The Washington times., 1908-04-19
SENS5TiON
At INVESTIGATION
Of LILLEY CHARGES
Believed Expert Witness
WllGive Startling Tes-
tlmony This Week.
Representative Says He
Has No Idea of Author
of Letters.

Aithough the experts in the identifca-
Ton OF typewrIting opened I'D 10 rhe
public gaze yesterday some big facts
IN The investigation Of the LiIlev charges
OF corruption Of Congress by the EIec-
TIC Boat Company, bigger facts are ex-
pected to come 10 light this week
The three experts. David CarvalIo and
4 Wllilam J. kinsiey, OF New York. and
Albert 8 Osborn. OF Rochester y
sWore without qualification that the
Two anonymous letters rejecting on the
official acts Of Representative I,oud Of
Michigan, and four typewriter docu-
ments submitted 70 Mr. Lilev by the
LAKE Boat Company, and by him given
4 10 the committee we're al written on
the same typeTFr1ter. a Smith Premier
! Late IN the afternoon. A r NeT- one
OF the Washington agents for the Lake
Boat Company. which is the Electric
Boat Company's competitor. rushed into
J the committee room and requested that
he be allowed 10 make a statement.
/ Denies Writing Letters.
| When told that he would have 10 wait
/ until tomorrow. he made this statement
/ TO the press:
l. Although 7 have a Smith Premier
/ typewriter in my Office. and aIrhoush
/ the four documents. IN question were
written on a typewriter in my Office.
1 did not write the anonymous letters
( Tor have I any idea who did write
| them I know nothing about them"
/ Who has access 20 your Office be-
I sides yOurself2- he was asked.
/ "Oh, anybody" he replied The
1 door IS often left open"
I Soon after this, M LiIIey gave out
/ a statement in which he explained. thar
I he knew nothing about the ANONYMOUS
letters. and that II they and the four
( documents in question were written on
I the same typewriter as had been tes-l-
I fed by the experts. he could not ex-
I plain IL The documents, he said. had
! been han lee 20 him and he had In turn
/ handed them 10 the committee.
VIII TE-esh Mystery.
When the hearing ended YESTERDAY
Z the committee had a mystery on It's
hands Who wrote the two anonymous
/ letters. rejecting on the Official actz
{ OF Mr. Loud IN connection with sub
marine legislation. one addressed 20
Jesse Carmichael. a newspaper man in
Washington, and the other TO State
| Senator Frank Marlborough. OF AIichi-
; gan an opponent OF Loud for the next
/ nomination for Congress- The CON-
mittee is determined 20 find the author
/ II 1t requires weeks OF additional work
/ 10 do f.
! Representative LiIley Mr. NeT. and
/ the experts on typewriting will be
| called 10 the stand again this week in
I the hope that additional light may be
! thrown o. the situation
At present the committee is confront
/ ed with the following bewiIdering facts.
as brought out by the sworn testimony:
Mr. Lilley's original resolution asking
I for the investigation Of the Electric
/ Boat Company's alleged corruption OF
/ Congress was introduced in the House
I February % He has sworn thar he told
not a person OF his intention 20 put in
/ the resolution until the morning OF tbs
day that he introduced it
! February y and Is the two anonymous
/ letters were written on the smith Pre-
Z micr typewriter. showing that the au-
/ thor was certain there would be some
/ thing done in the House 10 direct atten-
! ton TO submarine matters
Directed 70 Papers.
The letter 10 Marlborough cautioned
/ him 10 watch The Congressional Record
/ and TO subscribe 10 Eastern newspapers.
! Also. in the EdinbOrOUgh letter there
! was a statement Of the excess profits
I the Electric Boat Company was ALLEGED
10 have received from the Government.
/ these figures being nearly identical with
/ those submitted weeks later 10 the com
! mittee BY LdIley as being his calculation
/ OF thu comDany's excess profits.
Mr.. Lliey testified that his private
Z ~
/ ton with Neff 10 compile these figures.
! The three experts on ty-pewriting have
sworn that the anonymous letters were
written on the same Smith-Prernier ma
I chine on which the list Of questions vas
/ prepared.
IN view OF these facts, the commit
tee wants 20 solve the following prob
lens:
How did the author OF the anouv-
nous letters know that there would be
/ anything IN the Congressional Record
| about submarine legislation If Imer
had not mentioned 20 any peron thsr
he intended 70 introduce his resolution
OF inquiry?
Similarity of Figures.
/ What IS the explanation OF the fact
that the figures Of graft in the anonv-
nous letter 70 Marlborough. written Eve
/ days before the Introduction OF the resp
.-gtion. are nearly the same as the fig
-ires OF graft submitted 10 the com
nhttee weeks later By IiIley after he
had gotten them from the combined
calculations OF Nef and LiIley's private
| secretary. Webster
The committee has advanced no theo-
ries, aired none Of its beliefs. but II is
/ on a still hunt for further evidence.
/ Indeed, It was indmated last niEht
| that the experts on typewritinS have
! one more big card up their sleeves and
I that. when It is played this week. an
| other sensational trick will be turned.
1 Representative Liley made the fol.