The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1911-06-15

the check l. about two months later than
the date mentioned in the receipt. Chair
man Hamlin ihtiirated broadly that this
receipt pinned to the voucher might
have beer prepared after th" present in
vestigation by the House commktee had
begun. Secretary huoN was inclined TO
show resentment.
what do you expect" h. snapped
that some one is trying to commit forgery
or perjury here"
Chairman lIjAnn assured the Secretary
that he held him entirely blameless in this
entire transaction.
The office boy who followed Secretary
Knox on the stand testified that he found
the voucher Wing on the floor in an en-
velope with a rubber band around II
when he started To- clean up the floor
for the night IT was only n few feet from
the desk of Thona. Morrison the disburs-
ing officer of the stat" Department. He
handed the envelope To- Morrison. because
he saw there was something in II. and the
disbursing officer nS soon aS h" looked at
IL exclaimed
why. har. Il the voucher that has been
causing all IN" tro'Ihi" Where did vou
find IL"
The Office boy held up his right hand
solemnly AT the request of Chairman
Hamlinkand swor" that he did not drop
the envelope containing the Voucher ON
the floor.
The voucher bears the words approved
10y the Secretary of state" Mr.. Hay was.
OF course. tho Secretary when 1t was
drawn The voucher N the tot has this
hsading: For expenses incurred and to-
bs rai ont of the emergency fund apprO-
p-iated for 1903" Under this heading
wsre the words For portrait of Judge
Day. late Secretary of State" ar q beneath
the latter was a regular receipt for 81. i5O
duly signed by Rosenthal
Secretary Root in his invest CATION of
the case called upon W. II. Michael for in
formation. SIr Michael in his reply
which was submitted by Secretary Knox
to-oay. says he handed a letter to Score
tary Hay explalnin ~ hat the portrait was
satisfactory. He adds:
he. Secretary Hay. TOOK memo
out of his portfolio and after looking
at 1t directed me to make out "a voucher
for a certain amount. do not now recall
the amount to pay for the portrait and
sired t, apply on other emergency ac-
counts He did not say what the accounts
we're and the only impression ! got was
that they related in some way 10 Mr..
ROckhill in connection with China affairs.
The amount Of the voucher. whatever
II was. was delivered to me by some ona
from the bureau of accounts. according
to my recollection. The price of the por-
trait was taken ont of the envelope con
tanning the money III the presence OF
Secretary Hay, who retained the balance.
The voucher was To be signed by mo
and not MIR Rosenthal II he signed the
voucher instead of n receipt il was through
error. There was no such purpose. IL the
voucher WAS sent him TO sign il was by
inadvertence and II seems To me unac
countable that he should have signed
such a voucher if il had been sent 10 him
He was paid in full for the port rait | am
quite sure Whatever was done in the
premises was done by direction of Secre-
tary Hay. as nothing could have been
done otherwise. and If there is anything
in the transaction open TO criticism il is
the error of sending 10 the arts a voucher
which was not intended for his signature
at all and which he should no, have
signed.
Secretary Knox also explained the
payment Of 5000 to Frederick Hale n
son Of former Senator Eugene Hale. He
said that Mr. Hale. who is LAWYER in
Maine. was retained by Mr. Root when
he was Secretary of State 10 conduct
diplomatic negotiations with Great Britain
Tor determining the boundary line be-
tween the United States and Canada
through Passamanuoddy BAY. This.
Secretary Knox declared. was a di diplomatic
matter and had nothing whate, ar 10 do
with the work Of the regular Boundary
Commission. Mr. Knox acknowledged
Of 5000 lacked regularity in that il was
not signed by him. hu, ineralv bore hi,
o. X. on Saparat. slip of paper As 10
the payment itself, however. IL was
Secretary Knox said entirety regular
and proper and members of the committee
Showed no disposition to question this
statement