The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-01-28
WANTED pro
 HUSH 1T UP LeSSler is Sorry That He
 Spoke. STATEMENT OF ROBERTS Another Surprise Before the Naval Committee. One of the Members Tntimates That MT. Lessler Made His Story
 Out of the Whole
 Cloth.

Washington, Jan. N.-The House Com nslttee on Naval Affairs today. concluded the taking of testimony on the charges made by Representative Lessler that . Corrupt attempt had been made to in- finence his vote in conenction with pur- chasing submarine torpedo boats.
 An executive session was held by the commlttee, at the conclusion of the after noon session, and consideration was given to the findings the committee would re- port to the House. After several reso- Iutfons had been proposed and discussion had been had as to the wording of re- port, the committee. consisting of Rep resentatives Foss. Dayton. Tayier. Meyer and Kitchen, was appointed to draw up a set of findings to be submitted to the full committee for it's final action.
 At the afternoon session of the commit tee, Attorney Nicholl, for ex-Representa- tive Quigg. urged that in view of the testimony, MT. Quigg was entitled to a complete vindication at the hands of the committee.
 Congressman D. ". Roberts, member of the Naval Committee, then announced that he desired to make statement. He said:
 Statement of Roberts.
 MT. Chairman, I have learned during the recess that a wrong impression has gone out regarding the incident alluded to by Mir. Lessler in his examination of meeting he had with me in Statuary HalL desire now to state fully my rec oilection of the entire transaction, not with any intent or purpose of injuring Mir. Lessler or, prejudicing him in the minfs of the committee. but merly that it should ne in the record.
 ''The afternoon of January ns while 1 was going through StatuaFy Hall on the way to my committee room, met Mir. Lessler going in the opposite direction. He spoke to me and said: Can't we stop this thing? My God, I canet stand it; 1t is killing me- The thing he referred to was the proposed investigation which we had authorized to be made by the subcommittee. said to him so far as personally was concerned. I did not care whether 1t went on or stopped. that there were other parties besides myself in this matter. The statement had gone out to the country in the press that the Holland Submarine Boat Company had attempted to influence his action by the offer of money, and did not know whether the Holland people would be willing to have the thing smothered.
 MT. Lessler thereupon volunteered. without any suggestion from me- that he would make any statement regarding the matter that was thought to be fair and reasonable.
 He said that when he made. his first statement in the Committee he did, not intend to injure the Holland people and 1 remarked to him that if he did not in- tend to injure these people the only thing he could do as an honest and upright gentleman was to make some such state- ment and he said If would have one prepared he would sign 1t. He said fur ther that he would not sign such a state ment to be published.
 Authorized a Statement.
 T said to him that I did not suppose the Holland people would care to pub fish such a statement; that did not think they would make any use of 1t what ever unless their interests were to be jeopardized by the use of his original statement and then in self-defense they would be obliged to publish any state ment he might make. And, upon that understanding, he authorized me to make the statement. l then said to him: When Vour statement was made in the full Committee certain members of the Com mittee who had been opposed to subma- rine boats had seized upon the statement and insisted upon an investigation. I do not believe tthose gentlemen will stop"
 ''Mr. Lessler said, I can fix them. I believe I can arrange it all right He then went on to make still another state ment to me as to what he would do per sonalIy when the Holland submarine proposition came to a vote. I then left him. had prepared statement for him to sign.
 ''I did not see Mir. LessIer again that day until shortly after the House met MT. Lessler came by with his overcoat and hat In his hand and said to me That thing I told you could be arranged has been fixed This was on Wednesday, when the subcommittee. suppose. was Investigating the matter with an idea on the following day of presenting some re- port to the full Committee. The state ment I had prepared submitted to MT. Lessler in this Committee room next morning. It was the morning when the subcommittee was to report to the full Committee and I handed Mir. Lessler the paper"
 At the point Mir. Roberts produced the letter. which was to the effect that it was not MT. Lesslers intention to con- meet the Holland company directly or in- directly with an offer of a bribe.
 Declined to Sign It.
 MT. Lessler." he said. declined to sign 1t because it was addressed to the Holland company"
 MT. Wheeler then interrogated Mir Roberts. saying. When Lessler first ap- preached ycu in Statuary Hall. did you report what he had said to any of the officers or agents of the torpedo boat comuanyT'
 ''Yes did" replied Mir. Roberts. /
 ''Who did YOU tell it to?'
 'To Mir. Frost"
 "&nybody else7"
 "No.'
 Witness said he teleohoned MT. Frost at the office of the Holland Torpedo Com pany in Washington and subsequently 1aq at q