The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-01-28

O Was that the first time you had ever been there? A. Oh, no. e. How many times had you beea there since this investigation beganf A. Possibly two or three times. Q. Who else was present. A. Nobody. Q. Who is Mir. Frost? The Identity of Frost. A. I do not know, except that he is
 connected with the Holland Company in some capacity.
 e. Is he not one of the governing of- l fcers?
 e. Did you prepare that statement N Frost's .office? A. No, sir. c. Did you prepare 1t at aIl2 A. No, sir. Q. Who did prepare it7 A. don't know. Q. How did you set hold of 1t? A. It was sent up to me at my request. Q. Who did you request to send itf A. Mr. Frost. c. Did you and Mir. Frost talk over the purport of that statementf A. No. At this point MT. Roberts took the oath as witness and Mir. Wheeler continued his interrogation. asking. among other questions:
 e. MT. Roberts. did you ever tell any member of this committee of the con- versation you had with Lessler3 A. Oh. yes: but don't think I can specify. Q. Can't you indicate any member you | communicated 1t to7 Told MT. Rixey. A. communicated to Mir. Rixley. Q. Before you did to Mir. Frost? l A. cannot state that; do not know. o. Is 1t not fact that you communi-
 cated with Frost at once when Lessler
 made this statement to you7 A. I think so. called up Frost and told him there was a new turn in affairs. c. And Lessler raid to you that he would be willing to sign any statement
 that was honorable and fair if he could | stop this matter? A. Yes. | Q. Now. Is 1t fact that immediately l upon the exposure by Lessler of this effort a perfect howl went up through | the press of this country and what Less | Ter was referring to In his conversation with you was that he wanted to ese.ys | the public oppobrium comment and crit icism hurled at him because of that ex- posture? A. Not at all. I aad a distinctly diff | ferent impression of Lessler's anxiety to stop the investigation. l 0. You thought he was lying7 A. You can put any words in the rec ord you want. Q. You thought he would not make q | truthful statementf Now Mir. Roberts. don't want you to say anything that is ] disagreeable. will ask you if it Ia not | n fact that Nyou never have belieyed Mir Lesslers statement? Objections were raised to the question
 aand Mir. Wheeler withdrew 1t. Roberts a Holland Man.
 Continuing, MT. Wheeler asked Mir. Rob-
 erts: Have you not been a very ardent,
 avowed and aggressive advocate of the Holland submarine torpedo boat propo- | sition7"
 A. Yes I have been and don't hesi- | tate to avow it.
 MT. Lessler was then recalled and cor roborated what Mir. Roberts had stated.
 Tt is substantially true," he said. ''l
 do not remember all. the details. I did not read the letter, as stated. did mol | refer to the matter here except by way
 of answer to the question of Mir. Nicol
 who seemed to know all about 1t. l did
 meet Roberts in Statuary Hall. Whether
 said Oh, my God an4 the rest of 1t, do not remember. I did say to Mir. Rob erts that I would like to have the thine stopped and, just as he stated, volunta-
 rily made him the proposition that if. ir
 his judgment. as the advocate here of the
 Holland torpedo boat, I should sign the statement showing I had made no accu.
 sations of anything. would do so."
 The committee then went into execu. tive session.