The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1913-07-10
LAMAR ASTOUNDS
LOBBY COMMITTEE
Wall Street Operator Makes an
Amazing Confession.
BIG FINANCIERS DECEIVED
Witness Tells of Impersonatins Con-
gressmen In Telephone Talks
Charges Union Pacific For
gerry Of $82, ,ooo, 900.

Washington. July 5.-The lobby
inquisition of the United States SEN.
ate has taken a sensational turn.
With unembarrassed assurance, Da-
vid Lamar. better known on Wall
street as The Wolf" told the senate
committee how he had impersonated
| Democratic national leaders in tele-
phonic offers to some Of the most i'm
portant figures in the nations finan-
cial circles.
The intermediary whom he named
in those impersonations as the man
who could deliver this influence and
control congress and the department
of justice in behalf Of the New York
ers. he said, was Edward Lauterbach,
New York attorney, who already has
figured in the hearings, and who will
resume the stand tomorrow to tell his
side of the melodramatic story that
was rehearsed today.
1t was an amazing tale throughout,
and Lamar seemed almost to boast Of
his offense. Yet the committee has
found no way in which 1t can recon-
mend punishment for Lamar's self
confessed fraud, either under the
federal statutes or those of the state
of New York. Neither have the men
whom he tried to defraud been able
to suggest a penalty.
There is still a grave possibility Of
perjury proceedings, however, in the
light Of discrepancies In the testi-
mony.
Confession Is Brazen.
On the stand today Lamar tried to
convince the committee that his tricks
had been carried out merely to in
gratiate "his friend Lauterbach" with
j. P. Morgan G. Co., and boldly de-
MED that they intended blackmail of
any kind. With reckless bravado he
referred to his impersonations alter
nately as fraud" and "trickery," and
then as a Joke" and a farce"
But he told an unabashed tale Of
having impersonated Congressman A.
Mitchell Palmer Of Pennsylvania to
Lewis Cass Ledyard of counsel for
the Steel corporation and the Morgan
firm, as the preliminary to a proposal
by which Lauterbach was to control
the attorney generals office, to pre-
vent criminal prosecution of the steel
trust, under special dlspensation from
Speaker Clark, Senator Stone, Robert
L. Henry William ]. Bryan and 9TH
ers. He admitted there was no basis
for the proposal, and that he and
Lauterbach never had talked to these
gentlemen. But Senator Stone de-
nounced him as a dirty trickster" in
the committee room and told him he
ought to be in the penitentiary.
Startling Tales Unfoded.
Then followed other tales just as
startling. Lamar impersonated Con-
gressman Daniel ]. Riordan of New
York to make R. S. Lovett, Paul D.
Cravath and Maxwell Evarts of the
Union Pacific believe Lauterbach
could control the work of Attorney
General McReynolds with reference to
the merger dissolution.
He impersonated Chairman w. f.
McCombs of the Democratic national
committee in a telephone conversation
with Chairman Charles D. Hilles of the
Republican national committee, again
in an endeavor to have Lauterbach
figure in deal between the two par
ties to halt certain legislative pro-
posals.
He was charged with impersonating
Congressman Riordan, again over the
telephone, to John D. Archbold and !
General Counsel Elliott of the Stand |
ard Oil company, in promise of i'm
munity for the "oil trust" and with |
calling in person on s. w. Stroock of |
the United Cigar Stores company to
promise it immunity from prosecution. |
He claimed to have been the man who
induced the Pujo committee to hear
William Rockefeller testify at Jekyll |
island instead Of at Washington, when
the latter was sick, and also claimed |
that had his advice been followed he
could have kept the money trust"
committee from summoning ]. Pier
pont Morgan.
Takes Matter as Joke.
But Lamar passed all these off as
Jokes" and not even the most sting
ing invective of the cross-examining
senators could shake his smiling as
surance. A loud guffaw of laughter
was his most usual reply to the as
founded senatorial inquistors. But
for the ingrown grin on Lamar's face
the days developments might have
been far more dramatic.
Names and titles worried him not.
He refused to reveal his own name,
admitting that Lamar was an alias. He