The Washington times., 1917-02-04
Fred Essary and W. W. Price
Admit Sending Wires Fore
casting Note.
WITNESS CLEARS BOILING
TeIegrapher Supplies Missing
Link in History of Con-
noIIy-Hutton Message.

After tracing back to Washington
the authorship of the telegram which
f. F. Hutton & Co, New York brokers,
sent to their clients in advance of
the publication OF the Presidents
peace note on December 20, the House
leak" investigating committee will
resume its hearings tomorrow and
last night
Edward Roper, telegraph operator
in the brokerage office of F. A. Con.
molly & Co, of this city, dramatically
supplied the missing link in the his.
tory of the Connolly-Hutton telegram.
Appearing before the committee
late yesterday, he said he was testify
ing primarily ito clear Mr. Boiling
the Presidents brother-in-Iaw, who is
member of the Connolly firm. Roper
said the telegram he sent to New
York at 1885 o'clock on the afternoon
OF December . 0was brought into
Connolly's office and filed by ]. Fred
Essary, Washington correspondent OF
the Baltimore Sun. Mr. Boiling, he
SAID, did not see the message.
Act One of FriendIiness.
Mr.. Essary subsequently testified
that he had filed such q telegram
with Connolly & Co. regarding
Fthe expected announcement from the
State Department The message, he
said, was filed "in the absence of Mr..
Connolly" Mr.. Essary said his act
was one of friendliness for Connolly,
who is my friend and neighbor."
EhrnT0 20
he had supplied Connolly with news
tips.
George A. Ellis, jr.. of the firm of
Hutton & Co.. later told the commit
tee he had based his telegram, the
origin of which the House Rules Com
inittee has been tracing for several
days, on information supplied by the
Lssary-Connolly message from Wash
Ington. Mr.. Essary acknowledged his
telegram was substantially the same
as that sent out in New York by Mr..
Ellis The original has been lost or
destroyed.
Roper, the telegraph operator, said
Tor several days Mr.. Boiling had
begged me to tell the truth and clear
his name" Roper said he testified
reluctantly and hated to drag in Mr..
Essary's connection with the matter"
Wanted To Clear Boiling.
Mr.. Boiling is my friend: I want
to see him cleared" said the teIe-
sraph operator. He had nothing to
do with the telegram" !.
Mr.. Roper ssid the Presidents
brother-in-law had been practically +,
IN tears for several days. He says the |
public may think that his sister be- |
trayed the Presidents confidence"
Earlier in the committees session
William W. Price, White House re-
porter for a local paper. informed the !
committee that he sent kilograms at
II 80 a. m. on the morning of Decem-
Der 20 to one brokerage firm and
friend in Chicago. 1t. developed that
this friend was connected with anoth- |
er Chicago brokerage concern.
Neither Mr.. Price nor Mr.. Essary at !
tended the conference at which Secre-
tarY Lansing told the newspaper men |
an important announcement concern
Ing economic conditions in Europe"
would be made late that afternoon F!
December 2O), but they heard OF the |
matter through other newspaper men.
Paid Him &25 Monthly.
Mr.. Price said his two Chicago con-
nections paid him "the measly sum of .
S26 a month each" to advise them oc-
casionally regarding financial news
from Washington.
My old friend, Fred c. Aldrich."
said Mr.. Price, told me that II he /
should have any good luck at any
time he would send me more"
Clement, Curtis & Co, OF Chicago.
q according to the testimony, advised
Hutton & Co. of the prospect Tof a
peace note. Mr.. Aldrich is connected
with Clement, Curtis & Co. but Mr..
Ellis testimony was to the effect shat
Hutton's private wire advices from T.
were in advance OF the
relayed information from Chicago
After learning from Mr.. Essary that |
he has been engaged in newspaper
work for fifteen years, and is the
correspondent of the BAL
timore Sun. Sherman L. Whipple con
Quoted an examination substantially
as follows, the telegraph operator for
connolly & Co. being excused TEN
porarily to permit Mr.. Essary to tes-
tify:
Knows Connolly.
"Do you know the firm of F A.
Connolly & Co. Of this city?' asked
Mr.. WhippIe. CMr. Boiling is a
of this hrm.) II
Yes, quite well. They are my