The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-02-22
AWSONC CAN'T
RECALL THAT
SHONTS LETTER
If Mr.. Morgan Wrote One
About Stevens Colby Aid
Has Forgotten 1t Now.
THOMPSON WANTS
TO QUESTION YOUNG

aeves was sent TO President: shonts Of
the Interboroush Company Ivy J. p.
Morgan. telling him that ne must not
conclude a contract with John +. Ste
vens for the third tracking and extern
sion Of the elevated railroads was the
feature about which all Of the activt-
tiss Of the Thompson Legislative COM
mittee centred yesterday.
Tho inquiry went TO the length OF
intinating through the questions that
Vero asked that the existence or the
letter was considered certain by Balm
bridge Colby who resigned as counsel
10 the committee. as announced yester~
day morning. Miles " Dawson. who
had beer acting as assistant to Mr..
Colby. was questioned closely by Sem
sAor Thompson and by Frank Moss. who
has accepted he task OF succeeding
Mr.. Colby. getting into the investiga-
ton yesterday afternoon. Mr.. Dawson
asd h knew nothing Of h existence
Of such q letter. Asked for his opinion.
he said he thought Il more likely that
N. Morgan would have ~telephoned TO
M. 6honts on this particular matter.
Mr. Colby was s~ubp1naed to appear
6efore the committee and was TO have
been asked directly II he knew Of the
letters existence. Senator Thompson
said after the hearing that he and Mr..
Colby had frequently talked about this
letter and that Mr.. Colby told him Re
had been told that the letter did eA-
list. The Senator went further than
Shat and said his understanding from
Mr.. Colby was hat George W Young
had communicated with Mr.. Morgan
rust previous 20 Mr.. Morgan's depart
ure for Europe and had told him ne
had better produce that letter II APP
pears now that this was one Of the
things considered so important by the
committee that extraordinary Efforts
were made TO determine the date of Mr..
MorgaI.'s return to this country.
Phone Message tO ShOnts.
Mr.. Morgan's testimony before the
ccmmitte. IT. that soon after the meet
ing OF the Interborough directors on
Tune "a, 1918, at which Mr.. Shonts
advocated the conclusion OF a contract
With Stevens. william a. Read and
Gardiner NJ. Lane. two Of TIRE directors
who opposed the contract, called on him
and said they thought The contract eN-
travaeant. NJ. Morgan said he told
them he would see Shonts. He testified
that he called the 1ntertoroueh pres!-
dent on the telephone and asked him
70 drop IN and see him any time Re
happened 10 be passing the Morgan Of
nee. The testimony OF both Mr.. Nor
ran and Mr.. Shonts IL that a meeting
took place between them. Mr.. Nor
ran said that Mr.. Shonts explained tho
proposed contract with Stevens and de-
A.. -t.-- 80 ty., .I-
rance brought by Messrs, Read and
Lane. He said he told them that u
-he past h. had had every reason "a
~cspect the judgment OF Mr.. Shonts and
that he saw no reason why, In the case
% the stevens contract, he should
chang, his opinion.
Mr.. Shouis testified 10 this and sad
further THAT Nj. Morgan not only di'
not get angry during their discussion
OF the contract, but also a~polosized IL
him Tor any Inconvenience 10 whicn he
NAV have put Mr.. Shonts in calling
70 see him He said over and over
again that he rad TO recollection 81
having received a letter from Mr.. Nor
Kan on this subject. He swore yes
terday that he had made dillgent search
Of his personal files and those OF The
nterborough. that h. could ind no trace
Of such Il letter and that he did not t*
HeVp he ever had received w..
It WAS pointed out that on the Sena
tors slide OF this matter OF belief Is ths
fact that the record OF tn committee
shows that on all occasions when i'm
portan' matters We're discussed by Mr.
Morgan and Mr.. Shonts. either dircctl,
or over the telephone. that Immediately
thereattcr letters would pass confirming
the conversation. Practically every tall
about the transit system the two mel
had r. a matter Of record except thi'
one.
Miles NJ Dawson. Senator Thompson
said, Il the only represutativ" of ht
committee who has had access 4" th'
letter files Of the Interborough. Wet
Mr.. DAWSON took The STAN yesterday
afternoon he was asked n he did not re
member an occasion at tn. home of Mr.
Colby when hr declared to the Senator
to Mr.. Colby and J. Frank Smith, an
other lawyer for the committee, that IN
had Il letter that would put into tn,
shade, SO far as Importance and sensd
tionalisnI was concerned, tho letter .
r. A. Gillespie in which Lemuel +
Quigg was referred to as tho man near
est TO Gov. Whitman.
Dawson's Memory Hssy.
Mr.. Dawson said that he remembers,
On occasion, thai he did not remembe
the incident, but would agree that h
had made such IA remark, but he coui,
not tell. he said, 10 what letter or pap
ne referred. He said that all the paper
and memoranda hr had had in his pos
session had been turned oveY to the com
mittees. or in cases where the inforIna
ton desired had been rui upon IN
record. had been destroyed He de
clared that 20 the best ~ his r~ecollcc
tiOn ne Rad never seen "a letter OF