Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-09
.uLLEY GETS SNUBBEO
Request for Subpoenaing Wit
neSses Refused.
'ACCUSER GUARDS SILENCE
=
Connecticut Representative Says He's
"Shadowed by Three
INVESTIGATION IS POSTPONED
Thursday Set for Next Meeting of
Special Committee to In
vestigate Accusations.
INVESTIGATION IS POSTPONED

| Declaring that he was being shadowed
! night and day by relays of detectives.
Representative Lilley of Connecticut. self
constituted prosecutor of the submarine
lobby, and author of serious graft charges
against members of the House naval af-
| fairs committee. today demanded of the
special investigating committee appointed
by Speaker Cannon to determine the facts
| in the case that action be taken at once
| to protect him from this annoyance.
| The other feature of the first meeting
| of the investig lting committee. held to-
day, was Mr.. Lilley's point-blank refusal
to testify. He announced that he did not
intend to tell his story until he was sup
ported by legal counsel. Representative
Boutell of Illinois. chairman of the spe-
cia committee repeatedly requested Mr..
Lilley to tell at least what he knew of
his own knowledge in connection with his
charges of graft and corruption in con-
| nection with submarine boat legislation,
! but each time Mr. Lilley declined.
Eminent Counsel Retained.
When the special committee met at II
o'clock this morning all the members
Representative Boutell of Illinois, chair
man: Representatives Stevens of Mime
sofa and Olmstead of Pennsylvania, re-
publicans. and Representatives Howard of
Georgia and Broussard of Louisiana.
democrats-were present An early indi-
| cation of how strenuousy the Electric
Boat Company of New Jersey-named by
Mr. Lilley as having, with it's predecessor.
the Holland Boat Company maintained a
notorious lobby in Washington for years
intends to fight the allegations of the Con-
necticut member was furnished by the
fact that the company has retained as
counsel John b. Lindsay and Martin W.
Littleton both of New York. the latter
counsel for Harry Thaw In his second
trial for the murder of Stanford White.
which resulted in his acquittal on the
ground Of insanity. Representative Rob
erts of Massachusetts was the only MEM
Der of the naval affairs committee on
hand when the session began.
Right off the bat Chairman Boutell d.
rected the reading of the report OF the
committee on rules which contained the
comments of that. committee on the
charges and also a portion of Mr.. Iilleys
testimony MIR. Boutell then announced
that until further orders the hearing
would be public. the witnesses would all
be put under oath and that for the pres
ent the committee would only go into the
Lilley charges so far they effected
the membership of the Sixtieth or present
Congress.
Lilley Says He's Swallowed.
Then MIR. Lilley took the floor. His
manner was somewhat dictatorial. and
he seemed to feel that it was necessary
to state his position very clearly.
;v, ha off f1dn
of being prosecuting officer in this in
vestigation.' said he II should have the
right to have witnesses summoned in the
order / desire. Also. as most of this
testimony will come from unwilling wit
nesses, l wish to employ legal counsel
| skilled in both examination and cross-ex-
animation
Mr. Lilley was assured by Chairman
Boutell that this request would be con-
sidered in an executive session of the
special committee.
Another thing cried Mr.. Llley. show
ing some feeling. Il am being shadowed
by detectives. I ask that it be stopped"
Mr. Lilley then mentioned by name
three men who, he said, were in the en-
ploy of a local detective agency, with
headquarters in the Colorado building.
He said these three men had been doing
the shadowing. Again he was assured
by Mr. Boutell that his request would be
considered by the special committee in
executive session. Then Mr.. Lilley re-
sumed his brief statement.
MY charges" he said. "are contained
i'm my resolution. ] do not propose to
constitute myself a grand jury and SUBJ
nit written charges and have myself
thereafter held down to that. 1 want to
have the witnesses called and to have
the privilege of examining them to bring
out the facts
In reply to a question from Chairman
Boutel as to whether he was ready to
go ahead with his own examination by
the committee. MIR. Lilley returned an
emphatic No,
Not Ready to Testify.
oh remarked Chairman Bouteil.
somewhat sarcastically. when will the
gentleman be able to testify to matters
of his own personal knowledge?"
Mr.. Liley replied that he didn't know
when he would be able to do this, but
probably by Thursday morning. He sug-
gcsted that he was not willing to go
ahead this morning. because if he testified
now to what he knew something might
happen to prevent all the facts from COM
ing out. So the committee. not knowing
what else to do, fixed 10 o'clock Thurs
day morning of this week for the next
meeting Of the committee. when the in
vestigation will really be begun.
Mr.. Lilley gave the committee a list of
those witnesses whom he desired to be
Immediately summoned. among them
are the following officers of the Electric
Boat Company: Isaac l.. Wright. presi-
dent: EIihu B. Frost, vice president Nor
ris Bennett. trea asurer: August
Treadwell. jr.. assistant treasurer; Nor
| gan II. Johnson. attorney. and G. s. Nc
| Neir of this city. local counsel. Other
witnesses desired by Mr.. Lilley are former
Senator Marion Butler of Washington. b.
f. Creecy and E. w. Creecy of this city,
| p. b. Lands and DR.. w. r. Kerr of WASH
| ington and w. B. Gordon.
Snubs for Lilley.
| At the executive session Of the special
committee following the open session
/ at which Mr. I.illeY refused To testify