Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-08-16
|. IL. McMichaels, Dismissed Page
OF House, Sensationally Charges
J.E. MCDermott with Corruptness.

statement. l. H. McMiehaels, dismissed
chief page of the House of Representa-
tiyes, tonight, presented to the House
lobby investigating committee a sweep
ing charge of corruption against Rep
resentative James e. McDermott of Il
linois, for years his sponsor. With in
tense earnestness, McMichaels, in pic
turesque language, eorroborated the
allegations of w. NJ Mulhall against
McDermott and made additional charg-
es, at times shocking the committee
and spectators with outbursts. of pro-
family and slang. The witness protest
ed that fer years he had exerted every
effort to support McDermott. had loan
ed him money, had helped him in his
campaigns. Now, he said. McDermott
had thrown him down, and he felt that
he must tell the truth.
In addition to the charges already
made McMichaels swore that the rep
resentative told him that he received
$500 out of fund of $4,000 raised by
the pawnbrokers of Washington to OPP
pose a bill passed in the last Con-
gress regulating interest rates in
the District of Columbia. In this
connection, McMichaels told of a
trip to New York, when McDermott
conferred with John McDermott of an
associa ton of brewers and with George
H. Horning, local pawnbroker. Con-
Guiding his testimony MeMiehaels tes-
titled that McDermott, since the Null
hall expose had endeavored to get him
to conceal McDermott's part in the
transactions.
~ ct N tho hall nf this
office building" said McMiehaels. his
voice unsteady with emotion. "and he
said: My, God, I'm ruined man.
| What am I going to do Do you sup
rose anybody will believe this old guy
I said to him:
1--WE worked hard for you for six
years, harder than | ever worked for
airy man. / tried to elevate you and
help you to a big position
II told him had done all 1 could for
him He said: You've got nothing To
lose, you don't live with your wife. m
congressman and I've got wife. Say
you wrote these letters unbeknown to
me and that l didn't know anything
9 bout it. Even if they prove that you
committed, perjury and forgery they
,,an only send you down the river to
the ark fer two years and I'll pay you
500 a month while you are there
Il said to him:
Yes, you are willing to pay me Sl00
g month to go to Jail for you, but you
won't pay me the wages you honestly
owe me. I've got 81 in my pocket.
that's all I'VE got to show for six-years
work, but l won't do this for you
Apparently struggling to control him
self, McMichaels told the committee
CT furnishing s75 to take Mulhall to
Chicago to aid McDermott in the 1912
campaign.
Where did you get that money!
| asked Rep. Garret.
My mother had just died." said Nc
Michaels and it was money from my
mothers estate. The money was in a
| bank to the credit of the estate and
! gave Mulhall a check for it. had te
| hustle to put it back. I never got any
Of it from McDermott.''
| McMichaels told at length of making
| trips to various pawn brokers In
| Washington to secure money there fol
| McDermott or himself.
| "McDermott told me-" he said, tina
| the pawpbrckers had raised $4,000 tx
| fight the loan shark bill and later he
told Inc he got $500 of it. When / askee
him why he didn't pay me what ht
owed me with part of it, he said: My
God, man, had to pay it on debts ane
| / still owe $4,000"
Throughout McMichaels recital Rep
J McDermott with his counsel sat imme
| diately opposite the witness, chewint
on 2 cigar and watching his earstwhil,
confidential man with steady gaze
! He expressed neither surprise nor in
dignation at any point in the compli
! Gated story.
| Washington, Aug ia story oil
how lobby work for the National AS
Isociation of Manufacturers was done
from the inside of the House of Rep
lresentatives was related to the House
Investigating committee, today. by j
i II. McMichaels. former chief page OF
the House. Nattily attired in sum
mer outfit of blue and white serge
McMichaels blew clouds OF cigarette
smoke in the faces of the members
of the committee from the witness
Ichair While he discoursed in vivid and
picturesque language.
From the fall of 1909 until January
1912, McMichaels said he was almost
constantly en- the pay roll of Martin
M. Mulhall the National Association
Icf Manufacturers field agent at $5t
a month while he was successfully
democratic chief page of the House
attendent in the House press CALLER,
land elevator conductor in the Capitol
He told Of introducing Mulhall II
Rep. James f. McDermott of Illinois
for whom he worked as kind of sec,
rotary and said that McDermot
worked with Mulhall and provided th'
latter with room in the basement
of the Capitol, where McDermott, Nc
Michaels and Mulhall conferred.