Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-02-01
TIP ON PEACE NOTE
NOT FR0MB0LL|NG
Connolly Specifically Exonerates
Presidents Brother-in-Law
From All Blame.
EXAMINATION UNFINISHED
Broker Who Sent Out Accurate
Forecast Fails to Name Source
of Information.

ana partner OF II. W. Boiling. a broth
cr-in-law Of President Wilson, who on
December 20 gave T.. T.. Hutton &. Co
New York broi< ers, AN accurate resume
OF tip Presidents peace note ten hours
before II was published, failed in two
ana half hours of grilling examine
ton OF the congressional inuuisi,orial
committee today To name the exact
source of his information. lie specific
ally "xonerated Boiling. however from
all blame for the leak" on the note
TO the best OF his knowledge. MIR.
connolly said repeatedly. his adviccs TO
the Hutton firm were based principally
on gossip and rumor." gathered in his
Office and deductions he had made from
speech President Wilson delivered TO
the Gridiron Club in Washington on
December 2. In vain did Sherman l..
Whippic. counsel for tho committee
and all Of it's members attempt to draw
from Mr. Connolly the name OF sin
gle person who gave him any Of the
information hc forwarded to New
York.
Any clever person." Connolly said
who would mingle in the right circles
in Washington with his ear on the
ground" could gather much inforrna-
tion OF great value
COMMITTEE At Loss
TO KNOW HOW TO PROCEED
tonnollys examination was unfn-
ishcd when the committee adjourned
t"-niSht- lie was s;ill radiant and
eager, apparently 10 help. hut the com
inittcc. according to certain members.
Was somewhat at "A loss to what
angle his Interrogation should take
when II is resumed tomorrow.
Although Connolly. in his resume a
copy OF which he had drafted from
memory for the committee. the original
stu being missing, had described the
Forthcoming note as IA movement OF
great moment" he declared it's Gig
nifcance had not impressed him. In
proof OF this he said that his books
showed he had not acted on the in
formation In the market tn fact. he
said. every one Of HIS customers los;
money In the subsequent crash. Their
total losses between December 9 ami
December 20. the so-calicd peace
period" aggregated $4,000 according
TO the testimony of T.. r. Hutton. who
preceded Connolly ON the stand.
Touching on BollinI's partnership
Connolly declared that the fact that he
was Il relative OF the President had not
Influenced him the slightest In inviting
Boiling To become a member OF his
firm. Asked IL he had consulted with
Boiling In preparing his resume. he
asserted that lie had not talked with
Rolling about the note either on De
cernber 90. or any other time until after
Boiling testified before the committee
two weeks age.
FOLLOWS RECEIPT
OF "S1OCK FLASH,
Dispatch OF the forecast to New
York. Connolly said. followed receipt
by him OF stock fash" from Hut
ton &; Co. timed l2:57 o'clock. which
warned all the Hutton correspondents
that a statement 'iatcnded to promote
peace prospects" WAS expected from
the state Department. Connolly further
said that he posted this flash on his
gossip board. and that great activity
followed. Subsequently he heard from
the crowd In his Office, he said, other
gossip about the forthcoming state
,nent. Connecting the flash" the
gossip and his own impressions Of
what tho note might be. CLEANED from
the Presidents Gridron Club speech,
he said. he grabbed 4 piece OF paper
from the wing Owsil and dashed off the
prophetic resume.
After handing the message to the
operator on the Hutton firms private
wire. he never saw 1t again. The futile
efforts of the committee to swerve Con-
molly from his story amused specta-
tors, and frequently the room was in
uproar of laughter.
Representative Bennett. Of New York.
took up with the witness the text of
his resume OF the note phrase by
phrase, in an effort to get an eXpIana-
tion as to how he had happened 10
use language which resembled that OF
"statesmanshp," but without success.
Connolly said he knew of no mem
bcr OF the Cabinet ever trading in the
market.
TESTIMONY AGREES
SAVE FOH ONE DETAIL.
Testimony of Connolly and Hutton
regarding circumstances surrounding
the sending Of the various messages
between their offices on the peace not e
agreed save for one detail. Hutton
thought Connolly's resume was i'm his
office before members of his firm tele-
graphed Chicago brokers that they
were in possession Of washington ad-
vices" about the note. Connolly timed
the sending OF his message after that
George A. Ellis. Jr.. who drafted the
Hutton warning to IT'S correspondents
from Connolly's peace-note Tip" was
summoned from near Savannah, Ga.
to-day to appear before the commit
tee without delay. He is expected to
testify on Friday.
Hutton, In his testimony to-day,
blamed Secretary Lansing's "verge-of-
war" statement OF December 81 more
than the Presidents note for the slump
in stocks.
MORE LIGHT on TELEGRAMs
SOUGHT FROM HUTTON
Hutton to-day said that. although
having the information as to the Presi-
dents note at least two hours before
the market closed on December co. no
member OF his firm had taken advan-
-. {Contnued on Third Page.) 80