New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-08-01
MULHALL, CORNERED,
FLIES INTO TEMPER
BuIIieS and Insults Lobby In
vestigatorS and Repeatedly
ContradiCtS Himself.
HOUSE OF CARDS TUMBLES
Lobbyist Repudiates State,
ments to Which His Affidavit
Was acknowledgements
ton May End To- day.
From The Tribune Bureau

From The Tribune Bureau
Washington. July S1.-The fiimsy house
of cards built by NJ. NJ. Muhall In his
efforts TO incrlminate men Of prominence
! in his activities as an alleged lobbyist
came tumbllng to the ground to-day, when
he fatty repudiated statements he had
made 10 THE New York World to
which his affidavit was attached saying
! that the statement was uue to the best
| Of his knowledge and belief.
! To-day's session Of the Senate LOBBY
| committee was by far the most sensa-
tional since the lobbyist has been on the
stand. His testimony under cross-eXan-
ination was a mass Of contradictions. and
| I'm numerous instances his memory be-
came 50 faulty that when pressed ne
could not remember many Of the details
of his charges His attitude was that OF
belliserent and angered animal forced
/ into A corner and fighting for its life.
Mulhall bullieI and insulted the Sena-
| tors on the committee I'm a way that was
without parallel. and finally Chairman
! Overman told HIM that II he persisted In
| his disrespectful attitude he would be
| forced 10 discipline him. Even Senator
Reed, who has been acting as Mulhalfs
champion 20 considerable extent had to
! Join I'm the protest against his course.
There were also clashes between the
! Democratic Senators and Robert McCar-
ter and James a. Emery. counsel for the
National Association Of Manufacturers.
Mr. Emery urged that an association Oh
! :. 40 manufacturer had been maliclously
slandered and put in a false position By
Mulhall. AMI he begged tho right 10 ques-
| ton tue witness. whi,h. he said would
| be granted by the lowest court 10 the
meanest criminal The plea Of the man
ufacturers' lawyer was 80 effective that
the committee. after an executive session.
gave him the privilege.
Declares He Was Msauoted.
Mulhalrs allegation that The World"
| had msquoted him was the result OF
some inquiries by Senator Nelson as TO
| the statement that he had spent 5000"
| In the last ten years in corruptng voters
and in lobby work at Washington and
Albany The alleged lobbyist had testi-
fed that hc had made the affidavit when
he told the committee that he did not
know the statement he made was the
same that appeared in the newspaper.
lie said he I'D not know that he had
read THE World" Of that date. which
Was June .
Senator Nelson read from The World"
| a statement In which Mulhal was quoted
as saying
y believe my accounts will show Tor
! the period was employed by the organi-
eaton that ! myself handled close on 20
| laoo.c10. and this money was strictly used
in the corrupting of voters and in doing
| lobby work In Washington and IN the
State capital"
Vow. has The World misquoted YOU
| the Senator asked.
TO my best knowledge and belief,
yes" answered Mulhall.
Without regard 20 the statement in
The World or your former examIra-
ton" Senator Cummins asked, what is
your best recollection with regard 10 the
amount Of money that you have ex-
pended for purposes already named.
aside now from your own compensation
and your individual expenses"
II would say" Mulhall answered. Il
would not swear positively until saw
/ my accounts and went through books
and notes"
Letters Not Produced.
The denomination Of Mulhall. which
was conducted by Chairman Oyerman.
with the aid Of questions submitted In
! typewriter form by the manufacturers
| lawyers disclosed several Muhall letters
which to lobbyist had not produced. one
Of these related 20 visit Of Samuel
| Gompers. president Of the American Fed
Grafton Of Labor and Frank Morrison
secretary II that organization. 10 Presi-
dent Wilson at Sea Grit. n j.. when a
promise 10 make william Hughes United
States Senator was extracted from the
then Governor Of New Jersey
Mulhall said the only basis for this
statement was what had been told TO him
by John G. Shreve. Of Atlantic City Rep
resentative Gardeners secretary. who. he
said. kept close watch on Gompers and
| Morrison.
The witness also told OF efforts that
had been made to dispose Of his letters.
lie offered them TO Mr.. Gompers, he
said. but the latter declined them. He
| denied that he had tried to sell them 10
New York and Philadelphia newspapers
and 10 magazines. lie also denied that
| he agreed that Richard Barry should sell
the letters TO THE New York Word' for
$40. 900 and that he would be content with
$500. but later he testified that at Bar
rvs suggestion he did agree. He never
paid Barry.
Mulhall asserted that in 1892 D. Cady
Herrck and John u Riley, two we'll
known New York Democrats, offered him
$500 and a life Job, but he did not say
for what He also said he was not pres
ent when the 500 he said was a retainer
for ex-Representative Watson was paid.
He could not remember the names OF
three members OF the House whom he
had had removed from the Judiciary
Committee. He could not tell how much
money had passed between him and the
| National Association OF Manufacturers,
although his accounts had showed that
he had received approximat ely $4,000. in
| Guiding his salary.
About 1870 of the $50 questions prepared
! y the manufacturers lawyers were asked
! to-day. and unless there are more SQUAD
/ blcs the Senators expect TO get through
with Mulhal by tomorrow night.
Samuel Gompers. president Of the Amer
lean Federation OF Labor. In the August
number Of The Federationalist," pub