The Savannah morning news., 1903-01-28
REITERATED ALL HTS STATE
MENTs TO THE COMMITTEE.

PlOpOolllOIl 10 submarine
torpedo boats.
An executive session was held by the
committee at the conclusion of the
afternoon session and consideration
was given to the findings the commit
tee would report to the House. After
several resolutions had been proposed
and discussion had been had as to
the wording of a report, a sub-com-
mittee, consisting of Representatives
Foss of Illinois, Dayton of West Vir-
ginia, Tayler of Ohio, Meyer of Louis
ina and Kitchin of North Carolina,
was appointed to draw up a set of
findings to be submitted to the full
| committee for it's final action.
At the opening of to-day's session
Mr.. Lessler denied the statements
made yesterday by Philip Doblin.
Il desire to deny" he said, "abso-
lutely and unequivocally as false the
statement made by the witness Dob
lin here yesterday as to any collusiye
| 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 me are true"
DObIin's Turn AstOunded Him.
Mr.. Lessler made a detailed state
ment of his meeting with Doblin in
this city. at the end of which Mr..
| Rixey asked:
Had you any intimation of the
| character of the man as shown by his
| testimony before the committee"
| Mr.. Lessler-"Absolutely none"
"As far as you know up to the be-
| ginning of this investigation, Doblin
| was a man who had enjoyed a goad
reputation in the city of New York;"
! Il never knew of wrong doing by
| Doblin, in any shape, manner or form
| before. 1 never knew of his word be-
| ing doubted at ALL"
You know of no reason which ac-
| counts for this change of testimony on
the part,of sDol1iin ~ "a.
szs<s,n~~s-<sss@4.~.
On cross-eXamination by Mr. Nicol,
| Mr.. Lessler told of meeting with Mr..
| Roberts, a member of the House Naval
| Committee, in Statuary Hall. Lessler
| testified:
| Il said to him. as he was the one
| most interested in the proposition, that
| would sign a statement, and Mr..
Roberts brought a letter to me ad-
dressed to the Holland company"
AS this letter was addressed to the
Holland company, Lessler said he re-
| fused to sign it.
After hearing Harry Schreier, an I'M
Gle of Mr.. Lessler, the committee took
| a recess.
Congressman Roberts Up.
At the afternoon session Represen-
! tatiVe Roberts started to make a state
ment, which resulted in his being
sworn as witness. When he was
| questioned as to why he had tried to
| secure a statement from Mr. LESSER
generating the Holland Boat Com
pany, it developed that the statement
had been sent to Mr.. Roberts by Mr..
Frost of the Holland Company. Rob
| erts' version of the meeting with Less
Ter was that Lessler was anxious to
| stop the inquiry, and offered to sign
any fair and reasonable statement ex-
onerating the Holland people which
| Roberts would prepare. Roberts pro-
| duced the letter, which was to the eff
feet that it was not Mr.. testers in
tention to connect the Holland COM
pany directly or indirectly with an
| offer of bride.
On cross examination by Mr.. Wheel
er, Mr.. Roberts said he reported
what Mr.. Lessler said to Mr. Frost of
the Holland company at the latter's
Office in Washington. The statement
Lessler was TO sign was sent Roberts
by Frost. Roberts said he had visited
Frost several times since the inquiry
had begun.
Roberts here took the oath as wit
ness and Mr.. Wheeler continued his
questions. Robrets said he had told
Mr.. RiXey of Lesslers willingness to
sign the statement, but did not know
whether he did so before communicat-
ing it to Frost.
Q.-"Is it not a fact that you commu-
nicated with Frost at once when Less
Ter made this statement to your"
Al think so. called up Frost by
telephone and told him there was a
new turn in affairs"
Q.-"And LESSER said to you that
he would be willing to sign any state
ment that was honorable and fair if he
could stop this matter?"
A.-"Yes."
Doubted Less1er's Veracfty.
Q.-"Now is it not fact that i'm
mediately upon the exposure by Lessler
of this effort perfect howl went up
through the press of this country, and
what LESSER was referring to in his
! conversation with YOU was that he
wanted to escape the public opprobri-
UNI, comment and criticism hurled at
| him because of that exposure? Isn't
| that the impression made upon your
mind?"
A.-"Not at all. I had a distinctly
| different impression of Lessler's anx-
| iety to stop the investigation.
O.-"You thought he was lying?"
A.-"You can put any words in the
! record you want"
O.-"Is it not fact that you never
have believed Mr.. Lessler's statement"
Objections were raised to the ques-
| ton by members. and Mr.. Wheeler
withdrew it.
Continuing, Mr.. Wheeler asked Mr..
! Roberts:
Have you not been a very ardent,
| avowed and aggressive advocate of the
Holland submarine torpedo boat propo-
| sition?"
| A.-"Yes. I have been, and do not
| hesitate to avow it,"
A colloquy followed between Repre-
sentatives Kitchin and Wheeler over
objections raised by Mr.. Kitchn.
Mr.. Lessler was recalled and cor