The Steamboat Inspector's Reckoning

The Bryant investigation is at an end, the last witness having testified yesterday. The closing day was an interesting one, the accused official being the star witness. He went on the stand in the afternoon and testified until the hearing adjourned. He made a good witness in his own behalf, but greatly annoyed counsel for the prosecution by giving evasive answers and insisting upon making a detailed statement after each answer.

Bryant admitted many of the charges against him. He admitted as true the testimony of several witnesses that he sometimes traveled free on the steamers. He claimed, however, that he never charged up fare when he did not pay it out, but confessed that he 'didn't always pay it out in cash,' and sometimes rendered extra services to the boats on which he traveled. Supervising Inspector Bermingham, who conducted the investigation, said he thought he would leave for San Francisco today.

Witnesses for the defense spoke well of Bryant. F. S. Stimson, of the Stimson Mill Company, said the men whose word he would take had always spoken well of Bryant, and that he had always been treated courteously, impartially and honestly. Capt. John R. Thomson, owner of the Lydia Thomson, called Bryant's reputation first-class. Capt. Edward Kelly said, 'Capt. Bryant's reputation is good, sir.'

Captain John L. Anderson, of the steamer Quickstep, was the most interesting witness of the morning. He had made an affidavit that he did not think Bryant was competent to be inspector, but testified that he had been 'drawn into the thing' by several persons. He was afraid that if he fell out with Bryant, Bryant might take his license away from him.

At the afternoon session Capt. Campbell testified that, acting under instructions from a captain who had employed him, he had called on Inspector Bryant and offered him $50 if he would issue him a special license. Bryant, instead of taking the money, told him to make an application signed by three good men and, if he could pass an examination, a license would be issued.

Bryant then took the stand. He admitted that he had once been in the insurance business and had acted as agent for the Firemen's Fund Insurance Company. He said he had secured permission from the treasury department to do outside work that did not interfere with his duties, and that the order had never been revoked. He denied that he had solicited insurance from Capt. Struve, or that he had said Capt. Mat McGregor was 'a d—— old fool,' or that he had threatened any man who signed a petition against him.

He also denied that he had agreed to condemn the Cricket, and explained that he had required changes before licensing her. He said he had assisted Capt. Redmunds in purchasing the Chehalis and had been paid for his time and expenses. As to the Quickstep, he testified that Capt. Craft had offered him $100 if he would not require the boat to be taken out; Bryant said he refused the money and the boat was repaired.

Bryant said his quarrel with Capt. Rogers grew out of the poisoning of a Bryant family dog. The neighbors told him Rogers had poisoned it, and when Bryant asked him about it, Rogers replied that he had been coming to Bryant's house for weeks with strychnine in his pocket 'for that dog.' Bryant said that made him angry and he 'slapped his face.' He denied striking Rogers with his fist or throwing a brick.

On the free-fare charge, Bryant insisted that he had never charged the government for fare he did not pay. 'I either paid it in cash,' he said, 'or rendered services to the boats on which I rode, outside of office hours, but I never charged up fare when I didn't pay it out in cash or by rendering services.' He would not fix particular dates, and the prosecution could not pin him to a day when he had charged up fare and traveled without paying it.

Several more witnesses testified as to Bryant's good reputation, and the hearing adjourned sine die.