Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1913-08-06
'MULHALL A LIAR
SAYS UNDERWOOD
Former Lobbyist for N. A. M.
Denounced in Senate.
CALLS HIM A "BLAcKMAILER"
Majority Leader Asserts Man Who
Takes Liberty With Name Of Pub
tic Men Should Be Forced
TO Prove Charges.

Washington, July 3I.-Representa-
tive Underwood, Democratic leader of
the house, appeared before the house
lobby investigation committee Tues
day and charged that Col NJ. NJ. Null
hall, the lobbyist, was a blackmailer.
The appearance Of Underwood was an
event not on the program. He came
Unexpectedly.
At the night session Minority Lead
er James K. Mann and Speaker Champ
Clark also made most emphatic denials
of Mulhalfs statement that Represen-
tative ]. T. McDermott OF Chicago had
offered them the "MulhalI letters" for
use in the house of representatives
investigation. Both insisted they
never heard OF the letters until after
they were sold for publication.
Mulhall enliyened the day By testi-
flying that Representative McDermott
had admitted to him that he had
signed MulhaIls name TO check for
$3.50.
The letters themselves. however.
purported to give much information
alleged TO have been furnished Mulhail
by Mr. Underwood. and the latter took
the stand to give the lie direct. and at
once, to Mulhall
Il think" replied Chairman Under
wood. that ID Is in the interest Of the
public that a man who has taken liber.
ties with public men as this man has
should be contradicted.
Il regard a man OF this kind as
Llackmailer. That man has never
boen in the ways and means commit.
tee room since have been chairman
OF the committee He may have had
conversations with me, but when he
says he had an interview want TO
say that statement is lie"
Mr.. Underwood also said be did not
believe he ever had seen Mulhall be
fore in his life.
Mulhall practically finished his iden.
LITIGATION OF letters he wrote and re.
eeived in the ten years he claims TO
have been the lobbyist for the Nation
al Association of Manufacturers.
Mulhall's last day as an identitier of
letters proved the most exciting of
his two weeks on the stand.
He swore that he had tried 20 get
Chairman Wilson OF the labor commit.
tee interested In the story he is now
telling and that Speaker Clark and MI
nority Leader Mann OF the house had
turned down an opportunity to conduct
an Investigation OF his activities. The
speaker and Mr.. Mann. he said. had
been approached on this subject by
Representative James T. McDermott Of
Illinois.
Neither Mr.. McDermott nor any.
body else ever showed tne the Mulhall
letters and papers, said Speaker
Clark in q statement
Neither Mr.. McDermott nor any.
body else ever spoke to me about
them. | never knew that Mulhall had
s.ny letters or papers until saw In a
newspaper that he had sold them TO a
New York paper.
He testified he also had offered his
correspondence TO Samuel Gompers.
president of the American Federation
OF Labor. and that Gompers had de-
clined
Were the letters or their substance
laid before Mr.. Wilson," asked Sena.
tor"Walsh
Il gave Mr.. Wilson an understand.
ing Of what ! had" replied Mulhall
Speaker Clark and Mr. Mann. Mui
hall said. would not have the matter
come up"
did you have a talk with either?"
asked Senator Cummns.
No. sir"
did you offer 10 sell them to Com.
rers?.'
No. | offered 20 give them"
When the senate lobby Investigate
ing committee resumed its session on
Monday Senator Henry Cabot Lodge
OF Massachusetts, took the stand and
gave the lie direct TO the confession"
made by Martin NJ Mulhar. protested
former agent for the National Assoc
citation OF Manufacturers
Mulhall was taken of the stand
long enough to permit Senator Lodge
TO put into the record his emphatic
denials OF Mnlhalls testimony.