from Attor-
neys Sommerville and Nesbitt The
question was admitted as follows:
q. Did you not tell Mr.. Biddinger
that at the time you had your CONVEX
sation with him that | had given you
Instructors in the presence OF Price,
Amber and McCamic. but that ! had
not given you authority 10 make any
offers OF money to members OF the
public service commission or TO any
one else?
This question was objected to by
the state as being prevalent, but the
objection was ovcrruled.
A. don't recall making tnat ex-
act statement
@. Did you not say to Biddinser
that you were surprised at his state
mentg That is that he was author
lied TO make offers OF money to tire
public service commission, and did
you not ask him II he would show
you his authority?
Expressed Surprise.
A. I was surprised and / went into
details questioning him as 10 his
authority. | said II I had been author
lied to make offers OF that kind ]
might have closed the whole matter
up. In fact I was angry and disturbed
because Biddinger and the Burns de
tectives had been employed in the
case thought that had been en-
ployed TO handle the case. and object
ed to their appearance and interfer-
ence in the case. ! went over the
matter with BiddinFer to learn his
authority and was convinced that he
had authority to make the offer refer
red TO-
Q. Had you ever authority from
me OF from any other representatives
Of the Manufacturers Light and Heat
company TO make such an offer OF
money?
Mr.. Sommerville ard Judge Nesbitt
objected to this question as again be
ing irrelevant. having no direct bear
ing upon the specifications which the
master was supposed 20 consider and
~ would be necessary for them TO
cross examine the witness u permit
ted to enter The master admitted