Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-08-05
Former Senator Says He
Regarded MuIhaII as
Small Potatoes.
ADMITS HAVING TALK
House Committee Gets Under
Way. Hearing SieboId as
- First Witness.

Washington, Aug. 5.-Congressional
investigation of Mulhalls story of al
legged lobby activities for manufac-
turers. took on dual aspect today
when the special house committee be-
gan grinding on thousand of letters
already introduced before the senate
committee and prepared to cross
examine Mulhall on his claims of in
fluence with various representatives.
The first part of the day was taken
up with the preliminary examination
of Louis Siebold of the New York
World.
The senate committee, having fin
ished with Mulhan, began hearing
some of the men referred to in his cor
respondence. Former Senator For
aker was the first witness.
FORAKER Is WITNESS.
Washington, Aug. 5.-Former Sena-
tor Foraker was the principal witness
today before the senate lobby commit
tee. He appeared to deny many state
ments of Mulhall. Foraker explained
his connection with the sale of the
committee in 1897 which was brought
into the lobby investigation by David
Lamar Lamar testified that Foraker.
through influence in Washington, took
leading part in the deal at Lamar's
solicitation.
WORKING FOR GOVERNMENT.
Foraker testified at the time of the
I Ion, Cd
the United States $30,000,0O0, and one
proposal was that the government re-
ceive only part of that sum. Foraker
swore he did not figure in the case
except in an effort to see that the gov
ernment got the whole sum.
MAY HAVE ACCEPTED AID.
Foraker said he had known Mulhall
since 1888, when he (Foraker) was
candidate for governor of Ohio. He
did not know how active Mulhall was
! in his behalf in that campaign.
81 don't remember | ever asked him
! to work for me. and | don't know that
| asked him not to-" he said
NOT TAKEN SERIOUSLY.
81 did not take Mulhall so seriously
as he did himself" said Foraker. In
contrast to those who denounced Null
hall as a liar, FORAKER amused his
| hearers by the calm way he talked of
Mulhalrs desire to appear with prom
! inent men, talk with them and report
what he thought they thought to his
employers.
DID NOT AID MANUFACTURERS.
Foraker denied he ever favored leg
| islation wanted by the manufacturers
or that he talked with Mulhall about
| legislation in Washington.
| HOUSE INVESTIGATORS At WORK.
| The house lobby committee got un-
| derway today with Louis Siebold, who
prepared the exposures of Mulhall for
the New York World as the first wit
ness, identifying published statements
and otherwise laying the foundation
! for ross-examination of Mulhall. Rep
resentative McDermott of Illinois,
named in the Mulhall charges, was
represented by counsel.
"The basis for this list. said Sic
! bold, was the Mulhall letters and his
personal narrative and statement made
to me-" He told the committee four
/ or more new letters we're discovered
J in the last two or three days In which
Representative Fairchild of New York
/ is mentioned.
/ IMPROPRIETIEs NOT IMPLIED.
Discussing the list of public men
classified as those whom the National
Association of Manufacturers had mo
difficulty in reaching and influencing
for business, political or sympathetic
reasons, Seibold testified he had no
purpose in implying any moral OBJ
iiquity', or legislative improprieties
TO the men mentioned.
Seibcld said the investigation OF the
New York World was confined 10 es-
tablishing documents and did not go
to the truth of the charges they con-
tanned.