Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-03-25
S|BLEY ADMITS HE
UTTERED FALSE
TESTIMONY
Standard Oil Man Says He
Made One Untrue Statement
to CIapp Investigators.

mission lldl MS lCHtllioHS 'NA''' 80
CIapp committee was not true has jus
been made to the committee by Josep
Sibley. the STANDARD Oil man, who act
ed as John d. Archbold's tipster Will
in the house of representatives.
Mr.. Sibley, in trying to defend him
self against the charges published 3
Hearst's Magazine, declared that Will
he was in communication with NJ
Archbold he was not member Of IN
house He now comes forward an
tells the truth. asserting that he CAV
the committee transformation by mis-
take. The committee, Of course, has d
hand means to prove that Mr.. Sible
was in the house when he received tn
Archbold letters.
Following is his communication
which was given out by Senator Clapp
Franklin, Pa, March Il, 1913.
Moses e. Clapp. Chairman Senate
Committee, Washington, d. C.:
Sir-By mere accident | discov-
cred to-day that in the testimony
given before your committee / was
in error in stating that at the time
OF the sending of the cipher tele-
gram to me by Mr.. Archbold | was
not a member Of the house Of rep
resentatives. nor had | been for
nearly four years prior thereto.
am now satisfied that that portion
OF my statement relative to the
cipher telegram Is incorrect and
that / was A member Of the house
at the time It was received.
Admits Testimony Untrue.
In my statement before your
honorable body commented some
what harshly and impugned the
motive OF the contributor to
Hearsts Magazine who published
the telegram with the date lack
ing. Ny testimony, as given, ! be-
lieved to be absolutely true at the
time the statement was made, and
now. bv the merest accident, find
that my memory had failed me
touching a matter that had oc-
CURED twelve years previously and
which had left no distinct impress
sion on my miad, and, not wishing
to do an injustice to the publisher
of the Hearst letters or to be bene-
hciary Of an unfair or misleading
statement. | would be greatly
pleased II il be possible to have
your committee amend that portion
OF my testimony to correspond with
the facts as I have this day been
able to determine
The cipher telegram. though ]
have no copy was sent in 1900, and
not in 1898. as / had supposed. II
the publishing of your report has
progressed TO that extent that 1t
would be impossible to make the
correction in the report. would II
not be possible to make the correc-
ton in the way OF a footnote in an
sddenda or an appendix?
While ! greatly regret the mis-
take, | am grateful in being the
first TO discover the error and to be
able to call it to your attention,
The balance of my testimony rela-
tive to the cipher telegram, to-
sether with the balance of the tes-
timony given by me. conforms to
the facts TO the best OF my knowl-
edge and belief l have the honor
to be, Respectfully yours,
JOSEPH c. SIBLEY.
Here is the part of Sibleys afidavi
sent to Senator Clapp October Is. 1912
and which he now admits was untrue
The affidavit was made part of his ties
tlmony:
SibIey's First Statement.
I can not bring this letter to a
close without citing one more In
stance of the deliberate attempt
made in Hearst's Magazine to dis
tort the facts. In the few pages of
its issue for October which were
given me by my friend. find the
commentator laying great stress
upon the fact that a telegram sent
me by Mr. Archbold was in cipher.
As showing the unrelability. dis
righteousness and virulence of this
commentator, you will observe that
he omits to give the date Of the
telegram.
The truth is, that at the time this
telegram was received by me ! was
not congressman, nor did the sub
ieCt matter have to do with anv
person in official life The gentle
man referred to was one who. so
far as [ am aware, never held a
public position Of any character
whatever, either previously or sub
seQuently, nor has he ever been an
sspiraut therefor.
During the period in question
was president Of one of the sub
sidiary interests Of the Standard
Oil Company. and my office was
furnished with a cipher code. Ciph-
er codes were, and are, in common
use by all great commercial enter
prises. including the Standard Oil
Company, for the transmission Of
important messages. If your COM
mittee will cause the editor to APP
pear before you with the original
cipher telegram, your records in
Washington viii clearly show that
at that time I was not congress
man. nor had been for period OF
about four wears
/ have the honor to be Yours
respectfully.
JOSEPH G. SIBIEY