New Britain herald., 1914-05-12

TdIdllId LGylSldllUl. BYRNES RECALLED TO STAND Voucher Shows Railroad Spent
 $3S1.9O for oPrayers-Chief Coun-
 sel Folk After Activities of Innis t-- and Turtle.
 Washington, May 12.-The New York New Haven and Hartford rail- road was connected with lobbying against the provision of the Panama Canal act prohibiting railroad owned ships from passing through the canal, according to testimony at the hear ing today into the New Haven's affairs by the interstate commerce commits sion.
 Timothy E. Byrnes, former vice president of the New Haven, testified that $1,000 paid to Clarence w. De- Knight, Washington lawyer, by former Rear Admiral F. T. Bowles, president of the Fore River Ship Building company, for services in con- nection with Panama legislation, in reality came from the New Haven treasury. The senate lobby investiga- ting committee recently had De r., .,;<1, ls.tion to the transaction, but the New Haven's campaign was not then brought outay N
 < Byrnes Approved Voucher.
 MT. Byrnes, who resumed the stand today, was shown a voucher for the transaction and was questioned by Chief Counsel Folk in regard to it. He said he approved the voucher at the personal direction of President Mellen and that he learned later that MT. Bowles had asked MT. Mellen for the money to retain counsel in the Panama canal legislation, the New Haven being interested on account of it's Long Island Sound lines.
 MT. Byrnes was on the stand two hours and again was questioned. as to payments made through his office to various persons for service to the New Haven, and particularly as to the work of Arthur F. Russell an as- sistant attorney in the Boston office. MT. Byrnes resented what he called ''insinuations" in the queries as to legislative work He also said many slurs had been cast on other quarters. and before being excused made statement in which he said that when he took up the New Haven's work in Boston he adopted a positive. rule to ''cut out'' anything in the way of illegal expenditures in legislative mat tors. This rule, he said, he had strictly adhered to-.
 Services of 300 Clerks.
 The task of collecting and sending to Washington the mass of vouchers called for by the commission, it was stated today, called for the services of 300 clerks in the New Havens main office. and the papers were ven in seven trunks on a special car
 Indications today were that the in- quiry soon would run its course.
 Case For Courts.
 ''This is case for the criminal courts, suggested one official of the commission, mot for civil pro- ceeding. It appears doubtful whether in proceeding of this kind, the facts can be developed"
 It is known that the department of justice is inclined not to approve of putting on the witness stand Former President Charles s. Mellen and the subpoenaed directors of the New ,Haven-Lewis Cass Ledyard, William Rockefeller, George F. Baker, ana George MacCulloch Miller-and some of the members of the commission it is said, doubt the feasibility of ex- amining them at this time.
 Mellen Under Subpoena.
 It is not unlikely, however, that MT. Mellen may be called as a wit ness, possibly today, although no time for his appearance yet has been fixed. He is in the city under subpoena.
 William B. Lawrence of Boston, one of the largest individual share holders in the Boston and Maine rail- road whose holdings are said to have depreciated nearly a million dollars through the transactions of the last several years, also is likely to tell his story to the commission.
 Upon resumption of the hearing to- day MT. Byrnes was asked:
 Did MT. Mellen ever turn over to you money to be disbursed without ,vouchers?"
 "No," replied MT. Byrnes, "at no time"
 Voucher Is Submitted.
 MT. Folk submitted voucher for $3S1.9O in favor of Sylvester Baxter flor 15,00O prayers
 Prayers unused MT. Folk. What did the New Haven want with 15,OO0 prayers?"