Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-05-16
NOT URGED
BoIand Statement False, Says
G. F. BroWneII.
ARCHIBALD CASE WITNESS
Solicitor for Erie Railroad Company
Before House Committee.
LIABLE FOR PERJURY, HE SAYS
Denies He Communicated With Hill
side Coal and Iron Company in
Culm Bank Deal.

George F. Brownell. vice president ane
general solicitor Of the Erie Railroad
Company, told the House committee OF
judiciary today that If w. P. Boland O.
Scranton. Pa. author of charges agains
Judge Robert w. Archibald of the Com
merce Court should repeat under oatt
statements that he had made to Attorne,
General Wickersham, Boland would BIZ
liable for perjury.
Mr.. Brownell characterized as "gro
tesquely and absurdly false the state
ment made by Boland that the general
counsel for the Erie, after an interview
with Judge Archibald in New York, had
telephoned to Capt. w. A. May Of the
Hillside Coal and Iron Company at Scran-
ton to give Judge Archibald and E. ]. Will
iams an option on the Katydid culm
bank. Mr.. Brownell said the only part
ne ever took in the matter was to intro
duce Judge Archibald to Vice President
q. A. Richardson Of the Erie. He never
heard of the Katydid negotiations after
that until he read Of the charges against
Judge Archibald few weeks ago.
BroWnell denied that any litigation be-
fore the Commerce Court in which the
Erie railroad was interested was in
huenced in any way by the negotiations
Of Williams and Judge Archibald for the
Katydid culm bank. The Erie railroad
was interested in this property only as q
stakeholder
Saw Brownell in New York.
Mr.. Brownell said that he received a
letter from Judge Archibald under date
of July 81, 1911. written from Scranton,
asking him If he would be in his office in
New York Friday Of that week.
II am to be In New York on that day,
and may desire to see you for a few min
utes," wrote the Judge.
Judge Archibald called at my ONCE on
Friday, August ~ said Mr.. Brownell,
las arranged in this correspondence. He
stated that he was interested in an en-
deavor to clear up the title in certain
property in the vicinity of Scranton on
pany had an interest. He stated that
negotiations had been under way with
w. A. May of the Hillside company, and
that he understood the matter had been
referred to the New York office. The
judge said he knew none Of the general
officers of the Erie except myself and had
taken the liberty to ask me who might
be the proper person to see.
Il told the judge that G. A. Richard
son. first vice president Of the Erie. would
be familiar with that matter and offered
to introduce him to Mr.. Richardson.
Judge Archibald then went with me to
Mr.. Richardson's Office and introduced
him. recall hearing Mr., Richardson say
that he had had some talk with Capt.
May about the Katydid claim and would
be glad to talk to him. left the room
and that day left the city. never
heard anything more about the matter
until a few days ago when I read my
name in connection with these charges.
Tells Of Erie Cases in Court.
Chairman Clayton asked Mr.. Brownell to
detail for the committee the status of the
ligtherage case and the Erie railroads
part in 1t, which was before the Court
of Commerce at the time Judge Archibald
was negotiating from the Hillside Coal
and Iron Company for the Katydid cuIm
bank. The Erie. Mr.. Brownell said, was
involved in two cases in the Commerce
Court. one the "differential fuel rate
case" and the other what Is known as
the Federal sugar" or lighterage case
The first decision in that case by the
Mr.. Brownell, was in favor of the con-
tention Of the railroads. Later the case
was decided against the railroads by q
divided commission and suit was insti-
tuted in the Commerce Court"
Decision OF the case by the Supreme
Court of the United States is now being
awaited.
81 wish to say" Mr. Brownen further
declared. that the statement Of W. p
Boiand to Commissioner Meyer, as testi-
fed to by Mr. Cockrell, the commission
confidential secretary, that l telephoned
to Capt. May to let Judge Archibald have
the katydid culm, is unqualfedly false. u
W. r. Boland was not present at the
hearing for the first time since 1T began.
This prompted Mr.. Brownell to say: 81
am sorry Mr.. Boland is not here. II he
were I would challenge his reported
statements about me in much more en-
phatic words than l would use In his alb
sence."
Negotiations for the Option.
John NJ. Robertson, one Of the owners
Of the Katydid culm dump, who Joined
in the option given Judge Archibald and
+. j. Williams. was called to the stand
when Mr.. Brownell was excused. Mr.
Robertson described the ownership OF the
katydid culm and its contents. He also
told of the negotiations for the option by
Mr.. Williams. The interests Of the HILL
side Coal and Iron Company. a subsidiary
OF the Erie. In the dump. he said, had
6een offered in q previous deal for $2.000
robertson further stated that the whole
katydid culm was not worth more than
$4,000 The Wiliams-Archbald option.
which fell through, was to have been pro-
cured for 5000. When Williams came
to him seeking option on the property,
Robertson declared williams told him
that he and Judge Archibald had some
parties to whom he could sell the dump. s.
Robertson denied that he had ever told
Edward ]. Williams, as Williams testified,
that he would not grant an option on the
Katydid culm IL w. p. Boland had any
thing to do with it.
Il never said that to williams" de-
clared Robertson, because had no idea
that Boland had anything to do with the
negotiations. never would have given
an 0pfion To Roland however, have
known him for long time and think