The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-01-17

in the presence of her attorney that she had not such motive but wanted to disclose information she thought Con gress and the public should have. As proof of her purely patriotic motive, Law son said the woman turned to her at torney and declared she would not have brought legal counsel to the interview if she had been engaged in a frivolous matter.
 Asked by Representative Pou why he had not acquainted Tumulty with the in- formation given by Mrs Visconti, Law son declared that he never had any in- teution of making the woman's letter or her statements public when he did and that he would not have done so yester- day had the committee not demanded that he give them all information in his possession on pain of punishment Law son said he had sought a conference with Mir. Price, but representatives came to him concerning his effort and caused him to let the matter drop He said he probably never could bage gotten up his courage to go to Humility in view of all that had taken place since the in- l quiry began but that he had spoken to Mrs. ViscontI about that very subject. WOMAN'S STORY
 T suggested that very thing to Mrs. 1 Viscontir he said, "and I think one of the things she said to me was this I 1 have repeatedly tried to get to MT. Tum- ulty today since l sent you that let 1 ter, before we went any farther, called MT. Tumulty on the telephone and he said that I could not see him and would have to give him any information had ever the telephone. When l would not do this he cursed me out in a way 1 I would not stand from anyone.
 | "I didn't have any idea of anything happening here to force that letter out 7" said Law son.
 Lawson told the committee that there was something sad, pathetic and awful about this thing" which he was not in a position to disclose, but that the com mittee surely would get it from Mrs. Viscont Despite the fact that the woman could not be found Lawson said he still believed she would appear and l tell her story as she told it to him. He 1 declared that after being convinced that Mrs. Visconti was honest he had told her he would not see her suffer nor lose her means of livelihood if she aided him | in this public service.''
 Members of the committee said that the purpose in calling the New York finan- ciers was to question them regarding business in financial circles generally during December. They will be asked particularly it was said. about reports that some of the bankers had warned
 
 further in industrials and told them to buy more freely of railway stocks.
 Lawson was temporarily dismissed but ordered to remain in Washington. More than a score of witnesses were waiting to be heard, among them McAdoo, Yum ulty Price, Warburg and others whom Lawson mentioned as having knowledge of the leak All have issued statements repudia ting his testimony
 LAWSON RESUMES STAND
 Thomas w. Lawson was called to the witness stand again today when the House rules committee resumed it's hearing on the alleged leak to the stock market on President Will sons peace note.
 Unless your chairman said what I say he said I am guilty of foul per jury" Lawson dramatically declared to the committee. I'm guilty of foul perjury and unfit to be anywhere out 1 side the bars of a prison"
 "You stated" questioned Repre- 1 sentative Campbell. that when you left Washington after talking with Chairman Henry that you went to New York and talked with several pub 1 fishers. Will you state the substance of what you told the?"
 'I asked them their opinion of what had happened in Washington" Law son began slowly. "and told them 1 would like to get their advice on whether I should go further, or drop the entire matter, l said much more than related here yesterday. I laid l before them Henry's statement in the l press that morning, and called their attention to what appeared, to be an unfair slant that it took
 CALLED ON EDITOR
 After I left Henry's office, went to New York and first called on John O'IIara Cosgrave. in his editorial rooms in the New York World. on the fol- lowing morning."
 When was the interview with Err man Ridgeway?'
 Tuesday. January g."
 Where did you see him?'
 "At my roms. in the Belmont hotel, 1 New York"
 You spoke of seeing Donald Nc Donald?"
 "In the early morning of January 3. I came right from the train. and sat down in the Belmont hotel break fast room. when MT. Mcdonald came in and sat at table across the aisle. He spoke to me. I hadn't spoken to MT Mcdonald for probably Is years. ! But he spoke to me. and asked me what was going on in Washington I l told him of these things that hap
 
 like to see an investigation. but that there would be none I told him what your chairman had said. and he, be- ing an old newspaper man, and pub licity expert, I asked him his advice. I impressed on him the confidence which your chairman had imposed in me. everything being perfectly friend ly between MT. Henry and myself at that time'
 WAS WORKED UP
 q was very much worked up about the Henry statement" Lawson con- tinued
 "We had agreed on one He then said: You word it. I did. and he said it was fair and gave both sides and we shook hands on it. When I read his statement it appeared unfair. It looked as though in the three hours and a quarter he had asked me over and over again to give him names and that I had failed" @
 He wanted Cosgrave and Ridgeway to hear his story, he said because they were men of long experience in han ding investigations. and he desired to know whether they thought he should drop the entire affair, or if he owed it to the public to go fur ther. Representative Garrett objected to Lawson repeating his conversations with these men on the ground they did not tend to cast any light on the case.
 Representative Campbell then changed the form>of questioning slight La