The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-01-29
NY. BANKER, MENTIONED BY LAWSON IN LEAK" CHARGES, CLEARS SECRETARY McAD00

of Treasury Department
 Was Interested in Stock
 Deals.
 Has ''Leaned Backward, ]"
 He Says, in His Dealings
 With MT. McAdoo Since
 Latter Entered Cabinet
 Emphatically Denies Law
 son Charges.
 New York, Jan. 29-Pliny Fisk, a New York banker, nam- ed by Thomas w: Lawson as the banker in the mysterious "cabinet member-senator-ban CT" investment trinity, denied at the ''leak" inquiry today that he ever had been interested with Secretary McAdoo or a senator in any joint stock ac- count.
 Piny Fisk of Harvey Fisk & Sons. bankers, was the first witness called today. Fisk was brought into the inquiry by Thomas w. Lawson de- claring at the hearings in Washington hot $DI nj SSe-IS had boasted to him that he controlled Secretary McAdoo and had offered late one night, to summon McAdoo from his bed by telephone. Lawson also said he had heard Fisk was con- nected with the peace note leak.
 Decision to call Fisk was reached today at an executive session of the committe and its counsel, Sherman L. Whipple.
 Just before the hearing opened Representative Bonnet said that the mysterious paper" in his Possession. showing that some one had the fore sight to sell 10000 shares Of Steel on rising market 48 hours before the peace note was released, was a clear ing. house record.
 T want to state positively" MT. Fisk said on taking the witness stand, "that never had conversation with White during which the names of MT. McAdoo entered. want to state that most unequivocally."
 The banker said he knew White "only slightly" He had never, he said, had business dealings with him, nor did he belong to the same club that White did as seemed to be indi- cated in the Lawson testimony.
 Mr., Fisk said he knew White only slightly, had never had business deal- ings with him, and did not belong to the same club that White did. The dealings of his firm in the stock mar ket were comparatively small, as the major part of its business consisted of lover the counter transactions in investment securities. Such stock market business as it did was trans acted through other firms
 Fisk said he was closely associated with MT. McAdoo in the building of the Hudson tubes, his firm acting. as banker for the construction, but that he had seen little of him since he en- tered the cabinet. < Asked whether he had anything to do with. closing up McAdoo's business affairs after he entered the treasury, Fisk replied affirmatively. Upon en- tering the cabinet, Fisk said, McAdoo turned over all his securities, largely bank and trust company stock, to F1sk's firm, and on them obtained loan of SIP, ,000. On Jan. 15, 1914, Fisk said, all the securities having been disposed of, the debt was hquidated and surplus was turned over to Mo Adoo
 Have you ever purchased or caus- ed to be purchased, in the last four years ,any, securities in which Secre- tary McAdoo was interested?" Sher- man l.. Whipple, counsel for the in- vestigating committee, asked.
 1T have not, sir,'' Fisk declared with great emphasis.
 As one of the bankers for the Hud- son and Manhattan terminals, of which MT. McAdoo was president Fisk said, he came into contact with Mo- Adoo and Harvey Fisk & Sons, of which Fisk is a member, also closed up some of the secretary's business when he entered the cabinet, but since that time he has had virtually no business relations with him.
 "In the last four years," Whipple asked, "have you made any requests of the secretary" ?" ''I have not" Fisk said. t'To use homely expression, I have leaned backward in that respect"
 Fisk said he had personal cor- with the secretary but had preserved none of it.
 "Has your firm." asked Whipple. lever enjoyed advantages in regard to with the treasury depart nent?"
 Never advantages which any other Wall street firm might not have re- ceived," replied Fisk.
 1T want to ask you a question which it was decided by the commit zee in executive session to put to you. Is it fact that the Federal reserve oank occupied a building belonging o your frm?'
 "Yes. during the first year and a half of it's existence"
 The witness said that he. person. ally, had nothing to do with the ne- yotiations for the lease of the officca 10 the bank, these having been con- lucted by the agent of the building.
 "Did you talk to the secretary 61
 (Contiuued on pare<2