The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-04-24
PUTTING LILLEY ON The RACK
House COMMITTEE GOES AFTER
HIM LAWYERLIKE.
II Develops That Even the Resolution Of
Inquiry Into the Submarine Scandal
Was written by Abner Nen Of the Lake
TOrpedO Boat CO.-Other Revelations.

scandal took another brisk turn to-day
when the House investigating committee
called Representative George l.. Liley OF
Connecticut to account, The committee
felt the sting Of criticisms and i%nnuendoes
that have been cast In letters and news
paper articles, for which Mr., Lilley was held
responsible
No effort was made by the committeemen
TO conceal their views Of Mr.. Lllley's conduct
and they went after him as only lawyers
can in half a day OF g%rilling examination.
Chairman Boutell was outspoken in de-
daring that 1t was the purpose OF the com
mittee to run down rumors that have been
spread rejecting on the committee and on
eyery member Of the House,
The ire Of the committee was most aroused
by two letters and a telegram that had
emanated from Mr.. Lilley's office in Wash
ington. Mr.. Lilley took refuge bydenying
the authorship Of one letter or knowledge
Of II, though his name was signed to 1t. II
referred TO the committee in oontemptuous
terms. He passed the responsibility Tor
II TO the shoulders Of Benjamin Webster,
his young secretary,
Mr.. Webster was right there and stood by
his employers statement He had writ
ten the letter and signed his employers
name. As for the telegram, which was
wild and wide Of the mark, Mr.. webster
had sent that TO Mr., Lilley as a matter OF
duty in order to keep him informed, A
newspaper clipping was in line with the
Sensational despatch and the
held an impression that the whole thing was
Of a piece,
The day was one Of revelations. Some
thing was exploding every minute 1t
was like the last act Of a play when the plot
IL being unfolded. New testimony OF
Abner Z. Nen Of the Lake Torpedo Boat
Company had added to his producuons for
Mr.. Hlley a resolution introduced by MIR.
Iilley in the House on February q and
written by Mr.. Neh on February 81
This additional testimony Of Mr., Men IN
Intentionally deprived Mr.. Lilley OF the
authorship Of the last document in the case
bearing on his charges. All that have gone
bOfoTe we're Mr.. Nef's productions or had
emAnAted from his office. He brought the
date Of establishment Of activity toward an
investigation outside Of Mr.. Lilley 10 within
one day Of the date Of his famous resolution
which was introduced in the House on Feo-
rary 20.
Following this development Mr., Lilley
was forced to defend himself from swearing
10 papers that hitched up with the Men reso-
luton and complicated his testimony by
saying he offered the written evidence with
out having read 1t.
Searching the shadows for the author OF
the anonymous letter TO Frank Il, Edln-
borough Of Michigan, one OF the mystical
signs OF a spectral hand that supported
Mr.. Lilley's charges five days before ne
made them, publicly or privately, me com
mittee was informed by Benjamin Webster,
Mr.. Lilley's secretary, that he had written
a letter to Mr.. Marlborough, not the anony,
nous letter, though, but a letter signed
Smith" This was merely a letter OF IN
curry, but it also concerned Representative
Loud, against whom the anonymous letter
brought a charge Of graft.
Here the shadows deepened, TOT the
committee was convinced, as all followers
Of the testimony we're convinced that ihe
trail Of the anonymous letter writer Ied
away from Mr.. Webster and almost ldenti-
fed another man. One Of the committee
remarked that the phantom hgure that mas
liant the interest OF mystery to the lnVestlga.
ton, the writer Of anonymous letters ana
user OF Mr.. Nef's typewriter Tor their pro
duotion, would be known within iorty-elght
hours. ~
One Of the exhibits for which Mr.. Liiiey
was put on the rack was a telegram OF
March "a, sent Mr.. Lilley on a train as he
was returning from Connecticut 10y HIS
secretary, BENJAMIN Webster, which said
Boutell, Olmsted, Rothcrmel and Roden-
barQ had bought tickets for New London
on the I O'Clock train.
Coupled with this was a clipping from the
Bridgeport Standard Of March %, which
said that il was reported around the corri-
doris OF the Capitol that Boutell, Olmsted,
Rothermel and R~Odenberg had lett Washing
ton the day before for New London for
the purpose Of bringing political influence
10 bear on Mr.. LilleY 20 stop the submarine
investigation. MIR. Boutell is chairman Of
the committee. Mr.. Olmsted IL q member
and Messrs. Rodenberg and Rothermel are
members Of the House.
Next a letter was held up, signed George
l.. Lilley, and directed to George W. Goff
Of East Hampton, Conn, IN which the writer
says that the committee have already de-
monstrated their intention 10 apply the
Whitewash brush whenever they can.
Therefore it is safe to assume hat very
little will he brought out
There was more to stir the wrath of the
members OF the committee, which had got
into the public prints, land the committee
was particularly exercised over a letter that
Mr.. tilley had sent to the Secretary Of the
Navy, Victor H. Metcalf, last September,
which put Representative Roberts Of Massa-
chusetts under suspicion in these words:
sAs for the attitude Of the House toward
Mr. Roberts's argument nobody listened
10 10 when il was made. Among the we'll
meaning members Of the Congress the
Lake people have more friends because
they never employed the methods Of the
Holland type people.
1T 10 we'll known that the company that
MIR. Roberts appears TO represent is doing
more to-day IN the employment Of ques-
tionable methods 10 intimidate members
of Congress and the Naval Committee than
all other corporations in the United States
Mr.. Lilley disclaimed responsibility for
the telegram OF the letter to Croft. Both
were the productions OF his secretary,
made on his own initiative.
yes, ! wrote the letter and signed Mr..
Lilley's name TO it and Mr.. Lilley knew
nothing about it, Mr.. Webster declared
stoutly.
This letter casts a reflection on every
member OF the House Of Representatives
said Chairman Boutell. you have known
OF the existence Of the letter for months
addressing Mr.. Lilley), have you recalled
IL, have You repudiated il, either to this
committee or on the floor Of the House,
Mr.. Lilley said he would withdraw il.
II was not a question OF withdrawal the
members Of the committee seemed TO con-
olude with one accord.
Il disclaim II, then, . said Mr.. Lilley.
Mr.. Lilley asked permission to correct
statements that appeared in newspapers
saying that in reports Of proceedings before
the committee he had voted for four
submarines in the naval committee to cost
1850, 600.
The word -Four" was an error, but the ex-
animation Of the official record disclosed