The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-16
La Toilette Is Vehement and
Chiffon and Overman
Make Explanations.
BLAME ISPLACED on
THEIR OFFICE CLERKS
Denials Of Any Attempt TO Ex-
plot the Mine on Sen
ate's Stationery.

WAsHINGroN June I5-Steps were
taken in the Senate to-day for an Of
fetal investigation into the exploitation
Of a North Carolina gold mine through
the letterheads OF two OF the Senate
committees.
Senator Overman OF North Carolina
and Senator Chiffon of West Virginia.
who own stock in the mine and whose
employees are blamed for the use OF
the Senate stationery. asked for an
investigation. Senator Overman intro
duced a resolution authorizing the em-
pigment of a special committee of FIVE
Senators.
Before either of the Democratic Sena-
tors had acted Senator La Toilette had
served emphatic notice that he would
present such "a resolution and would
urge its adoption by the Senate.
! In fact. the resolution was the one
drawn by Mr. La Toilette. The Sena-
tor from Wisconsin had yielded in
favor OF Mr.. Overman after Senator
! Chiffon had told him that II such a
should permit it to come from him
(Chilton) or from Mr.. Overman.
scope OF the Inquiry.
The inquiry will include not only the
use of the Senate stationery. but also
the sending OF an employee Of the
Treasury Department at the Govern
] h. Isov 1gna
property for the purpose OF Investigate
ing the mine. The resolution was re.
ferred to the Committee on Con-
tingent Expenses of the Senate. anG
probably will be reported out to-mor-
row.
There were reports tonight that cer-
tain Democrats would oppose the in
vestigation on the ground that too
much money had been spent in such
undertakings. Senator La Toilette and
others. however. are prepared to press
for the adoption OF the resolution IL
there is any indication OF its being side
tracked.
Senators Overman and Chiffon in tho
statements which they made both dis
claimed responsibility for the use OF the
letterheads in this way. They reiter.
ated that the reproduction Of a rosy re-
port by the mining engineer, J. c. Will
, Jams, on the Senate stationery was due
to mistakes made by their employees.
Mr.. Overman insisted that his Ste
nographer had made only four copies
' ] ts,a
Senate letterheads. She had done the
, copying at the request Of Walter George
1 Newman, the promoter OF the gold min
c ing property.
Senator Chiffon did not disclose how
I, many copies had been struck Off in his
office on a multigraph. but one OF his
clerks has saie that there we're about
, a hundred,
Nr. Overman's stock.
A Mr.. Overman acknowledged that he
a got 81 900 in the Gold Hill stock after
b the mining engineer Williams. whose
y letter was reproduced on the Senate
b piper, had told him that the mine was
worth s6o,OOo,Oo
With the stock selling at so cents 1t
" looked good to OvermaL.
Senator Chiffon did not disclose how
much OF the stock he held or what he
:. had paid for it, but reports were ctr
! culated to-day that he had been more
; fortunate than any Of the other Demo-
. cratic Senator's: that IN fact ne got q
!, large part of is stock for nothing.
Senator Pomerene of Ohio when ques-
y toned to-day acknowledged that he had
a block Of the Gold Hill stock. He told
friends that two Senators in whom he
e had the greatest confidence had ex-
- pressed their opinion that Gold Hill was
y a good thing and then he C limbed
e aboard.
Mr.. Pomerene did not care to say
d how much money he had invested In the
4 venture. Senator Swanson of Virginia
a is also supposed to have good sized
h block.
- Relatives In the Venture.
Another interesting development was
the information which reached Wash
ington that f.. c. Gregory Of Salisbury
\. c., Senator Overman's son-in law
is a director OF the Gold Hin Con
n solidated Company, and that Arthur
~ Kenna, nephew OF Senator Chiffon. Is
Il the manager Of the mine.
~ To-day's disclosures brought to the
d. surface new evidences that the stock
had been bought by clerks and en-