The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1903-01-28

investigation
You thought he was lying?"
you want"
You thought he would not make truth
ful statementi Now, Mr.. Roberts. / 90
J Will ask II II Is not a fact that YOU never
have Believed MIR. Lessler's statement?"
Objections were raised to the question
and Mr.. Wheeler withdrew It. Continuing
Mr.: Wheeler asked MIR Roberts:
thNe you not been very ardent, avowed
and aggressive advocate of the Holland
submarine torpedo boat propositlonT
to avow it, '"' "Du uo" Hes''u''
Mr. Lessler was then recalled and cor
roDorated what MIR. Roberts had said
II Is substantially true" he said. II
don't remember all the details. | dld not
sign the letter as ! stated; did not refer
TO the matter here except ny way Of an
swer to the question Of Mr. Nicoll, who
seemed to know all about Il. / did meet
Roberts In Stntuary hall. whether | said
ON, my Cod and the rest OF it. do not
remember. did say TO MIR Roberts that
! would Ike to have the thing stopped ana
thnt' Just as he stated, voluntarily made
him the proposition that If, In his judy.
ment as the advocate here OF the Holland
Torpedo Boat company, should sign the
statement showing | had mndc no accusa.
do So"
The committee then went into executive
session
ilghtlon this morning Representative Less
Ter took the stand and denied statements
nude ny Philip Doblln yesterday.
l desire TO deny said Mr. irssler at
the outset Of his detailed statement Fab.
solutely aud uncquiyocally as false the
statement By Doblln yesterday as to my
GoliuglNe scheme or any If the substantial
details sworn to by him here, and desire
70 reiteratc that the facts MS originally told
by me are true
- desire g call attention to the few
tacts as to the telegram, Take midnight
train, come 70 me, want TO see You keep
this confidential The members OF the sub
committee Will remember that the state
nent ] made them WAS on TUESDAY after
noon, Tint, nj that time, everything be-
Tore us was IN camera and / said Vail
produce the witness Dohlin I'm the morn.
lug. but did not desire his name to appear
In any way.
The result was that the telegram was
sent by me from this committee room. Mr.
bohlln came Into my room at the hotel
few minutes after this. ] hud left the
door unlocked and he knocked at the door,
waking me up. | asked, Who Is thereE
lie said, Phil or Doblln,' l have forgot
ten which. 1 said Come In He came
| said: Phil, have got you into trouble
lie said; How is thatr said; i have
told In committee the whole story, OF the
submarine proposition He said: oh, tnat
is terrible; that is terrible said: Keep
up your nerve; all you have to do 10 TO
tell the truth, nothing but the truth.
llen, tplllDE OF tAhlng MS uhAu hhu Dt-
ing addressed as Monte, Mr., Lessler con.
tiuued:
"Tle Doblin) was walking up and down.
said to him: / said to the committee
yesterday that when you came over to say
nothing to YOU as to the testimony or the
story | did not want 1t discussed between
us. I was then fully dressed He walked
ont 20 the elevator and went down 10
breakfast | did as I do 0,ery morning.
took NJ a paper-the Washington Post.
got my mail At the office first and then we
when We sat down | read the story and
! desire to have In full the evidence. ths
/ article In the Post January j.. we won't
upstairs and the talk that went ON con
talned absolutely nothing as 10 his test.
money here
'l'he whole talk was as to bis position
! In New York and "a to what might occur
| TO him. 1 was very much impressed hy tIe
/ fact thnt hn was In a serious situation and
! did tell the speaker shat the proposition
was undergoing examination here md asked
II u were possible to step a puhllS m
| yestlgattn, or course, no mln ked tie
| uotorlety of H. He said TO me: 1t Is to
80 on and we will see later on.
Continuing Mr. Lpsser said: II came
mp and saw the gentlemen q the commit
/ tee and during that TAX Ii was understood
/ TINT Doblin's name should not be me .-
| toned n the public prints then a.
/ structed my secretary to bring Mr.. Duhlln
I here To- IAc committee. I was not present
! ] did not know what happened from per.
sona know ledge OF course, before that
/ committee. MY. DONlll lNft the commute
room and I never saw him again untll his
! temperatures In Washington In answer 10
, the other telegram after the commit q
Z had decided lu ask the house for rasou
was heard, ON the ord After the testl.
| mony was in, the que stiOl was asked as to
! Duhliu'S appearance ana / said 20 tie com
/ mitter that he would come without a sub
poena. / then telegraphed him To come
aud he did come dictated some OF those
| kilograms to M secretary to tend to Dob
| lln's VIE, as Fhe told me she was very
much upset about II. gls testimony was
| heard here, He went with me to the train,
! few minutes before train time he had
| arranged to stay here. The last mlnut
| he said he would he better off II he Went
TO New York, | said very we'll telephoncd
| some members Of - committee and asked
| lf there were any objections to his gong
! home We went home on the train. There
! was very little spoken on the train ing
home He recalled tho circumstances re-
gardlng my saving | would cNaTi~c t'N
law as TO his immunity from punishment
or not. The way that arose, he asked III D..
/ the substance VI what Mr. ia, Ter suid, 4
! said would look It up. He left prom
lsing to come back on sunday night, aud I
! appeared In the committee room, and /
| mad no idea ms to Whist he was doing.
| II would Ike, IN addition, to deny what
! the witness aud Mr., McCulagh said as to
my saying there was but one member OF
! the committee who was absolutely honest.
! want to point out the fact that while
| testltllng the question was asked me N
anyone was present In my office at the
| time McCullagh called and ! answered,
| Yes, my secretary
] The first intlmatinn the young man
had that he was to testify here was white
/ sitting In this very chnir. The door was
| open and he was sitting In the win low
ana beckoned to him to come In and
| he sat down In the chair here without any
previous word as 60 his coming as q wit.
/ ness before this committees
! II should like very much 10 deny the
| statement OF the witness, Qugg that
! said the members Of the committee who
| voted for the Holland boats were knaves
| ana that the others who did not were honest
| men. do not think OF anything else"
! Mr. Rixey--lia you any intimRtion OF the
character OF the man as shown by his tes
timony before the committee2
| Absolutely none"
| AS far as you knew up 20 the beginning
| OF this Investigation Dohlin was man who
had enjoyed g sood reputation In the city
~ never knew OF wrong-doing by nobllr
| IN any shape, manner or form before.
! never knew OF his word being doubted al
| ALL"
| You know Of no reason from Your knowi
| edge Of the circumstances which account.
! Tor this change OF testimony ON the part OF
| DohllnT