The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-27
Representative Tells of I'M
pers0natiOn of Himself
by Unknown Party
| UNDERWOOD AND
CLARK MENTIONED
Palmer Takes Stand on Own Accord.
Story of lmpersOnation May Lead
to Further Investigation on
Part of Committee

Washington june 26.--Tbe story
Of an effort to sell gold brick
to Wall street and how II was
foiIed was told In part TO the Senate
..Iobby' Investigating committee to-
night at one of the most sensation
producing sessions II has held I'm its
stormy career.
to be exerted in the seats of the mighty
in Washington to prevent unfavorable
Investigations into the doings of the
street. of how law suits that the finan-
cial interests in New York would not
like were to be prevented and of how
the gold brick seller was generally TO
protect the interests of the clients he
sought in the political game in the
capital.
Representativ A. Mitchell Palmer of
Pennsylvania, one of the prominent
democrats in the House, mentioned for
Secretary of War in the pre-inaugura-
ton days, and a close friend of the
President, told the story and Edward
Lauterbach, a New York lawyer, and
Representative Daniel j. Riordan of
New York gave the committee some
light on Its details.
Name Not Given
According to Mr. Palmer, Lewis Cass
Ledyard, another New York lawyer,
was the man who was largely instru-
mental in foiling the plot. The name of
the man who proposed to do all these
things in Washington was not given to
the committee, although Mr.. Palmer ac-
knowledged that he mad strong suspi-
cions of his Identity.
Mr.. Palmer told the committee that
the representations of influence in
Washington had gone so far as to
bring in the names of the speaker, of
the majority leader in the House and
of at least two other prominent mem-
bers whose names he did not give. He
said that after Mr.. Ledyard had en-
gagged in many telephone converse tfons
with the man who had all these goods
for sale in Washington he had met
Edward Lauterbach, u New York at
torney, under the supposition that Bau-
terbach was representing the user of
the telephone.
Lauterbach was in the committee
iOoIl anu llStentu 10 ali the testimony
of Mr.. Palmer, who spent nearly two
hours on the stand. Later he denied
that he had tried to secure employm ment
with big interests in New York on the
strength of supposed power in the cap
ital. He swore that his only effort
was to restore the entente cordiale"
he had previously enjoyed with Nor
gan q Co, and which, he thought, had
been broken because of his friendly
relations with David I xuh ha
described as a wall street operator
who usually operated on the bear side
of the street"
May Call Witnesses
AS a result of Mr. Lauterbachs testi-
mony the committee probably will cali
Lamar, George f. Baker of the First
National bank of New York, Paul D.
Cravath, Francis Lynd Stetson and Mr..
Ledyard, all New York attorneys, and
Charles Steele of Morgan G. Co. To sew
eral of these men, Lauterbach MAIN
tained, he had talked about his rein
statement in the good graces of the
House of Morgan. His only reference
to anything in Washington, he said,
was as to the general situation here
the tendency to investigate things and
the apparent desire for suits against
big concerns. The committee ad-
journed subject to the call of the chair
but 1t reserved the right to summon
Lauterbach to the stand again after
they had heard from the other New
Workers.
Both Mr.. Lauterbach and Represen-
tative Daniel j. Riordan of New York
appeared before the committee to tell
what they knew about the charges
made by Judge Robert Scott Lovett of
the Union Pacific Railroad company
that an attempt had been made through
tl,A ff
the employment of Lauterbach as coun-
sci for the railroad in the Union Pa
cific-Southern Pacific dissolution suit
Judge Lovett told of telephone conver-
sations between himself, Maxwell Ev-
arts counsel OF the Southern Pacific
and a man purporting to be Riordan
about the employment of Lauterbach.
Both the congressman and the lawyer
denied any effort to secure such em-
ployment and acknowledged only a
slight acquaintance with each other.
Representative A. Mitchell Palmer of
Pennsylvania startled the Senate lobby
Investigating committee tonight by tes-
tifying that efforts had been made by
some person, whose name he did not
give. to create the impression in high
financial circles in New York that he.
Speaker Clark, Majority Leader Under
wood and other prominent democrats
could be Influenced in legislative mat
ters in a way that would please these
interests.
Mr.. Palmer swore that Lewis Cass
Ledyard. a New York attorney, had
told him of repeated telephone conver-
sations with man purportng to pc
Representative Palmer of Pennsy1-
vania," who said that he possessed the
confidence of leading democratic legis-
lators. After many telephone talks, Mr..
Palmer said, Ledyard met Edward Lau-
terbach, another New York attorney,
who was supposed to represent the
mysterious user of the telephone. Lau-
terbach, he said. spoke of this persons
influence with high officials in Wash
ington and named several.
Mr.. Lauterbach later took the stand
and made a statement denying that ne
had ever claimed to have influence with
congressman.
II don't know people in Washing
ton" he said. Il don't know any of the
people investigating things this year"
Lauterbach explained his CONVERSE
tions with Mr.. Ledyard by saying that
he had talked With him about the al
legged interest of Congressman Riordan
In his employment by the Union Pa
cifc railroad.
Palmer Takes Stand
Representative Palmer took the stand
at his own request.
I'm view of the turn which your in