The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-27

he was in position to grant legislative
favors.
After each of these telephone conver-
sations that Mr.. Ledyard had with this
party over the wire in New York, Mr..
Ledyard called me on the telephone and
repeated them to me, for the double pur-
pose of having evidence at hand that it
was an impersonation, that | was actually
at that time many miles away from New
York, and also to acquaint me with the
proceeding, thinking that perhaps as a
member of the House l ought to know
about it.
Mr.. Ledyard endeavored to get a per-
sonal interview with the man. He fought
shy of that, saying, as ! recollect it, that
no good would be accomplished from "a
| personal interview with him, but prom
ised to see him later, and even went so
far as to declare that in the next day
| or so he was obliged to be in Bethlehem
| which is in my district, that he could
not meet Mr.. Ledyard at an hour that
Mr.. Ledyard suggested for a conference.
Mr. Ledyard, through the telephone
company and 1 think through various
| other agencies, made a very earnest eff
fort to locate the person who talked with
him over the telephone. The best he
could do was to tracse the telephone
calls, and he traced them to a place which
satisfied him as to who the party was.
Should Call Ledyard
IF the committee wants to go into
that further, it seems to me Mr.. Ledyard
should be called, and l will leave it for
| him to say what he found out as TO VINO
this party was.
This person, who declared that he was
Representative Palmer, when Mr.. Led
yard was unable to secure a personal
interview with him, declared that he
would name a person in whom Mr. Led
yard would have confidence and to whom
he could talk freely and who would be
able to produce evidence that he and
this alleged Representative Palmer would
be able to do what they said
'"Those statements finally led to Mr..
Ledyard's making an appointment to meet
the gentleman whom this person named,
and at the hour of the appointment there
appeared at Mr.. Ledyard's house Mr..
Edward Lauterbach. a member of the
bar of New York city, as l understand.
Mr. Ledyard and Mr.. Lauderbach had
a long conversation about this matter,
Mr. Lauterbach taking it up apparently
| from the thread which had been laid
| down by the pseudo Palmer over the
telephone. Mr.. Lauterbach declared that
he spoke for several important gentle
| men in the House of Representatives
who were able to do things which the
| person who had been telephoning to Mr..
| Ledyard said could be done and when
doubt was expressed by Mr.. Ledyard as
| to the truth of such allegations, Mr..
Lauterbach, as | recall 1t, urged MT.
| Ledyard to come to Washington, or to
meet elsewhere in person certain gentle
men high in the House organization, even
| going so far as to mention the name of
the speaker and the floor leader. and |
| think one or two other important men,
bers of the House.
Amazing Proposition
After this had been told to me- l told
| Mr.. Ledyard l did not see that I had
any interest at all in the matter. 1t was
an amazing proposition to me. l had
never seen or heard of Mr.. Lauterbach
except in the most general way ! had
| never had any particular interest in
| any of these matters, which 1t was SAID
| could be Influenced or controlled. and
| therefore | said that l would prefer to
have nothing further to do with the mat
| ter, and it was dropped
| Representative Daniel J. Riordan or
| New York took the stand and testified
| that he knew nothing of the charge made
| by Judge Robert Scott Lovett that a
man purporting to be the congressman
had urged over the telephone the reten-
| ton of Mr.. Lauterbach as counsel.
IT never saw Judge Lovett in my life,
I never spoke to him in my life,' said
| Riordan. II wouldn't know him II he
came in this room tonight
In this connection Mr.. Lauterbach'
| name was mentioned.
"Lauterbach's name was mentioned. i
have known him, but ! never mentioned
his name in any campaign | can't find
| out where this telephone call was sent
| from, whether Washington or some place
| else never used the long distance tele-
phone but twice in my life. don't know
whether Mr. Lovetts office is in New
York don't know where Mr.. Lauter-
| bach's office is l think this call ought
/ to be traced and l think 1t could be
easily traced. 1t seems strange Mr.. Low
ett has not made any effort to trace 1t.
| I'm always accessible in New York; |
never hide away. Tn always easy 20
| find"
Riordan said he thought it was strange
that Levitt allowed such a statement as
the mysterious telephone caller made to
so Unchallenged
Senator Reed remarked that man was
| "indiscreet," who got such telephone
call, drawing in the name of public
man. gave out an interview to the press
and did not try to verify the personality
of his caller.
| Cnac Into nofaiI