Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-04-28
ABSOLUTELY FALSE.
ActinS Secretary of State Looms nenies Fraud.

denial of certain charges affecting his official integrity while minister at Ga racas were made by Mir. Loomis, the acting secretary of state, in state- ment given out by him at his residence last night. The statement briefly but emphatically denies in detail and in t9tality each and every charge.
 The issuance of this statement was not unexpected, as the acting secretary has had several conferences in the past few days with Secretary Taft, and, al- though until now he has refused to comment in any way on the charges and has appeared not to be at all an- noyed by their publication, it was inti- mated that statement would be made soon on the subject. The issuance of the statement is due entirely to the wide publicity which the charges have received, and it is the opinion of gov ernment officials that it was due the public as well as Mir. Loomis that he publicly and officially take note of them. This he has done in the follow ing statement:
 "In view of certain charges affecting my official character published in the New York.. Herald and otherwise wide ly circulate think it proper to make the following statement:
 'Those charges were in substance first, that while acting in my official capacity as United States minister to venezuela I obtained considerable pc cuniary benefits from the New York and Bermudez Asphalt company and that a check showing the payment Of $1O,OO0 to me by that company is now in the possession Of President Castro.
 '"This charge is an absolute false hood. I never asked nor received, di- rectly or indirectly, in any manner or form, any money or property or other thing of value or any promise or sug- gestion thereof from the New York Bermudez company or from any one acting in it's interest or behalf.
 Americans who have lived in Cara cas know that rates of exchange be- tween tine United States and yenezue- la are high there owing to unsettled conditions in Venezuela and that at times 1t is impossible to purchase New York exchange at Caracas. On my final departure from Venezuela as min ister I had money in bank in Cara cas-. I wished to convert my venezue. Ian money into United States money, and I exchanged checks at the posted United States government rates with the manager of the New York and Der mudez company at Caracas.
 "The second charge made is that while minister to Venezuela I pur- chased a claim of 10000 bolivars CS4,- OOO against the Venezuelan govern ment and then used my influence as minister to collect the full amount from the government. I never pur- chased or owned or had any interest in any claim against the Venezuelan gov. ernment, and I never prosecuted in any manner or form any claim against that government except in obedience to instructions from the secretary of state after submitting full report of the case to him.
 ''The third charge is that I agreed with Mir. Meyers to use my influence to adjust an obligation to the amount of S10.000.00 for a consideration of one-seven;h of that sum, or nominally S1.4OO.00O.
 "I never agreed or promised or sug gested, directly or indirectly. in any manner whatever that I would use my influence to adjust any obligation against the Venezuelan government The charge is absolutely false.-