Mr. LAMBERT. And was always ready to aid you in anything you might desire in the way of giving instructions, etc.?

Miss DALTON. Yes, sir; always.

TESTIMONY OF MISS MARY FLYNN.

Miss MARY FLYNN, being duly sworn, testified as follows:

Mr. DUNN. You went to work in the Bureau of Animal Industry at South Omaha at the same time that Miss Dalton went to work? Miss FLYNN. Yes, sir.

Mr. DUNN. And worked during the same period!

Miss FLYNN. Not for the same period. Miss Dalton was discharged and I was not.

Mr. DUNN. Do you mean discharged or furloughed?

Miss FLYNN. She was furloughed and then discharged.

Mr. DUNN. That was some time in the year of 1894, was it not? Miss FLYNN. It was on the 1st of September of the same year we were appointed.

Mr. DUNN. You worked then steadily from the time you commenced in the year 1893 until what time?

Miss FLYNN. I did not work steadily until December. We were furloughed in December and worked a little, and then furloughed a little all through that winter and part of the summer until the following October.

Mr. DUNN. That was October, 1895?

Miss FLYNN. Yes.

Mr. DUNN. From the commencement of October, 1895, until the time you were discharged in 1896 you worked most of the time?

Miss FLYNN. Worked and were furloughed. We were absent pretty nearly a year.

Mr. DUNN. You may state whether or not, so far as you know, any person ever made any complaint of the way you performed the work assigned to you in the department.

Miss FLYNN. No, sir; I never heard of a complaint being made. Mr. DUNN. Did Dr. Ayer come into the department occasionally! Miss FLYNN. He came in once in a while.

Mr. DUNN. Dr. White was in control and charge of the department! Miss FLYNN. He was, after Dr. Siggins. Dr. Siggins was there when I came, and Dr. White took charge the following September.

Mr. DUNN. Dr. White never complained to you, individually or otherwise, of the work that was being done!

Miss FLYNN. No, sir.

Mr. DUNN. State, if you know, how the complaints reached the Department at Washington that you were negligent and failed to perform the duties of the office.

Miss FLYNN. Dr. Ayer denied reporting me. Mrs. Ida Bushnell threatened to report me if Mr. McKinley was elected.

Mr. DUNN. When did she make that threat?

Miss FLYNN. During the campaign.

Mr. DUNN. For what reason did she say she would have you reported! Miss FLYNN. The girls were talking politics one day, and she said to Miss Dalton: "Miss Dalton, if Mr. McKinley gets elected you will go": and she said, "Miss Flynn, your indorser is a silverite, and you will go, too." I said, "Mrs. Bushnell, do you not realize that I am under

the civil service?" She said: "Civil service, nothing. You will go just the same."

Mr. DUNN. At the time you received your discharge, what did Dr. Ayer say, if anything?

Miss FLYNN. I opened my discharge and read, "Neglect of duty," and I asked Dr. Ayer if he did it, and he said, "No; I am perfectly innocent of anything in regard to your dismissal." He said, "It was just as much of a surprise to me as to you."

Mr. DUNN. State whether or not you obeyed the rules of the department in reference to the time of beginning and quitting work, and in the performance of the duties of the position generally.

Miss FLYNN. I obeyed Dr. White the very best I knew how.

Mr. DUNN. Dr. White determined when you should commence work and when you should quit?

Miss FLYNN. Yes, sir.

Mr. DUNN. State whether or not Mrs. Bushnell and certain others there were shown favors which were denied to others in the department. Miss FLYNN. They took advantages which we did not get. They came in the morning when they got ready, sometimes; it was not always, but very often.

Mr. DUNN. Whom do you mean when you say "they?"

Miss FLYNN. Mrs. Bushnell and Miss Gibson.

Mr. DUNN. Would Dr. Ayer interfere occasionally in the management of the department without consulting Dr. White?

Miss FLYNN. No; we were under Dr. White's special supervision. Mr. DUNN. Would Dr. Ayer interfere with reference to allowing Mrs. Bushnell or anybody else to be excused and go home?

Miss FLYNN. Oh, yes. Dr. White frequently refused Mrs. Bushnell, and she would go downstairs and get Dr. Ayer's consent, I suppose, for she went after Dr. White had refused her.

Mr. DUNN. Do you remember whether shortly after the election she went downstairs to the office of Dr. Ayer, and remained there for some time, without the consent of Dr. White!

Miss FLYNN. Yes, sir.

Mr. LAMBERT. How long were you there during Dr. White's charge of the department?

Miss FLYNN. I was there from September, 1893, until I was dis charged. Dr. White came at that time.

Mr. LAMBERT. Dr. White had control all the time you were there! Miss FLYNN. Yes, sir.

Mr. LAMBERT. State whether or not he was punctual in the morning! Miss FLYNN. Yes, sir; he was always there before I was.

Mr. LAMBERT. You found your work properly distributed?

Miss FLYNN. My work was always laid out.

Mr. LAMBERT. Did he personally remain in charge of the department throughout each day?

Miss FLYNN. Yes, sir.

Mr. LAMBERT. Do you know of his attending any professional calls or being absent during office hours?

Miss FLYNN. He was absent one forenoon, and Mr. Sidney, his son, gave us the work.

Mr. LAMBERT. Do you know when he returned; whether it was before or after working hours?

Miss FLYNN. He came when we were starting to work, and he said, “Girls, I will be gone a little while." I think that was the morning.

Mr. LAMBERT. Is that the only time you recall that he was absent? Miss FLYNN. Yes, sir; absent from the office.

Mr. DUNN. He never left right in the middle of the day and went out to attend professional calls?

Miss FLYNN. No, sir; I never knew him to go out. I never saw him go out.

Mr. LAMBERT. He was always ready and willing to do any work for the assistants?

Miss FLYNN. Yes, sir; he was always there. Dr. White always did the condemning, and he was always there to condemn the work when it was necessary.

Mr. LAMBERT. Do you recall Dr. Ayer's statement, where he testified to certain mistakes appearing in a report made by Dr. White!

Miss FLYNN. Yes, sir.

Mr. LAMBERT. Do you recall the circumstances surrounding that mistake?

Miss FLYNN. I think so.

Mr. LAMBERT. State to the committee just what that mistake consisted of and how it happened.

Miss FLYNN. Do you mean in sending the reports to Washington! Mr. LAMBERT. No; the time which has been referred to here. Miss FLYNN. Mr. Schibsby came up in the morning and asked for the numbers, and Dr. White said to come back at 1 o'clock. This is as near as I can remember it. Mr. Schibsby came back. I think the work was all done, but the numbers had not been booked, and Mr. Schibsby went to the book and got the numbers from it. It developed afterwards in the office that there was a mistake made. I told Dr. White I thought there was a mistake made, and he said he would make it all right. He went down stairs and telephoned. He said he telephoned to the abattoir where Mr. Schibsby worked and had it made all right. Mr. LAMBERT. Do you know whose fault it was in making the mistake in the first instance!

Miss FLYNN. I could not really say whose fault it was.

Mr. LAMBERT. Do you know whether it was Dr. White's fault? Miss FLYNN. We quit work at half past 11. Mr. Schibsby did not come until 1, and the numbers which were disqualified were not booked. Mr. LAMBERT. Were they properly copied into the book?

Miss FLYNN. They were properly copied into the report, but they were not transferred to Dr. White's daybook, and of course Mr. Schibsby copied the numbers from the daybook.

Mr. LAMBERT. Where was that?

Miss FLYNN. On Dr. White's desk.

Mr. LAMBERT. Do you know whether the daybook was correct? Miss FLYNN. All the numbers had been copied into it. I think Mr. Schibsby took them. Perhaps there were two numbers that had not been copied. Two girls had two pieces that were disqualified which had not been transferred to the daybook.

Mr. LAMBERT. Whose duty was it to transfer them?

Miss FLYNN. We called the numbers and Dr. White did the writing. Mr. LAMBERT. Did Mr. Schibsby come to get those numbers at the regular time, at the time when he usually called?

Miss FLYNN. No, sir.

Mr. LAMBERT. When should he have called?

Miss FLYNN. He should have come at 4 o'clock. That was the time. Mr. LAMBERT. In the evening?

Miss FLYNN. Yes, sir.

Mr. LAMBERT. This was what time?

Miss FLYNN. Between 12 and 1 o'clock, or thereabouts.

Mr. LAMBERT. And the girls had not got through?

Miss FLYNN. It was our noon hour.

Mr. LAMBERT. You heard the conversation between Mrs. Bushnell and Dr. White?

Miss FLYNN. Yes, sir.

Mr. LAMBERT. Will you repeat the conversation as you heard it between the two parties?

Miss FLYNN. Yes, sir. Zeller came into the office, and Dr. White said, "How do you suppose Mr. Irish and his crowd feel this morning after killing that man," or "boy," I forget which. Dr. White and Mr. Zeller exchanged words about him. I can not repeat the words. Mrs. Bushnell stood up and walked a few steps toward Dr. White and pointed her finger at him and said, "Dr. White, do you know that my brother was on that train?" He said, "Yes." She said, "Well, I will remember that for you, and I will see that others remember it, too, and you will be sorry."

Mr. LAMBERT. Do you know whom she meant by her brother?
Miss FLYNN. I do. Mr. Tobias Castor.

TESTIMONY OF PETER W. SHERLOCK.

PETER W. SHERLOCK, being duly sworn, testified as follows: Mr. DUNN. What position did you hold during the years 1894 and 1895 and part of 1896 in the Bureau of Animal Industry at South Omaha? Mr. SHERLOCK. Tagger.

Mr. DUNN. Under whose direction and at what abattoir did you work?

Mr. SHERLOCK. I was under Dr. Schirmer for awhile and then under Dr. Blackwell.

Mr. DUNN. State whether or not you were in South Omaha on the 10th or the 11th day of April, 1896.

Mr. SHERLOCK. I was.

Mr. DUNN. Do you remember the 11th of April as being the day on which the Democratic county central committee of Douglas County held a meeting for the purpose of choosing delegates to a State convention that was afterwards to convene in Lincoln, in this State? Mr. SHERLOCK. Yes, sir.

Mr. DUNN. State whether or not on the 10th or 11th of April of that year you had any conference or talk with Dr. Ayer, chief of the Bureau of Animal Industry at South Omaha, regarding that meeting.

Mr. SHERLOCK. It was on the 11th of April, about quarter past 12 o'clock. Mr. Zeller, who was a partner of mine, came back and asked me if I saw Dr. Ayer. I said I had not. He said, "He is looking for you. I met him up the street." In about ten minutes he came up. I met him at the elevator, at the head of the stairs. He said, "I want you to go up town this afternoon." "For what?" He said, "They want you up at the committee meeting." I said, "I am no committeeman."

Mr. DUNN. Did he say whom he meant by "they?"

Mr. SHERLOCK. He did not say, but it was understood.

Mr. DUNN. What did you understand?

Mr. SHERLOCK. I understood that the committee, meaning Martin, McHugh, and Sheean, desired my presence at the committee meeting.

Mr. DUNN. Your connection with political matters prior to that time had enabled you to understand that Mr. Martin, and Mr. McHugh, and Mr. Sheean were meant?

Mr. SHERLOCK. Yes, sir. I told him I was no committeeman. He said, "That cuts no ice; they have a proxy for you, and you go up there, and," he said, "skin them."

Mr. DUNN. Did he say whom he meant by the other fellows?

Mr. SHERLOCK. It was understood that it was the Bryan faction. He was against them, of course.

Mr. DUNN. What, if anything, did you do after that!

Mr. SHERLOCK. I went to the committee meeting with Mr. Zeller and Mr. Butler, I think about a quarter to 2. He said he would send men from the other abattoirs to do our work if we left our work undone, but to be there early and to be on the ground when the meeting opened, as they wanted to capture the meeting. I went up. If I remember aright I had the proxy of a man by the name of Schroeder. You asked me where I got the proxy, and I said from Schroeder, and you said Schroeder had been dead six months. Do you remember that, Mr. Dunn?

Mr. DUNN. I am not testifying. Did you have any conversation with Dr. Ayer after returning from the meeting?

Mr. SHERLOCK. No, sir.

Mr. DUNN. You were not able to report to him that his injunction to "skin them" had been carried out?

Mr. SHERLOCK. No; I was not.

Mr. DUNN. Did you have any conversation with him at any other time during the campaign with reference to political matters?

Mr. SHERLOCK. No; we kept away from him as far as we could. Mr. DUNN. State whether or not at any other time, before or after that, you were requested by Dr. Ayer to attend any political meeting. Mr. SHERLOCK. I believe there were a couple of times previous to that, but I can not exactly state the time. We were supposed to be hustled out on all occasions. That is how we got our jobs there-for political activity-and we were supposed to give "value received." Mr. DUNN. You did the best you could to give "value received" whenever requested by Dr. Ayer or any of the other gentlemen! Mr. SHERLOCK. Yes, sir.

Mr. DUNN. You were not, upon those occasions, particular as to whether or not the work of the Government was performed!

Mr. SHERLOCK. Not very.

Mr. DUNN. You were instructed by Dr. Ayer not to be particular about that point?

Mr. SHERLOCK. We were instructed to be at the meeting and to let the work go; that they would send other men to do the work; and the work was always done, I suppose.

Mr. DUNN. Did you ever have any conversation in the fall campaign in 1896 with Mr. Martin or Mr. McHugh or Mr. Sheean in reference to doing political work for the party?

Mr. SHERLOCK. No, sir; they never spoke to me. They understood how I stood.

Mr. DUNN. Your communication, then, was entirely with Dr. Ayer! Mr. SHERLOCK. Yes, sir; Dr. Ayer.

Mr. DUNN. In what department did you work; what abattoir!

Mr. SHERLOCK. In the beef department at Hammond's.

Mr. DUNN. Did you work with Mr. Zeller?

Mr. SHERLOCK. Yes, sir.