New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-05-09
TOLD TO BURN PAPERS
OF STEEL WIRE POOLS
Former EmpIoye Declares He
Put Them Under Boilers at
ViCe-PreSident'S Orders.
TELLSOF GRAND JURY PROBE
Resigned, He Says, After COnver
sation in Which He Would
Not Agree to Testify IS
Superiors Desired.

which had ha"n used against tn" Off
cials Of the American steel and Wire
Comparv in the indictments against
the members of nine steel wire pools
found year ago. and incidents Of tn"
grand Jury investigation that attempted
to fix the blame some months later 1ur-
nishcd startling testimony yesterday at
the hearing before Henry T. Brown. aS
examiner. i'm the governments suit for
the dissolution Of the steel trust.
Henry \. Whitney. for twelv" years
an emplove Of the American steel and
Wire Company in its electric and wtr"
rope department. and in CharSe Of tn"
papers that pertaincd 10 th" wire rope
pool of which the company was mem
ber. told not only Of the burning OF the
papers, but also described Conrersa-
tion held between him, Frank Baackes,
vice president of the company. and
George \. Cragn. assistant sales man
ager. I'm front of the grand jury room in
the Federal Building, i'm which the two
men asked what he intended To say TO
the grand jury. ana tried to correct his
recollection as To who gave the order for
the destruction Of the papers.
The startling tale Of the conversation
outside the grand jury room Mr.. Whit
ncy told after Jacob NJ. Dickinson, coun-
sci for the government. had brought out
,Irnntrh ,f b,.u IN.
papers We're burned. Whitney said h"
was instructed 10 do So 10y Mr.. Baackcs.
and all cross-cxamnatiou by Richard
! V. ndabury. G. y. Severance and Ray
nal Boiling. for the Steel Corporation.
did not make him waycr in the asscr-
tion that it was Mr.. Baackcs and not
Mr.. Cragin who issued the order.
Resigned After Conversation.
As a result Of his inability to agree
with Mr.. Baackcs and Mr. Cragin on tn"
occasion of that talk in the Federal
! Building b" felt that ne had TO resign.
Mr. Whitney said. and he did so on
March IL. He was pressed by Mr.. Boil
ing To say whether he was absolutely
certain that the destruction Of the pa
pcrs had been ordered by Mr.. Baackes
and not by Mr.. Cragin.
1T was al his suggestion. but have
always felt that ! obcycd Mr.. Baackes.
said whitney "Cragin was called in,
but It was Mr.. Baackes who told me.
wish | wasn't so sure about II. for
understand Mr. Baackes does not agree
with me"
He added that ne had tried 10 have his
recollection confirmed. and Mr.. Dickin-
son then asked whether any persons
had tried To confirm their recollection
by his. thus bringing out Whitney's re-
luctant tale.
Yes" he said. II was in the grand
fury witness room when Mr.. Cragin told
me Mr.. BaaCkcs wanted to see me.
met him in the hall and hc asked me II
remembered my instructions about the
destruction Of the papers. said yes.
YOU told me 10 do IL. He said | was
entirely wrong. | said that put me in
very strange position. because that
didn't agree with my recollection at all >"
Did he know you were about to tes-
tify before the grand jury?" asked Mr.
Dickinson.
"Apparentlv.' replied Whitney.
did he say ANYTHING about his testi-
mony confirming yours" was the next
question. and Whitney answered:
Expected Testimony To Be Same
lie seemed to be satisfied that | would
testify as he had testified. He told me
what ne had said I" the grand jury
MI severance pr"he III a' tH'S moment
declaring t"e P'"'''"''s "S 'i'''re'y uh-
precedented' only 10 get the answer from
Mr.. DICKINSON that so WAS 'he desruc-
tion Of those papers
You tried four weeks 10 get indict-
mcnts for II. ana couIdht l. was the re-
toindcr or Mr.. severance but Mr. DICK
inson Just continued:
Just what ala Mr.. 'raGln say TO you
regarding the testimony you were 10
give and he had given And whitney
answered;
i can't say was so greatly disturbed
by his telilhg me ne hau gwen the IN
structlohs' "heh l had peileNeu al aions
that Mr.. Baackes had given them. |
told him ! was trying to get my recol-
lection Strengthened out ana hhaiiy SAID
| was sure Mr.. baackes had given me
the instructions.
Mr. Boiling wanted to know "hether
Whitney mad talked 10 baacKeS ai'er
having given his testimony bei"re the