The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1913-07-09
LOBBYIST At WORK
FOOLS WALL STREET MEN and
LAWYERS ON TELEPHONE
Poses AS congressman

POSES AS CONGRESSMEN
David Lamar Arouses Committee to
Laughter With Story of Imperson.
ations and Organized Efforts to In
fluence Financiers, Told in Naive
Manner With Apparent Enjoyment.
y story of misrepresentation, i'm
personation Of public men and organ
lied effort to influence Wall Street
fnanciers, probably without parallel
in the history of congressional in
vestigation was unfolded Wednesday
before the senate lobby committee.
A prosperous-looking, self-possess-
ed individual, calling himself David
Lamar, of New York, self-described
as an operator in stocks" and ad-
mittedly the bearer of several assum-
ed names, was the principal in the re-
markable session. With entire aban-
don arousing the committee to laugh
ter at times by his naive admissions,
he told of his impersonations his par
ticipation in attempts to influence
Wall Street operations, and his asso-
citation with Edward Lauterbach, a
New York laweyr, in efforts to have
Lauterbach retained by the Morgan
firm, the Union Pacific and other
great interests to head of congress
siona1 activity in Washington.
He telephoned to financial men and
lawyers in the names of Representa-
tive Palmer and Representative Rior-
dan. He assumed the guise Of Chair
man McCombs, Of the Democratic
national committee, to telephone to
Chairman Hilles, of the Republican
national committee.
Lewis Cass Ledyard, Of New York,
counsel for the Morgan firm, was one
Of his attempted victims. Mr.. Ledyard
came to the witness stand armed with
almost verbatim account Of all the
conversations had with Lamar, who
had represented himself as Congress
man Palmer. AS he read the record
of the conversations, in themselves
unusual in their tones, Lamar sitting
nearby, laughed and nodded, saying,
chats right and slapping his leg
with apparent enjoyment.
The purpose Of his representations,
Lamar contended, was to secure rein
statement for his friend Lauterbach,
in the good graces Of the Morgan
firm. Members Of the COMMITTEES de-
manded that Lamar remain in Wash
ington for temperance before them.
Lamar denied that there had been
any attempt at extortion Of money
from any of the New York financial
men. The story evolved during the
day, mainly through the Ledyard tes-
timony, indicated that the latter had
been to various members of the Nor
gan firm to tell of the t'steel trust
investigation resolution which Lamar
had prepared, but that none OF the
Morgan firm members would pay any
attention to the matter or make any
effort to stop it.
Lamar paved the way for Lauter-
bach to call upon Ledyard, accord
ing to testimony given by Ledyard
and corroborated by Lamar. In an
interview February s,19i3, between
Ledyard and Lauterbach, the latter
declared he came direct from Senator
Stone, who represented Speaker
Clark and that he had proposal to
make to the Morgan interests for the
heading off Of congressional activity
against the Steel corporation.
Senator Stone took the stand be-
fore Ledyard had finished and de-
nounced the whole thing as ma
licious fabrication" and a common
lie."
Members Of the senate committee
agreed in the belief that it was
fabrication and Lamar laughingly
clinched the matter by breaking IN
and admitting there was no truth IN
the allegation. He admitted that he
had prepared the outline Of the con-
ditions that should be submitted to
the Steel corporation attorney; but
he could give no explanation OF his
purpose except that the whole thing
was farce.
The story of how Ledyard Fad kept
Lamar on the telephone time after
time until he could locate the real
CONGRESSMAN Palmer in Washington:
how he had once succeeded in getting
Palmer over the long-distance =
phone when the bogus palmer" "
on another telephone; and how h
had finally traced the impersonator
to a telephone in Lamar's apartment
on Riverside Drive, held the commit
tee and spectators almost dumbfound-
ed for more than an hour.
Paul D. Cravath, one Of the attor-
news for the Union Pacific, and Max
well Evarts, counsel for the South
ern Pacific, testified briefly as to their
experiences with the telephone imper-
senator. During his testimony Lamar
interiected an attack upon the Union
Pacific, claiming there had been a
Justification in the books Of the COM
pany in 1901, By which about $780,
0oo. 900 had disappeared from its sur
plus.
Mr.. Cravath Immediately denied
this. terming Lamar a ''liar," char
acterization which the committee in
sisted should be withdrawn. CraVath
declared the attack had been expect