The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-01-09
Motion Made a Second Time
to Cite Lawson Before
Bar of House
BECAUSE OF REFUSAL
TO GIVE OUT NAMES
The Committee Inquiry Was
Thrown into Uproar
by Lawson

v Washington, ID. c., Jan. 9.--The con
l. tinued refusal of Thomas w. Lawson t
n answer categorical questions by tn
It House rules committee in the leak in
quiry to-day caused the committee t,
i entertain second motion by Representa-
= tive Bennett that he be cited before tn,
G bar of the House for contempt. The mo
0 tion was held ON the table for action.
k When the committee adjourned yester
n day afternoon with Mr. Lawson's exam
ination uncompleted, motion to cite
t him before the bar of the House because
n he refused to give names had been con
r sidered in executive session and taken
under advisement.
: The committees troubles with Mr.
Lawson began soon after the financier
) took the stand, and grew into a noisy
. row, quietcd only after Chairman Henry
, had threatened to clear the room of spec
tators and proceed in executive session.
After declaring that he had evidence of a
leak and asserting that he had informa-
tion from member of Congress that a
cabinet official had been beneficiary,
Lawson fatty refused to give the names
to the committee. He announced defiant
ly that he would give no names regard
less of consequences and declared:
"You may punish me if you wish, but
viii not besmirch the names of men in
high position at this preliminary in
quiry; my only business here is to give
information that would warrant you in
ordering a full investigation. This |
think / have done"
Bement demanded that Lawson name
the man who, he says, told him that
New York broker, a cabinet official and
United States senator participated in
a stock gambling partnership. Lawson
fatty refused for two reasons, one that
he was already cited for contempt and
the other that he did not think it neces-
sary to give names at this time.
! Lawson later promised the committee
he would disclose the names OF the cab
met official, senator and New York
broker referred to ii the House ordered
an investigation as the result of the
rules committees preliminary hearings.
lawson was questioned at some length
regarding his own operations in the stock
market, but the efforts to induce him to
state the amount of his own profits dur /
ing December were futile. He maintained |
that he did not know whether he had I
made 81 100000 or S500,000.
Answering Representative Chipperfeld
Lawson again declared that he had no
direct knowledge through the leak of the
coming of the presidents note and that
hundreds of other men throughout the
country might also have foreseen a break
in the market as he did. The witness de-
clared that the leak prevented an even
worse break in the market.
"My opinion is" he said "that the
break was weeks in coming and that the
leak gave certain spectators an oppor-
tunity to prepare for the crash. Ii the
market had broken without preparation
made possible by the leak, the break
would have been much more disastrous ,
to the country" II
Later Lawson surprised the committee {
by frankly admitting his own interest in t
the investigation of the leak was to Sc 9
cure a complete investigation of the stock ]
exchange that might lead to federal reg {
ulations
Before this the witness had flown into
n passion when questioned by Represen- q
tative Chipperfield about his book "Fren ]
zied Finance" There were heated ex- c
changes during which the word "four- C
fusher" could be heard above the gen I
eral din which interrupted the record of t
the official stenographer. Lawson shak r
ing his hand in Representative Clipper "
fields face, asserted tha~ he knew his
rights and would not be bulldozed. He
finally was pulled into a chair by the
.hief clerk of the House. The colloquy
With Representative Chipperfield and b
,ome of Lawson's other remarks were ex-
,unged from the record.
The examination then proceeded more
luietly Mr.. lawson frequently asked y
o be excused from answering questions, :, I
,ut not until he had told another story, !,
It first alphabetically and then as a re- q
,ort related TO him, to the effect that NJ n
member of the cabinet, United States u
enator and a New York banker, had a d'
oint stock gambling account which was W
haired among them. He fatty refused, D'
espite persistent efforts of the commit
ee. to reveal these names. declaring first
hat he would not besmirch the names of
len in high places at preliminary in
uiry and secondly that he did not feel th
allied upon at this stage of the inquiry F.
0 give information which would permit L.
riminals to escape OF information TO be
estroyed.
Mr.. Lawson repeated his public asser m
ions that Congress was ''wallowing in in
he mirer of stock speculation. and de- eff
ared that members of Congress were ce
Use dealers in stocks, but he did not ac- jo
use them of beneftting by advance in TO
,rmation on official acts and persistent lei
refused to make any personal charges m,
make public the name of any one. Off
al or otherwise.
He cleared the state department and ia
7hite House Of any leak" on the peace Of
1te. so far as his knowledge was con- for
rned, but insisted that there had been ioi
leak" that there had been advance in no
.rmation in Wall street for years on vo
Ipreme court decisions presidents mes tn,
ges. and congressional matters which
ere used to the advantage Of the stock
lmblers. Regarding supreme court for
aks. the witness, when questioned close tio
A. stated that he meant 70 insinuate no tiv
regularity against the justices them
Ives. stating that he had never heard Of 2
supreme court iustice talking about a $40