Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-08-31
FAILURE TO AGREE
ON SECRET ROOM"
Evidence for and Against Rep
resentative MCDermott at
Lobby Inquiry.
USE OF OFFICE NO. 20
IN CAPITOL BUILDING
Chief Clerk South's Memory at Va
rance With That of Repre-
sentative Rothermel.

Just as Representative McDernott was
being congra tulated by his friends at the
close OF the testimony concerning him in
the House lobby investigation yesterday
afternoon. Jerry South. chief clerk Of
the House of Representatives went on
the stand as witness and gave testi-
mony that was regarded as about as
damaging as could be to Mr. McDer-
mott at this stage of the proceedings.
Following Mr.. South came Representative
Rothermel of Pennsylvania. who testified
about the same incidents which Mr..
South discussed, but almost completely
at variance with Mr.. South, so the score,
as far as McDermott felt. personally. was
even.
jerry South's testimony was so damas
ing that James s. Easby-Smith. counsel
for McDermott asked the committee to
have it stricken from the record, on the
ground that it was evidence IN chief and
that after the rebuttal had started in
such evidence is out of place The COM
mttee decided that the inquiry is not d
trial, and that it is permitted to get evil
dence where, when and how it may.
Relates to Secret Room.
The mix-up i'm the testimony yesterday
afternoon concerned the much advertised
secret room in the Capitol building.
which Mulhall and McMichael. said was
used as an out-of-the-Nay meeting place
for Mulhall and McDermott when they
wanted to talk over some of the wire
pulling which Mulhall was SUPPOSED to
do for the National Association of Manu-
facturers in his attempt to swing 1egis-
lation one way or another. McDermott
and some of his witnesses, on the other
hand. have sworn that the secret room
was nothing but a place to store cast
off literature, and that one clerk used it
in which to study law one summer.
Mr.. South, however. SWore that Nc
Dermott began to use room No 20
about the 1st of June, 1911.
He tried to get me- to- make him
three keys for the room. There was
some delay about giving. him the or
der. for l did not think he had any
right to the room, as it was assigned
to Representative Rothermel of Penn
sylvania, chairman of the House COM
mittee on expenditures in the Depart
ment of Commerce and Labor. ! did
not order the keys until Mr.. Rothermel
informed me he had told McDermott
that he could use the room. McDer-
mott had been after me two, three or
four times for the keys.
Frequently Occupied by McDermott.
Mr.. South told the committee he had
seen MIR. McDefnlOtt, accompanied Dy
people he did not know. enter room
%. 1.-THE secret chamber number of
times. He said these men may have
been McAIichael or MulhSll but he had
never known either of then. by sight
until the investigation began. The fur
Their testimony by Mr.. South. which was
not at all to the liking of the NC
Dermott end of the investigation. was
that there was telephone lii that
room during 1911 and 1912. Telephone
calls on National Association of Manu-
facturSrs business from that room
featured III the Mulhall and McMi-
chael testimony.
Mr.. South also declared that Mr. Nc
Dermott captured room No. -. adjoin-
ing No 90. ana caused Rev. Dr. Henry
\. Couden. the blind chaplain of the
House. to give 1t up.
The first / knew that Mr.. McDermott
had any claim on No. 20 was when d.
Couden came and turned in his Keys
for the ROOM said Mr.. South. The
truth is l did not know that DIR.
Couden had an Office in the Capitol 1t
seems that former Speaker Cannon
gave him key To that room. SO that
he could go there and read when he
wanted to. The doctor came TO me with
his KEYS and said that he did not think
that room a suitable place for a minis
ter
Judged by the Odor.
why. Mr. Couden could not see to