A Committee man said, impatiently, that this stuff was all outside the case, and valuable time was being wasted; this was all, a plain reflection upon a brother Senator.  The Chairman said it was the quickest way to proceed, and the evidence need have no weight.

Mr. Noble continued.  He said he told Dilworthy that $5,000 was not much to pay for a man’s honor, character and everything that was worth having; Dilworthy said he was surprised; he considered $5,000 a fortune—­for some men; asked what Noble’s figure was; Noble said he could not think $10,000 too little; Dilworthy said it was a great deal too much; he would not do it for any other man, but he had conceived a liking for Noble, and where he liked a man his heart yearned to help him; he was aware that Noble was poor, and had a family to support, and that he bore an unblemished reputation at home; for such a man and such a man’s influence he could do much, and feel that to help such a man would be an act that would have its reward; the struggles of the poor always touched him; he believed that Noble would make a good use of this money and that it would cheer many a sad heart and needy home; he would give the, $10,000; all he desired in return was that when the balloting began, Noble should cast his vote for him and should explain to the legislature that upon looking into the charges against Mr. Dilworthy of bribery, corruption, and forwarding stealing measures in Congress he had found them to be base calumnies upon a man whose motives were pure and whose character was stainless; he then took from his pocket $2,000 in bank bills and handed them to Noble, and got another package containing $5,000 out of his trunk and gave to him also.  He——­

A Committee man jumped up, and said: 

“At last, Mr. Chairman, this shameless person has arrived at the point.  This is sufficient and conclusive.  By his own confession he has received a bribe, and did it deliberately.

“This is a grave offense, and cannot be passed over in silence, sir.  By the terms of our instructions we can now proceed to mete out to him such punishment as is meet for one who has maliciously brought disrespect upon a Senator of the United States.  We have no need to hear the rest of his evidence.”

The Chairman said it would be better and more regular to proceed with the investigation according to the usual forms.  A note would be made of Mr. Noble’s admission.

Mr. Noble continued.  He said that it was now far past midnight; that he took his leave and went straight to certain legislators, told them everything, made them count the money, and also told them of the exposure he would make in joint convention; he made that exposure, as all the world knew.  The rest of the $10,000 was to be paid the day after Dilworthy was elected.