The morning journal-courier., 1908-04-24
Refuses to Produce Personal Letters Alleged to Re- fleet on Integrityoof
 Probers.
CENSURED FOR CRITICISMS
Says "Whitewash" Letter Printed in Hartford Paper Was Written by His Sec
 retary Without His
 Knowledge.

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 Washington, April 23.-mterestng developments followed each other in close succession to-day in the hearing being conducted y the special com mittoe of the house of the charges pre- ferred by Representative George L.. iiley of Connecticut, against the Elec- tic Boat Co. They ranged from the participation of the take Torpedo Boat Co. in the preparation of reso- luton of Inquiry introduced in the house by Mir. Lilley to matters of a personal nature In which criticism of the committee played prominent part. \ Incidentally Representative Lilley was X severely taken to task by members of < the committee for allowing published M criticisms of it's actions over his sig \ nature to stand for month without V being contradicted. Mir. Lilley and the T committee locked horns over the aues- v ton of production of letters which he V contended are confidential. and the " question whether they should be pro- lNl duced had not been decided when ad- Adjournment was taken for the day " The authorship of the two anonym- Nous letters which have played such an Z sfimpoftant part in the investigation was 5N5also gone into and 1t is the belief of s4lthe committee that the identity of the KEtwriter will be established within the r%next 4S hours.
 It was at the afternoon session that lifthe personal matters came to the sur .&face MT. Olmsted read a clipping .c from the Hartford Courant of March rtS'o containing letter signed by Mir ,l Af.illey, addressed to George w. Golf, hl fpf East Hampton, Conn. This letter lr (which was in reply to one received by 1A MT Lilley from MT. Golf, contained the 6, following:
 (Y "The select committee to investi- }Hate have already demonstrated their sintention to apply the whltewash ..Ia rush whenever they can. Therefore on5f Is safe to assume that very little WtaNill be brought out. They refused he the privilege of counsel to cross. u0E'xamine witnesses and do not allow eoTae to ask questions except by sub, z 2 hitting them in writing, and ever i&a1en they may throw out those which &ihey deem improper, which means x 2fhrowing out all important questions 35N believe, however, that tho press o {fshe country is already fully convinc I34Iv1 7"
 '* Mir. Lilley explained that the letter % Ras written by his secretary, Mir IY' febster, and that he did not see | X*ihtil 1t appeared in print. Mir. Web < #j Ter, he said, had authority to sgi ,3i Is name to letters. At this poin s5isr. Webster was called to the stant Ai Id admitted he wrote the letters. H. &&<i9id he had gathered his inferenc, 3%l out the committee from newspape d lppings and from conversations h. Al Id with a man who attended som Hl the hearings. The letter was no 5 ggested by MT. Liley, he said. NIr. Lilley then resumed the stan, W%Id was asked if he had repudiate, t8h letter. He replied that he hat Do you repudiate 1t now?" aske, . Olmsted.
 Fl do not personally desire to mak at charges' answered Mir. Iilley hd am perfectly willing to with w it."
 : Fit is not a question of withdraw the charge" said Mir. Howard want to locate the responsiblit .zy the suggestions in that letter" e, fThis letter casts a reflection upo KI character of the house of repre- r Statives. and the officers of i
 ch cannot go unnotieed" inter tlElE Aed Chairman Boutelle. "A mont B46 elapsed since you had knowledg Hy4 its existence over your signature
 s ling tnay time 1t would certainl I e been possible for you to explai 2sI r the floor of the house or to thi a2 lmittee. but no explanation wa
 hcominy."
 d&2iah9 the charge" said M, ey.
 J5 | Droussard asked Mir. Llley y%4 cerrimanded his secretary fo yl1't ing such letter DO you req st that this letter reflects not onl M4 h the members of this committet
 upon the entire membership ( V house; not only those who vote
 your resolution of inquiry, bt
 the insnS who appointed tn
 inittee"" he asked
 think l reprimanded my seert
 r replied MT Iilley T am yer
 l 0id."
 Ehy have you not discharged
 who would abuse your conf X e in such a manner?" asked M
 ssard
 Yell, I have not discharged him
 bnded Mir Lilley.
 Llley said that he did nt
 MT Golf, and when asked
 letters of a similar charactt
 been written and signed with h
 replied that there might ha,
 others, but he did not know ho
 a