Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-05-28
WithdraWs Reflections Upon
Christopher P. Connolly.
MEANT NO WRONG, HE SAYS
Writes to Ballinger-Pinchot Investl-
eating Committee.
ALSO MAKES AN APOLOGY
Sued in the District Supreme Court
for $4,000 Damages by
C. P. Connolly.

When the Balllinger- -Pinchot committee
met TODAY Representative Mccall of Mas
sachusetts, presiding in the absence of
Chairman Nelson, read letter from Os-
car Lawler. assistant attorney general
for the interior Department, under cate
of today, retractng his recent statemen;
before the committee rejecting upon G.
p. Connolly. a magazine writer. What he
had testified about Mr. Connolly, he
said. he had believed to be correct, but
in view of Mr.. Connoly's letter. read to
the committee yesterday, he judged that
he had been misinformed. He said he
did not intend to do any wrong to Mr.
Connolly, and took that method OF max
ing public retraction.
Mr.. LAWYERS letter was as follows:
I'm the course of my testimony before
your committee. certain statements were
made by me concerning Mr.. Connolly.
These statements I believed to be cor
rect but it now appears from commun1-
cations presented before you YESTERDAY
that they were incorrect and that had
been misinformed. AS stated at the time
I desire to commit no Intentional 1n1us-
tfce. and I take this means of retracuns
such statements and expressing to the
committee and the parties referred 10
my. sincere regret at the occurrence.
Mr. Lawler today said he had also sent
to Christopher P. c. Connolly and James
B. Connolly letters disavowlng any fnten-
ton of doing them an injury in his tes-
timony before the committee. and with
drawing his remarks, with an apology.
Lawler Sued for $4,000 Damages.
Christopher P Connolly. a lawyer of
Montana and New York and a con-
tributor to magazines, late yesterday att
ernoon filed in the District Supreme
Court a suit to recover $4,000 damages
for alleged slander from Oscar Lawler.
Mr.. Connolly, through Attorney ]. Will
mer Latimer. charges that at the hear
ing before the Ballinger-Pinchot COM
mittee Of Congress May II Mr.. LAWYER
wickedIy and maliciously accused Mr..
Connolly of being a "despicable scoundrei.
who would stoop to any depth OF degra-
dation.'
1t is also alleged that Mr.. Lawler gra-
tuitously and not in response TO any IN
uuiry declared that among these "despica-
BILE scoundrels was a man named Coll- t,Il
molly, connected with Golfers Weekly,
who stood on the deck Of the steamship
Republic just before it sank and tram
pied down women and children IN an at
tempt to get to a lifeboat.
1t also set forth that when Representa-
tive James asked Mr.. Lawler. Have you
not got the wrong Connolly who did
that?" Mr.. Lawler replied. II do not
know. / understood he was the man who
was connected with Golfers Weekly and
he has been pointed out to me as the man
who did that. / have considerable con-
tempt for the Connolly connected with
Golfers Weekly anyway. and l would not
nut him above anything of that kind
Denied by Connolly.
Mr.. Connolly submitted statement to
the investigating committee, in which he
denied that he had been on the Republic,
or any other transatlantic liner He
added: mo incident OF my career has
given the slightest foundation or the re-
motest warrant for this unjust statement:
It is made out of the whole cloth. l
think in justice the record ought to snow
tbs much"
After this letter had been read into the
record Representative James announced
that he had a letter from James B. Con-
molly, stating that he was the Connolly
against whom the Republic charges were
made. but that they were unfounded. and
had been made by disgruntled steward.
who had fled to Canada to escape being
held responsible for making the charges.
II is rumored that James Is. Connolly,
the Republic passenger, has also retained
counsel. and may enter suit against MIR.
7