The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-01-26
TAKES IT BACK.
DOblin Denies Before the House
Naval Committee
The Bribery Story Which He
Told Them Last Week.

washington. Jan. 26-During the
course of the Lessler bribery nNestlga-
tion this morning, Mr.. Rogers, attorney
for Philip Dobun. announced to- the
commission that Mr.. Doblin desired TO
make a statement and added that DoD-
I'm had told him that some parts OF MS
testimony were true and some untrue
This came as a surprise After some
discussion it was decided to have Mr.
Doblin called and state just what parts
OF his statement which he made on the
stand Saturday, were true and what not
true.
Just before DobIin went on the stand
Mr.. Rogers asked that such immunity
be accorded him as was within the pow
or of the committee
Mr.. Taylor said only such immunity
as the statute gives could be accorded.
1lr Doblin then proceeded to tell of his
coming to Washington ana or mis- ap-
pearance before the committee. He said
when he came to Washington TO appear
before the full committee he decided to
make the statement he did
Il now retract." he said, every word
in which 1 said Mr.. Quigg rendered me
any bride in any way
win you state to the committee IN
what respect your testimony is not
true2" Doblin was asked.
In relation to my being called to
Washington and my conversation with
Mr. Lessler at the Hotel NoFmandie at
8 o'clock or therea bouts.
THE fact is the statements I made
regarding Mr.. Quigg are not true 1
read the article as It was handed to
me and ] was told by Lessler, you
have got to stand for this and 1 said
oh that can not be-
Wen, he says then ] am politically
dead
Wei, I said. you carry me with
YOU He said, You will be all right
If you viii just appear before this com
mittee. / viii go and see the speaker
and I VIII fix it up He goes out of
the ROOM comes back and says he had
seen the speaker and said it Will he all
right All you have got to do is to go
before the committee and substantiate
my story
IT went into the committee room.
The gentlemen were standing about
and some one said This is Mr.. DobHn.'
The other gentlemen all shook hands
with me and ] sat down and after
little while I was handed a cigar which
I smoked. They made me feel agree
able. I took it for granted that it was
all right. The first thing I knew one
Of the gentlemen of the committee af-
ter an inquiry in which I explained my
interests in politics in New York state,
asked how long / had been III politics
Then one Of the gentlemen said
Wasn't it Mr.. Quigg who said to you
that there was $4,000 in it for Lessler
and 81 900 for yOu?"
" I said at that time, no sir
Then all the gentlemen around said
on, it's all right, you go on and then
there was discussion in the room as
to how I stood. I refused to answer at
that time at all. The gentlemen seem
ed to agree that there was nothing to
It, Feeling agreeably at home, I made
my statement according to the way Z
read in the paper. I felt that I was in
the hands Of my friends and it was all
right; that if I would back up Lessler
here and it would be cinch and that
was all there would be to it: that the
committee would report; that LESSER
would be vindicated and I would be
vindicabed and it would be all right.
After ( got out of the committee room
I went down to the hotel and asked for
Lessler. He was not there. I teIephon-
ed to the house. but could not get him
and left the city thinking it was all
right"