Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-04-30
O'BRlEN IN THE ROW
Privale Secretary Webster Says He Got Pointers from the
 Temperance Advocate.

! ance advocate and orator, it seems IS getting some notoriety before the Boutell Investigating committee at Washington. Private Secretary to Congressman Lilley Webster drew him into the Case the other day when ne was giving his evidence. Committee man Olmsted referring to the lettei written to MT Edinborough and sign ed Smith and the anonymous com municatiohs, said;
 c. Where did you get the idea that you embodied in that letter to MT Golf to Which you signed MT Lilley s name?--A. l got that idea from the gentleman who had been here to the hearings of the committee, and had come into the room, and also news paper Critics.
 c. What gentleman?-A. A. l nave some newspaper clippings here Tn my pocket that came in about that time If the committee care to LOOK at them; they are criticising the commit tee. There is one here that l had no authority for that, perhaps the com mittee would like to see them before l read them. Newspaper clippings ha4ded to the committee) = Q. From what person coming into the room "A. At that time Matthew OBrien, representative Of the pro hibition movement here, was appar- sntly feeling that he had not been treated on the square by congress. He had been to the hearings and he dld not have a favorable impression of the method of conducting. the hear ing. He gave me most of my pointers on the hearings. As to the word .whitewash," I had seen that in the newspapers good many times.
 O. Do you mean to say you em- bo6ied the subject-matter of news paper clippings and desultory con yersation in letters to whlch you signed MT Lilley's name?
 A. The letters to which the replies would come would be letters stating the opinion was that the committee intended to whitewash the whole mat ter. I think 1 got the letter from the newspaper clippings.
 o. Did you in that letter to MT Golf state that the commAtee would whitewash the whole matter.
 A. I could not state that was no' if. I do not remmeber that particu- lar letter.
 O, Itgwas from all those newspa- pers that you gathered that, in which MT Lilley was reported to have SC said to the New York World. You heard it read a little while ago-the newspaper clipping.
 A. That is the first time l nave ever seen that clipping or heard Of IL
 O. You say you got the substance oi this letter from newspaper clippings and from man who was here look- ing after the interests of prohibition who spent some of his time in this committee room and gave you his i'm pression of it; do understand you tc say that?-A. I think he was the one that expressed to me the opinion o' whitewash. 1 do not remember he used the word whitewash. but he thought the hearings were farce; that is the way he expressed it to me
 o. Do you remember about what his language was?-A. No; l could not state his language.
 O. Do you remember exactly what his language was. what word was used in describing it?--A. He made the remark. I asked him who made the statement that the committee was a joke, or something of that kind. He said he had made 1t in substance; he certainly made the statement in sub- stance.
 O. That the committee was joke A. Yes, sir.
 O. Do you remember what it was he said, whether it was whitewash or joke or precisely what word he used to convey his impression?-A. No sir; I can not state just what para graph in there could be attributed tc any conversation I had with him They were from newspaper clippings and my impression Is that 1t was about that time he was coming into the room; he usually came in every day and made comments.
 Q. Did he come to your office oi room after leaving here to make any statement to you about any impress sion he had derived that day?-A. think copies of the hearings were down there in the door near by. Ht used to come in and leave his over coat. He was from Connecticut, and when he first came here l told hin he might leave his coat and hat if ht wished.
 Q. Did he ever go any more exten' siyely into charaeterizing what ht thought the committees actions were just as you say. that it was ioke?-- A. I could not say whether he did ol not: whether he made any such state ment.
 O. Don't you know that he did mol don't you know you did not gel that statement from anything h' saids-A. No: do not know any thing of the kind.
 Q. Then what did he say out oi which you could possibly have enter. tained that impression "A. l hay, said do not remember his words al atl