The Mena weekly star., 1908-03-12
HE SUBMARINE PROBING
Special House Committee to Inves- tigate the Lilley Charges Holds
 a Short Session.
AcCUsER IS sHAOOWtU BY DETECTIVES
The Connecticut Representative Asked That Three Operatives of Local Agency Be Summoned as Witnesses Charges Read and List of Witness es Presented to Committee.

Washington, Mar. 10.-The special committee of the house appointed by Speaker Cannon. at the request of Representative Lilley of Connecticut, | to investigate the conduct of the Elec- tric Boat company of New Jersey and it's predecessor, the Holland Boat com pany, respecting the methods en- ployed by said companies in connee- tion with past or proposed legislation before congress" began its investiga- tion Monday
 The committee, which is composed of Representative Boutell, of Illinois, chairman; Stephens of Minnesota, Olmstead of Pennsylvania, Broussard oI Louisiana, and Howard of Georgia, met in a room at the House office building at 10:30 o'clock. Before the committee had been called to order, Chairman Boutell stated that no wit nesses had yet been summoned but that Representative Lilley had been requested to appear before the com mittee; that as yet the committee has nothing before it and will not be Tn position to summon witnesses until Mir. Lilley lays the facts before them. After the committee had been called to order the clerk was directed by Chairman Boutell to read the report of the committee on rules pursuant to which the Investigating committee was appointed. When the clerk reached that portion of the report which said that Mir Lilley at his own instance appeared before the commit tee on rules in connection with his charges, Mir, Lilley interrupted to say that he had received a written notice from the clerk of that committee to appear before it.
 When the reading of the report had been concluded Chairman Boutell called on Representative Lilley and asked him if he was prepared to go ahead and state the facts in hls pos session. MT. Lilley said he was not prepared to be examined at this time; that he desired to be represented by an attorney and had not yet secured one. He however, submitted number of documents to the committee. He stat ed that he had been shadowed by de- tectives and said that in order that this shadowing be stopped he would ask to have summoned as witnesses three operatices connected with To- cal detective agency. He also sub mitted a list of witnesses that he de- sired to be summoned as follows: Isaac L. Rice, president of the Elec- tric Boat company, to bring with him all the books and accounts showing payments made to attorneys and em- ployes for work performed or to be performed at Washington or in any congressional district of the United States; also vouchers, checks; check books and other documents showing checks issued for such employment; 1; also vouchers and memorandum show ing payments by Elihu B. Frost for ex- penses of every kind and character at Washington or elsewhere in promot- ing legislative appropriations and the procurement of contracts, also all books, vouchers. checks or other evil dence of any moneys contributed by Isaac l.. Rice personally to the cam paign fund of any political party or in any congressional district; Elihu B. Frost Maurice Barnett, treasurer of the Electric Boat company; August Tredwell, Jr.. assistant treasurer; Norman c. Johnson of New York, at torney and s. S. McNeir of this city. The request for the appearance of these gentlemen is in practically the same terms as that for the appearance of MT Rice. He also asked that sub poenas be issued for the following: Marion Butler, c. B. Creecy. H. w. Creecy, B. F. Sands. all of this city; Dr. s. R. Kerr of Chicago; Frank l.. Meinbrough of Bay City, Mich, and w. B. Gordon of Midland, Mich.
 MT. Lilley stated that he did not propose to put himself in the attitude of a grand jury and present an in- dictment but he would. if permitted by the committee and assisted by ain attorney, examine these witnesses and help the committee to the fullest ex- tent possible in bringing out all the facts. He said that to formulate written charges and limit the investi- gation to these charges would simply be to stifie real investigation and make the adoption of the resolution a farce.
 Mir. Lilley asked that he be allowed to nane the manner in which the wit nesses should be called He did not wish, he said, to be the first witness. Mir. Boutell stated that it was the in- tention of the committee to have Mir. Lilley first state what he knows of his own knowledge concerning these charges and in order to allow him to procure an attorney adjournment was taken until Thursday morning.
 The committee went into executive session to consider Representative Lilley's request in tho matter of wit nesses whom he desii IS to have sum moned
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