The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-01-28
SRObGrts Gives Some Rather Startling Testimony
 
WORKED FOR BOAT COMPANY
Says Lessler Offered to Sign Any Statement Necessary, Providing It Was Not Made Pubic-He
 Is Closely Questioned.

Is Closely Questioneu'
 Washington, January 2Z-The house committee on naval affairs today con- cluded the taking of testimony In the in- Vestigation of the charges made by Repre- sentative Lessler that a corrupt attempt had been made 10 influence his vote in that committee on proposals to purchase submarine torpedo boats.
 An executive session was held by the committee at the conclusion of the after noon session, and consideration was given 10 the findings the committee would re- pert to the house. After several reselu- ticns hed been proposed and discussion had been had as to the wording of re- port, the committee, consisting of Repre- sentatives Floss of Illinois, Dayton Of West Virginia, Taylor of Ohio, Meyer of Louisiana and Kitchen of North Carolina, was appointed to draw up a set of find- ings to be submitted to the full commit- tee for it's final action.
 At the afternoon session of the com- mittee, Attorney Nicoll for ex-Represen- tative Quigg urged that in view of these circumstances Quigg was entitled to a. complete vindlcation at the hands of the committee.
 Roberts Makes Statement.
 MT. Roberts then announced that he de- sired to make a statement. He said:
 MT. Chairman: l have learned during tI1.5 e1fs alasac gone out arising from the incident allud- ed to by MT. Lessler in his examination of meeting he had with me in statuary hall l desire now to state fully my recol- lection of the entire transaction, not with any intent or purpose of injuring MT. Lessler or prejudicing him in the minds of the committee, but merely that 1t should be in the record. The forenoon or January 21 while l was going through statuary hall on the way to my committee room, I met MT. Lessler going in the op- posite direction. He suoke to me and said: Can't we stop this thing. My God, we can't stand it. 1t is killing me-.
 "rhe thing he referred to was the pro- posed investigation which we had author- ized to be made by the subcommittee. I said to him, SD far as I personally was concerned l did not care whether 1t went on or stopped; that there were other par ties besides myself in this matter. The statement had gone cut of 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.haye the thing smoth- cred. MT Lessler ther eupon volunteered, without any suggestion from me, that he would make any statement regarding the matter that was thought to be fair and reasonable.
 Didn't Intend to lnjure Him.
 ''IIe said that when he made his first statement in the committee he did not fn- tend to inture the Holland people, and remarked to him that If he did not fn- 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 l would have one prepared he would sign 1t. He said fur ther that he would not sign such state- ment to be published. I said to him that 1 did not suppose the Holland people would care to publish such a statement, that I did not think they would make any use of 1t whatever unless their in- terests were to be jeorardized by the use of his original statement and then, Tn self-defesse, they would be obliged to rublsh any statement he might make. And upon that understanding he author is ed me to make this statement. l then said to him: When your statement was made in the full committee, certain mem- bers of the committee who had been op posed to submarine legislation had seized upon the statement and insisted upon an investigation. l don't believe those gem x,,i1l sfn Mr Gni1. can fix them. l believe I can arrange 1t all right He then went on to make still another statement to me as to what ne would do personally when the Holland submarine proposition came 10 vote. then left him. I had prepared state ment for him to sign.
 Had Been Fixed.
 q did not see MT. Lessler again that day until shortly after the house met Mr Lesser came by with his overcoat and hat in his hand and said to me, that thing l told you could be arranged, has been fixed This was on Wednesday when the subcommittee, I suppose, was inves- tigating the matter with an idea on the following day of presenting some report to the full committee. The statement I had prepared l submitted to MT. Lessler in this committee room next morning. It was the morning when the sub-com- mttee was to report to the full committee and l handed MT. Lessler the paper"
 At this point MT Roberts produced the letter, which was to the effect that it was not MT. Lessler's intention to connect the Holland company directly or indirect ly with an offer of a brioe.
 MT. Lessler," he said, declined to sign it, because it was addressed to the Hol- land company"
 MT Wheeler thRn intprrOpatpd Mir ROh- erts, saving: When Lessler first ap- preached vol in Statusry hall did you re- port what he had said to any of the officers or agents of the torpedo boat company?'
 ''Yes, I did" replied MT. Roberts.
 "Who did you tell it to?'
 gro MT. Frost
 Anybody else?''
 "No."