The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-10-17
Admits That He Made Money Out of Canadian Trip But
 RefusestO Give Amount
FALENER SAYS |, $ N WAS
 SHAMEFULLY IMPOSED UPON
Evidence Shows That Over $5ooo Was Charged Members for Sleeping Car Fare, While the Pullman Com
 pany Only Received $144o.

The investigation of the charges against J. A. Rountree. secretary of the Ala bama Press association, made by com mittee from the association yesterday revealed some facts of decided interest.
 MT. Rountree was accused of using his office in the association for his own per sonal gain the especial charge being that he made a large profit for himselt out of the recent Canadian excursion.
 From the facts brought out it would seem that there are many in the assocla- tion who have overstepped the limitations of the constitution of the organization In the manner in which they have bartered their railroad transportation in the past One man expressed it pithily by saying that if the association were ''purged there would be nothing but skin and bones left.
 In the first place MT. Rountree admitted that he made money on the last trip or the association, but claimed that he had a right to make something after all the time and trouble and expense he was put to in carrying the trip through sue cessfully. But he showed that out Of a party of 179 on the recent trip there were but fifteen editors, and as Capt. J. M. Falkner of the Louisville and Nashville railroad issued passes only to those who were officially entitled to go, and as the passes were mailed direct to the parties who were to use them and did not pass through Mir Rountree's hands the natur- al presumption was that those passes were turned over to some one else in about 15O cases.
 Captain Falkner Dramatic.
 Captaff Falkner was one of the most pr3minent figures at the investigations and he gave vent to some of the pent up feelings he had because his road had been so "shamefully imposed upon." The eli max of his efforts was reached when he dramatically pointed to MT. Rountree and said: "There is the man who Is primarily responsible for all this And is he the Alabama Press Association? Gentlemen, if this Is the kind of business that is to characterize the great press association of Alabama you had better disband! But there is the man that is responsible for the great fraud that has been perpetrated against the L. 6 N. railroad"
 F. P. Glass of the Montgomery Adver- tiser was another who did not keep him self in the background during the ses- sions. His determination to have abuses mt to an end was evident at all times, and some of his ti1ts with John M cald- well. MT. Rountrees attorney, furnished amusement for the spectators whether he was successful in carving his points with the committee or not.
 The Committee.
 The committee consisted of H. S. Doster. M w. Camper and J. c. Lawrence, all though the whole executive committee Of the association was present both morning and afternoon as well as many other members of the association
 MT. Caldwell, representing MT. Roun- tree. insisted at the beginning that the charges be made specific in order that MT. Rountree might know what he had to answer Several clippings from the edi- torials of the Montgomery Advertiser were turned over and made the basis of the charges. The evidence taken was meant to cluster about these specific charges but most of the time it was running debate between whoever could get the floor.
 The witnesses produced included not only members of the association, but Captain Falkner. Conductor Duncan of inc Louisville and Nashville, who carried the recent 'editorar' party from Bir- mingham to Nashville. and H. c. Harris who scarcely ever saw the inside of newspaper office but whose son and two daughters went to Canada with the edi- tors were asked to tell all they knew about this matter.
 Probably the most interesting thing of the whole day was the reading by MT. Caldwell of MT. Rountree's statement as to just who did go on the trip last sum mer. Among other things it set forth the following;
 '"The party numbered 179 souls. Of this number there were IA ladies and 65 gentlemen. Fifteen of these were edi- tors. and only fifteen, and there were twelve ladies, who under the rules of the association were entitled to go. The re- mainder of the party, to-wit, 152 persons, may be classified as follows:
 The Excursion Party.
 Merchants wives ............... Il