New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-01-27
Mitchell Denies Charges.

A mass OF documentary evidence, I'D
the form of letters and aihdavits, am
ulify.rg or refuting the alterations
made against the BancO Nac!onal, OF
Santo Domingo, as an untrust"orthy ln-
stitution. were introduced DO evidence,
either by Walter ". NIck, chief COM
plaiuant against the sullivan regime,
or by Frank j. Il. Mitchell. president
of the bank Mitchell continued MS
testimony and made general denIals oil
the statements Of Wick and Othe; Wit
uesscs rejecting upon his intimate
associations with Minister sullivan ana
various transactions OF the bank. lie
presented three or four long type
written statements covering his side OF
the case, and asked TO be called ds q
witness later on in SantO Domingo,
where he would have ready access TO
the bank records
Mitchell indicated at one point Of
his testimony that he intended TO pros
ecute some OF the witnesses VINO mad
testified or made atlidavIts rejecting on
him and the bank for perjury. lie IN
quired IF there was any privilege al
the inquiry which would protect d Wit
ness from prosecution for perjury. Mr..
Strong told him there was not.
Whitman's Endorsement.
District Attorney Whitman's in
dorsemeut of sullivan was dated Aprl
%, 1913. The letter ran:
81 am informed that James Marx
Sullivan. a member of the bar here, },
being urged for appointment TO d fed
eral position. ] have known Nh SuiiI-
van for some years and have always
found him thoroughly upright, honor
able and reliable. lie was counsel Tor
Jack Rose during the time of the IN
vestigat;ons and prosecutions growing
ont of the murder of Herman kosen-
thai. and ] believe that he was largely
instrumental i'm persuading Rose to
tell the truth and to become witness
for the state. Mr. Sulliyan's course
during the entire time was thoroughly
professional and, believe, I'D every
way commendable.'
a letter TO Wick from j. Vance, Depu-
~ Receiver Of Customs al Santo Do
mingo under date of October u. 1914,
tending to discredi. the testimony of
former Governor Fort Of New Jersey,
who testified before Commissioner
Phelan recently, was put IN evidence.
Ex-Governor Fort testified that Sulll-
van made "a good impression on HIM
when he was in SantO Domingo as a
peace commissioner last year. Vance
wrote that ne was surprised 10 hear
that Fort had "whitewash he'd Sullivan,
as wac reported upon his return from
the island.
Accuses Fort OF "Whitewash.'
81 heard no man speak more strongly
about Sullivan than Governor Fort,
coli
with Sullivan on the boat and seeing
him comport himself at the dinner
table was enough for him 20 know what
kind of "A man he was, and mat ne was
not the kind to represent the United
States al Santo Domingo. Upon OBJ
serving his contact with the Domin-
lean government officials he declared
that Sullivan was certainly no dIplo-
mat. and that the antipathy of the
Dominicans toward him was probably
justified
Hans Bondy, a former cmploye OF
the Banco Nacioual. wrote Wick long
letter after Wick had resigned his post
as receiver general of customs, attack
ing the BancO Nacional and the bank
ing methods Of Frank j. L. Mitchell
/ its president. Referring 10 the init
mate" relations between Minister Sui
/ liyan and Mitchell, the writer said:
"Mitchelps house Is next door TO the
American legation. and he Mitchell
even had a part of the fence removed
so that he would not have TO 80 out
around the main street. but could have
easy access to the legation without
being observed Mitchell is called the
assistant Minister in Santo Domingo
Asked if he cared to comment or
Bondy's letter at this time. Mitchell
said that all the material allegations
in il were false, and. furthermore, that
he was unable 20 write good English
He had been dismissed from the banl
Tor improper acts and ineMciency,
Mitchell said
The hearings will bc continued 10
day az Commissioner Phelan's rooms in
the Waldorf.