Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-06-27
Mr.. PaImer's Statement at
Hearing Arouses Con-
greSSi0naI Circles.
TO ISSUE SUBPOENAS
FOR NEW YORK MEN
Inquiry as to Alleged Attempted
"Hold-Up" to Be Resumed After
Caucus Finishes Tariff Bill.

| subpoenas will be ISSUED at once bv
the Senate lobby investigating commit
| tee' Tor Lewis Cass Ledyard and Paul
IL. Cravath. New York attorneys and
| Tor David Lamar. Wall street man. to
! appear next week I'm connection with its
| investigation of the charge that tie
! names or congressman are being used -
secure influence with financial men
| MI Ledyard and Mr. Cravath are un-
| oerstood to have additional information
| that they are willing to give the COM
| hiittee. Both men are referred TO by Rob-
ert . LoVett chairman of the board OF
ihe Union Pacific, as having been recip-
tents of mysterious telephone calls that
| portedeto come from congressman.
The story told the lobby committee last
night by Representative A. Mitchell PAL
mer of Pennsylvania. has astonished con-
| sressional circles. and resulted in a de-
mand from many quarters that the Sem
ate committee use every effort to find
the men responsible.
Mr. Palmer testified that Lewis Cass
| Ledyard had been called repeatedly by
man who represented himself as Mr..
/ Palmer.
The attorney took the precaution to
learn that Mr. Palmer was not i'm New
York, however, and then kept the repre-
| sentative informed of developments until
evidence had been secured strongly indi-
| eating whom the calls came from.
To Go to the Bottom.
I'VE will go to the bottom of this
! thing said Chairman Overman of the
Senate committee today. Mr.. Ledyard.
! Mr.. Cravath and Mr.. Lamar will be first
! ntI ho
called later"
next week, after the Senate democratic
| caucus has finished with the tariff bill.
Speaker Clark, Representative Under
wood of Alabama, Representative Henry
of Texas and others whose names were
used by the persons in conversation with
financial men are urging the COMMITTEES
to push it's inquiry.
| Representatives Palmer and Riordan
are the only congressman whose names
have thus far been given as having
been impersonated over the telephone.
Tells Sensational Story.
Telling a sensational story of an at
tempt to hoodwink Wall street. and how
1t was foiled Representative A. Mitchell
Palmer of Pennsylvania appeared before
the Senate committee investigating an
alleged lobby last night. Mr.. Palmer
some person whose name he did not
give to create the Impression i'm high
financial circles in New York that he,
Speaker Clark, Majority Leader Under
wood and other democrats could be in
fiuenced in legislative matters in way
| that would please the interests.
Mr.. Palmer swore sthat Lewis Cass
Ledyard. a New York attorney. had
told him of repeated telephone CONVEX
| sations with a man purporting to be
Representative Palmer of Pennsyl-
vania,' who said that he possessed the
confidence of leading democratic legis-
lators. After many telephone talks, Mr..
Pa liner said. Ledyard met Edward
| Lauterbach. another New York attorney.
| teriouS user of the telephone. Lauter-
bach. he said, spoke of this persons in
huence with high officials in Washing
/ ton, and named several.
| Mr. Lauterbach later took the stand
and made a statement denying that he
had ever claimed to have influence with
| congressman.
| Il don't know people in Washington"
| he said. Il don't know any of the
people investigating things this year"
Explains His Conversations.
| Lauterbach explained his conversa-
tions with Mr.. Ledyard by saying that
he had talked with him about the al
legged interest Of Representative Rior
dan in his employment by the Union
Pacific railroad.
| When Mr.. Palmer took the stand he
| said:
Early in February last, while | was
at my home in Pennsylvania, / was
called to the telephone to answer what
my clerk said was a call from New
York A voice at the other end of the
wire said, This is Mr.. Ledyard. and
added. You ought to know, for you
have been talking with me over the
| telephone.
II said. You are very much mistaken.
Mr. Ledyard. / have never seen you.
1 have never spoken to you, directly
or over the telephone. or had any COM
munication with you. You will have
| to explain yourself a little further
! He then went on to say that if that
was true, there was very strange and
remarkable conspiracy afoot in which
my name had been used, and he then
! went on to tell ME what was to ma q
very amazing story.
In Position to Be of Service.
He said that he had been called on the
telephone short time before that by a
gentleman who, after some hesitation
| about giving his name, saying that he
| was representative in Congress. finally
| said he was Representative Palmer of
Pennsylvania. and this person told Mr..
/ Ledyard that he was la a position, by
| reason of his membership In the House
ana his relation with prominent members
of the House, to be of service to inter-
/ ests which Mr. Ledyard represented even
| going far as to say, as i recall II,
| that he thought the money trust inves-
| tigation report could be controlled. that
| various Investigations then proceeding,
| both in Congress and I'm the courts, af-
fecting large financial interests in New
| York city. could be satisfactorily adjusted
| and promising most amazing results OF
| his efforts here in Washington.
"Mr. Ledyard detailed that conversa-
| ton to me, and during the next two or
three days he had perhaps a half dozen