Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-04-02
HE SAYS IT'S A PITY
HARRIMAN'S COMMENT ABOUT
THE LETTER TODAY.

Special Dispatch TO The Star
NEW YORK. April mir. Hartman,
when seen at his Office in the Equitable
building this morning, refused to discuss
the letter at all or to say whether the
statements contained in 1t were true or
untrue.
It's pity" he said, that a mans
private correspondence, whether true or
untrue, cannot be protected from being
published. / did not authorize it to be
printed. That's all I can say about it,"
Asked whether he would make a state
ment later, he said:
Il haven't fully considered the matter,
but l intend to consider it very care
fully, and the newspapers will be notified
if a statement is decided upon"
Before Mr.. Hartman went to his Of
flee this morning, which he reached at
j o'clock, he was in conference at his
home with Jacob H. Schiff of Kuhn,
Loeb & Co. and several other callers said
to be directors of the Union Pacific.
When MIR. Schiff was asked as to the ma
ture of the conference he begged his
interviewers not to publish the fact that
he had called upon Mr.. Hartman this
morning.
Conference With Schiff.
Mr. Hartman was asked if his confer
ence with Mr.. Schiff had anything to do
with the Roosevelt letter
Mr.. Schiff knows nothing about this
affair." said Mr.. Hartman
rs it true, Mr.. Hartman, according
to the report which was circulated this
morning, that before you wrote this let
ter Mr.. Cortelyou came to you and asked
you to give $4,000 toward the republican
campaign contributions at the request of
President Roosevelt and that you told
Mr. Cortelyou to tell President Roosevelt
That you would not give a dollar nor
would any Of your friends give dollar?"
Mr.. Hartman raised his hands, turned
the palms outward, and then said: Il
will Say that that is not true.
Mr.. Hartman appeared to be in a very
genial mood, although those who know him
observed that he walked with a quick.
nervous step that is not usually character
istic of him. Evidently anticipating that he
was to be interviewed, Mr. Hartman as
he stepped from the elevator on the fourth
floor of the Equitable building, where his
Office is located, almost shouted, Nothing
to say, boys before a single question was
put to him. AS his interviewers proceeded
to catechise him he backed gradually away
lOWdlu Ills uOOT anu disappeared
without answering half Of the queries that
were put to him.
In about ten minutes he reappeared and
went down the elevator and disappeared
into Nassau street. Asked If he Intended
to have any conference upon the letter dur
ing the day, he said II have other matters
on my hands to attend to just now"
Are you going to cause the arrest of the
stenographer whom you are quoted as say
ing sold the letter for publications."
"Oh, don't want to say anything about
that; can't say anything now
He would answer no questions as to
whether the contents of the letter were cor
rectly quoted
Mr.. Lovett is Silent.
John G. Milburn and Judge r. 8. Loyett
of counsel for Hartman and the other re-
spondents in the interstate commerce COM
mission investigation will go to Washington
today to submit further documentary evil
dence to the commission in anticipation of
the final argument which has been set by
the commission for Thursday. Mr. Loyett
when asked If he would take up the matter
of the letter with President Roosevelt, said {:
Il don't know anything about this matter"
and added, mot officially