Evening star., 1913-07-29
MULHALL IS LIAR,
SAYS UNDERWOOD
BIackmaiIer Also, House Lead
er Declares Before Lobby
Investigators.
NEVER HAD CONFERENCE
WITH WITNESS, HE AYERS
Denounces Declaration Committee
Employe Was on Pay Roll Of
Colonel"

Majority Leader Oscar W. Underwood
of the House today denounced Martin NJ.
Mulhall. alleged lobbyist for the National
Association Of Manufacturers. as "a liar
and a blackmailer'' Mr.. Underwood ap-
peared before the Senate lobby commit
tee to deny that Mulhall had ever talked
to him about legislation before Congress
After one look at the witness he said:
Il never saw him before in my life"
Senator Reed expressed the belief that
Mr.. Underwood should wait until the
committee had finished with Mulhall.
II think said the majority leader,
that it is In the interest of the public
that a man who has taken liberties with
public men as this man has should be
contradicted. ! regard man of this
kind as a blackmailer. That man has
never been in the ways and means COM
mittee room since / have been chairman
of the committee. He may have had con-
versations with me, but when he says
he had an interview want to say that
statement is ue.''
Appears Unexpectedly.
and made a brief statement before he
statement sworn to previously by Null
hall that an employe Of the House ways
and means committee had been in the
employ Of the lobbyist" He said he
had questioned this employe and that he
had stated that Mulhall had made fire.
Quent visits to get documents, just as
scores of others had done.
ADIl
that Mulhall once gave him 81 and told
him to buy some cigars, and that was
the only thing he ever received from
Mulhall."
According to MulhalIs earlier testi-
nony this man was paid so month
by him for services rendered. Mr.. Un-
derwood said that the employe had come
to the Senate committee and had asked
for a hearing. but that he had been told
that he must wait until Mulhalrs story
had been concluded.
Il think. gentlemen said Mr. Un-
derwoOd. that man who makes
statement of this kind should be con-
sYou made a statement that this man
was a blackmailer; that means he used
threats to extort money" said Senator
Reed.
Il think he was just trying to get
money out OF his own people," said
Mr.. Underwood.
Argument Over Oath.
into an argument as to whether or not
and allowed to make his statement, and
finally decided that he should take the
oath.
Chairman Underwood read the Mulhall
letter about the interview in which he
stated that Mr.. Underwood had told him
that he could not do otherwise than ap-
point William B. Wilson, now Secretary
Of Labor, to the cnairmanship of the
House labor committee because there was
no other candidate before the ways and
means committee. Senator Reed read
Mulhalis own comments on that letter,
In which the political agent said that he
simply had short interview with Mr..
Underwood in a corridor of the Capitol.
The majority leader listened to the
reading of the letter and comments with
a smile.
THAT whole statement is lie out Of
whole cloth-not word of truth in it..
said Mr.. Underwood.
There never was question but Will
sons selection as head Of that commit
tee was solely because of his capacity
and qualifications.
There never was an issue about Will
SON
This man says Wilson was first pro-
posed for chairman of the census commit
| tee. and that told him that.
Mulhall's Possible Purpose.
Not word of truth in that state
ment. Never such an idea in my mind.
| 1t is clear to me this man was down
here writing these things to his people
trying to make out that he was doing
| great things. He never had any confer
| ence with me-
L don't think this man is telling the
| truth. When he brings me into It and
says things that are not true II IL your
duty out, d,o to give me the opportunity to make
| Ine statement In his letter is not only
false, but can be disproved by every
member OF the ways and means com
| mittee."
Mr.. Underwood said he did not know
| Emery or Kirby or Mulhall; that he had
| no knowledge Of having talked with any
| Of them.
Senator Reed referred to Mulhalrs ex-
PLANTATION that he had met Mr.. Under
wood casually" in the hall and asked
him casual question"
you might not remember every man
VINO met you casually In the hail." said
Couldn't Forget Face.
I am sure never met this man." re-
turned Mr.. Underwood. with emphasis,
| He has face 1 could not forget.
The reason / know this statement
wasn't true is because the facts them
selves are not as he states them" con-
| tinued Mr.. Underwood
No one who knows you believes you
| would enter into any conspiracy" said
| Senator Reed.
There Is nothing here that reflects on
| me-. returned Mr.. Underwood, "bpt !
/ want the facts set right before the G0uB-
| try. he says he was sure they could
control the labor committee. Now just
| who was on that committee at that time |?
| Or the seven democrats four Of them
| were prominent labor men. Wilson Of
| pennsylvania. Buchanan Ut Illinois,
| Maher of New York and Lewis Of Mary
| land
Mulhall Makes Reply.
Mulhail was given an opportunity to
| reply while Mr.. Underwood was still Ia
the room. He declared no had talked
| with Underwood briefly I'm the corridor
and had written to his employers "about
conditions just as / found them In Wash
ington at that time"
| II have no desire to contradict Mr.. Uns
| derwood,' he said, but ] arm convinced
| that after he has heard my other wit
nesses and this examination has been
ended he will take back part OF what Ito
has said.
'The statements you made In your let
! CONTINUED on Fifth Page)