The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-01-28
ENDING OF INVEST
CATION OF LESS
LER'S CHARGES
Congressman Denies State
ments Made by Doblin and
Quigg and Does Not Want
to Go on Record as Think
ing the Committeeman
Knaves.

WASHINGTON, D. c., Jan. 27-The
house committee on naval affairs to-
day concluded the taking of testimony
in the investigation of the charges
made by Representative Lessler that
corrupt attempt had been made to in
f1uence his vote in that committee on
the proposition to purchase submarine
torpedo boats.
An executive session was held by
the committee at the conclusion of
the afternoon session and cOnsidera-
ton was given to the findings the
committee would report to the house.
After several resolutions had been
proposed and discussion had been had
as to the wording of report, a sub
committee, consisting of Representa-
tives Foss QllD, Dayton CIV. Va.),
Taylor (OhiO), Meyer Oa.) and Kitch-
in On. c., was appointed to draw up
set of findings to be submitted to the
full committee for it's final action.
When the committee met today Rep
resentative LESSER took the stand and
denied statements made yesterday by
Philip Doblin.
He Disputes Dobin.
Il desire to deny" he said, abso-
lutely and uneQuivOcaTy, as false, the
statements made by the witness, Dob
lin, here yesterday as to any collusiVe
scheme or any of the substantial de-
tails sworn to by him here and de-
sire to reiterate that the facts as orig
inally told by us are true.
L desire to call attention to the fol-
lowing facts: AS to the telegram Take
midnight train. Come to me. Want
to see you. Keep this confidential, the
80 Ir-.1I
member that the statement l made to
them was on Tuesday afternoon. That
"a that time everything before us was
in camera and I said I would produce
the witness Doblin in the morning, but
did not desire his name 10 appear in
any way. The result was that the
telegram was sent by me from this
committee room.
"Mr. Doblin came into my room at
the hotel few minutes after o'clock.
] had left the door unlocked and he
Knocked at the door, waking me up.
asked, Who is there?' He said, PHIL
'UOblin,' l have forgotten which. l
said, Come in He came into the room
with his oVercoat on, and 1 said, Phil.
l have got you into trouble He said,
How is that?' 1 said, I have told in
committee the whole story of the SUBJ
marine proposition He said, oh, that
is terrible, that is terrible
ell Only the truth.
Ct said, Keep up your nerve! All you
have to do is to tell the truth here.
Nothing but the truth. | said to him,
L said to the committee yesterday that
when you came over to say nothing to
you as to the testimony or the story
l did not want it discussed between
us. We walked out to the elevator
and went down to breakfast. l did as
l do every morning, took up the paper
L. W ,s,,,- k,@.a d., 7
at the office first and then we went in
together.
when we sat down I read the story
and 1 desire to have in full in the EVIL
dence, the article in the Post of Jan.
q. We went upstairs and the talk
that went on contained absolutely
nothing that was in his testimony here
1.-The whole talk was as to his posi-
ton in New York and as to what
might occur to him-hOw he was po-
litically ruined by the fact that he was
in serious situation and l did tell the
speaker that the proposition was I'M
dergoing examination here, and asked
if it were possible to stop public in
vestigation. Of course no man likes
the notOriety.
He said to me, Tt is to go on, and
we will see later on
Thought Name Wouldn't Be Used.
Il came up and saw the gentlemen
of the committee, and during that talk
it was understood that Mr.. Doblin's
name should not be mentioned in the
house prints | then 'phOned my sec
rotary to bring Mr.. Doblin here to the
committee.
Il was not present I did not know
what happened from personal knowl-
edge, of course, before that committee
Mr.. Doblin left the committee room,
and 1 never saw him again until his
in a 1cfO in
to the other telegram, after the COM
mittee had decided to ask the house
for a resolution of investigation. Then
my testimony was heard on the 23d.
After the testimony was in the Ques-
ton was asked as to Doblin's appear
ance, and l said to the committee that
he would come without subpoena.
l then telegraphed him to come and he
did come.
Il would like, in addition, to deny
what the witness, McCullagh, said as
to my saying there was but one mem
Der of the committee who was abso-
lutely honest. 1 want to point out the
fact that while testifying the question
was asked me if anyone was present
in my office at the time McCullagh
called, and l answered: Yes, my sec
rotary.
II should like very much to deny
the statement of the witness Quigg
that 1 said that the members of the
committee who voted for the Holland
torpedo boats were knaves and that
the others who did not We're honest
men,
Exoneration of the Hollands
Representative Roberts, a member
of the committee, started to make a
statement which resulted In his being
sworn as a witness. When he was
questioned as to why he had tried to
secure a statement from LessIer ex-
onerating the Holland Torpedo Boat
company, it developed that the state
ment had been sent to Mr. Roberts by
Mr.. Frost, of the Holland company.
Harry Schreier, an uncle of Repre-
sentative Lessler, was called as a wit
ness He told of a conversation he
said he had with Doblin during the
holidays, when he, Doblin and Lessler
were together, wherein he testified
Doblin related to him conversation
which he (Doblin) alleged he had with
Mr.. Quigg relative to submarine boats
in which he attributed statements to
Doblin which the latter has since
made.
OBJECT TO ACCUSATION OF