Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-23
CROMWELL IS HEARD
Testifies Before Grand Jury
on Panama Canal Sale.
|AIFIERWARD Is RETICEMT
Adjournment Of Proceedings Until
Monday.
PROBING THE ALLEGED LIBEL
Talk of Summoning the President
as a Witness Before the Grand
Characterized as Speculation
|AFIERWARD is RETICENT
PROBING THE ALLEGED LIBEL

William Nelson Cromwell the New
York lawyer who represented the vendors
of the Panama canal property and who
conducted In their behalf all the nceotia-
tionS leading up to the purchase by the
United States government today teSti-
fed before the District of Columbia grand
jury in the investigation of the alleged
libelous statements by certain newspa-
pers concerning the purchase of the canal.
Mr.. Cromwell arrived at the city. hall
five minutes before 10 O'clock He was
met at the door by Detective Grant who
conducted him to the district attorneys s
office. where he was cIoseted with Mr..
Baker for fifteen minutes. Mr.. Cromwell
carried d bulky package. which from its
size and appearance indicated the con-
tents to be letter-press copy books.
Before the Grand Jury
After the conference in Mr.. Bakers
office Mr.. Cromwell proceeded to the
grand jury room, flanked by Mr.. Baker
and Mr.. Mcnamara. The contents of the
package seemed to have been distributed
among the three men. as each arried a
smaller package of books and papers. Ii
is supposed that. in addition to he letter
press copy books showing the communi-
cations sent by him, Mr.. Cromwell also
brought copies of the contracts which
figured i'll the canal purchase. and the
original letters received by him bearing
on the negotiations.
Mr. Cromwell is considered to be the
best-informed man in the United states
as to the inside history of the negotia
lions for the canal purchase. He has been
connected, il is Sid with the project
since the inception of the idea TO have the
United States take over the proposition
of completing canal from the Atlantic
20 the Pacific. after the efforts of the
French syndicate TO build canal had
failed.
Cromwell's Denial of Charges.
Although Mr.. Cromwell would say moth
ing concerning his testimony. ii is sup
posed that he repeated 10 the grand iu-
rors the statements made by him in his
denial last fall of the charge that any
part of the $40 CC1OGo paid by the gov
ernment for the canal came back to the
United States and that therefore neither
Charles =. Taft nor Douglass Robinson
could he guilty of the charges that they
OF either of them profited financially III
the transaction.
The money was forwarded to the French
Stockholders he claimed. through ! +.
Morgan d Co. and was distributed there.
and these shareholders reaped the bemeht
of the net proceeds of the sale
Mr. Cromwell West over in d't"i it *
supposed the history of the negotiations
and ,orroburated his te,,tirn ,nA ~ ...e, {, :.
press copy books and other documentary
evidence. which he carried with him '-''"f'
be entered the grand jury room at 1910
o clock.
over two hours were consumed in Mr
CromWelrS : examination.
After him. S. r. Jacobs. c'erk in the
office of the auditor nf the Treasury De
paTtment, testified. He was in the grand
itryroom only II few nI.ru,rs.
h!bitnd the Cancelled warrant 'or S'U-
no,fm used in settlement of the canal
purchase
At l2:sn the grand jury adjourned un-
til Monday.
Talk of Summoning the President.
The suggestion that President Roosevelt
Will testify before the grand jury in the
inquiry row in progress was viewed n;
the city hall today as speculation run riot
II was suggested by an attorney that a
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