Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1908-03-25
Captain Hobson Cleared of All
Censure
TORPEDO BOAT INVESTIGATION
Lawrence Spear, the Former Naval
Officer Who the Alabama Repre-
sentative Declared Had offered to
Secure Him a Place on the Naval
Affairs Committee For His Indu-
once, Denies Point Blank Hobson's
Charge.

Washington, Special.-The state
ment of Representative Richmond P.
Hobson, of Alabama, before the spe'
oial committee of the House investi-
eating the charges made by Repro
sentative George Lilley, of Connect
nut, that he had been approached by
a representative Of the Electric Boat
Company, who offered to use his in
auence with the Speaker to have Mr..
Hobson placed on the naval affairs
committee if he "stood right on SUBJ
marines" was contradictcd before
that committee by Lawrence Spear,
the former naval officer who Mr..
Hohson said had spoken to him. Mr..
Spear said he had not made any
promises to secure the influence OF
Speaker Cannon or any one else and
that he never had tried to influence
them; in fact, he said, he did not
know the Speaker. Mr.. Spea,
claimed that his company had never
endeavored to suppress competition
had never received any legislative or
departmental favors and had never
received an order from the Navy De-
partment except as the result of sue
cessful competition.
Newspaper Men Testify.
The other two witnesses Of the
day we're A. A. Erly and Frank B.
Lord, two Of the newspaper men
whom Mr.. Lilley charged he had
been warned against as in the pay of
he Electric Boat Company. They
both denied that they were ever in
the pay of the company although
said they had done special work for
Mr.. McNeir, one of the attorneys for
the company in the way of getting
out soma Creature stories" on sub
marines, for which they had been
paid. Both witnesses testified that
they had lost their positions as the
result of Mr.. Lilley's charges. Mr..
Lord characterized the reputation
by Mr.. Lillcy, Of an interview ne
claimed to have had with him as
"unqualifedly, asolutely and delib,
erately untrue"
Regarding an interview which he
said he had had with Mr.. Lilley, in
which charges were made against
Representatives Sherman, Griggs and
others and which Mr.. Lilley had re-
pudiated, Mr.. Lord said the inter
view was absolutely correct. "In that
denial" continued Mr.. Lord, "Mr
Lilley said what was unqualifedly
absolutely, deliberately untrue, fol
he uttered every word that was
printed"
Mr.. Lord stated that as the result
of Mr.. Lilley's charges he had lost
his position. In answer to a ques'
ton propounded by Mr.. Littletor
Mr.. Lord said that a complaint by
Mr.. Lake had been made to his pa,
per about something he had writer
concerning the Lake Boat which also
may have been instrumental in hav'
ing him discharged.
Mr.. Lord said he could not remem.
Der the exact amount he had receiv.
ed from Mr.. McNeir for writing the
special stories but he thought il
was between $500 and 500. He sale
/ he did not consider that he was work
ing for the Electric Boat Company
when he wrote these stories; that ht
did the work for Mr.. McNier.
Mr.. Lilley has fled will, the com
! mittee an unsigned communication
received from Philadelphia stating
that civilian Dulles, of New Yorl
City, and Robert McA. Floyd of Cole
Springs Harbor, N. Y, both formerly
directors of the Electric Boat Com
pany, resigned because Of the amount
used for corruption or for whicl
would make no accounting.
TIE committee adjourned unit
Thursday.