The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-17
Congressman Given $500
by Loan Sharks" Says
Former House
Page
STICKS TO STORY
WHEN QUESTIONED
Broker Testifies to Contributing 10
Fund-House Lobby Committee
Grills McMichaels for Five
Yourselves Details
SATURDAY IN CONGRESS.

SENA1I1t
Resumed consideration of tariff
bill
Foreign relations committee dis
cussed minor phases of Mexican
situation.
Authorized President to appoint
delegates to International Statis-
tical institute.
Amendments to the tariff bill
raising rates on fish, straw, ap-
pies and fruits were donated.
Adjourned at $3.50 p m. until
II a. m. Monday.
HOUSE:
Not in session. Meets Tues
day.
Lobby investigating committee
continued its examination Of l. IL.
McMichael, dismissed House en-
ploye.
Washington August 1e--- The House
lobby investigators centered their at
tention today on the statement of I. Il.
McMichaels. one time chief page Of
the House. that Representative James
McDermott of Chicago. had received
about $1,000 for efforts to defeat bill
affecting local pawnbrokers and loan
sharks" After more than FIVE hours OF
hard work. the committee was not much
nearer a definite conclusion about the
S7500 than 1t was when McMichaels
made his first statement.
The former chief of the House pages,
reiterated today his testimony that
McDermott told him he got about $500
In the loan shark" matter. and stuck
TO his story under severe cross-exami-
nation of James s.. Easby- smith, at
torney for McDermott The former
Washington pawnhrokers who quit
business when this bill became law.
gave the committee no definite infor-
nation to connect McDermott with any
such fund or to disclose that the pawn
brokers ever raised any such amount
foraany purpose.
Abraham Bernstein, one of the brols-
ers. said ile contributed to FUND 10
be used in advancing the arguments
of himself and his fellows He showed
a lack OF memory about many details
concerning the raising of the money,
and was subjected to a long and sharp
fire Of direct examination, IN which
every member Of the comm1.-
tee who was present took part.
Pinned down time after time however,
Bernstein denied that the brokers ever
raised more than $500 and swore 1t was
used to pay attorneys to represent them
before officials here and in publicity work.
He was asked to help he swore. by
George ID. Hornlng, another local pawn
broker, who, according to McMiehaels,
made the arrangement with MeDermott
to work against the bin. He said he gave
two checks to Horning amounting to
about 800. He took no receipt. did not
know how the money was used, but sup
posed it went to attorneys
McDermott. he said. he had known about
a year. He, Horning and Ike" Heiden-
heimer, another broker, interested in the
bills defeat, he said. called at McDer-
motifs office on Capitol Hin once but he
did not know the year. and he wasn't sure
whether McDermott was in at The time sr
who was there. He was sure at first he
hadn't paid any money to Horning in 1911,
when McMichaels swore the deal was
made, but after continued questioned
agreed he wasn't entirely certain about
the matter
Bernstein's failure to remember details
finally became so frequent that every
question of the inquisitor got a laugh from
his colleagues, but no Information from
the witness.
Bernstein Denies Charge
Bernstein denied that s35OO was raised
10 defeat legislation"
"Thirty-fve hundred dollars never de-
feated legislation" he said. you might
defeat 1t with $4,000 or s50,000."
Bernstein denied he ever talked with
about legl&ation except in a
casual way
Bernstein couldn't fix the time when
Horning first suggested to him they must
do something to defeat the loan shark
bill" He said Horning Heidenheimer ana
he talked about the matter freqeuntly,
but he couldn't give details of conversa-
tiops.
1--WE didn't do anything RASH" he ad-
mitted finally
Immanuel Steinem, another ex-pawn
broker. said he contributed nothing to the
fund to defeat the bill although APP
I.
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