Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-01-09

a 1SlI contest, the GOpherS being one
of the few available teams.
Representative Campbell.
Il had none until it was STATED in
the newspapers" Mr.. Lansing added
that he had inquiries around his de.
partnent for a leak" but failed to To-
! cate one.
Lawson Causes Uproar.
Thomas W. Lawson followed Mr..
Lansing. Told by Chairman Henry
that be might proceed in his own way
for the present" Mr.. Lawson asked il
he we're to be stopped at any point in
his talk. Mr.. Henry said that would
depend entirely on whether he confin-
ed himself to the subject before the
committee.
My name is Thomas w. Lawson
he said, My home is Boston. Nv oc.
cupation. you might say, is that of a
farmer"
The crowd burst into a roar of laugh.
ter and Lawson fastened to explain.
i don't say l am farmer to be
facetious,' he said In way l also
am connected with financial matters.
j will give testimony" he said, IRE.
gardlng the damnable condition which
has existed for two years for the pur
pose of finding remedy 49, -c--s. 49,.
which have caused hundreds of thous.
ands of persons to be driven to enor.
nous losses"
Lawson. pacing up and down before
the committee, declared that all he
had said in the public press regarding
the leak he believed to be true. q
repeat 1t all now" he declared. 1T is
one OF the commonest things in Wal
street, advance information from
Washington about government affairs
anairs of such importance that they
frequently affect the country's securi
ties. l mean also leaks from the SUI
preme court, advance information on
decisions, advance information on i'm.
portant senate matters, action of con.
gressional committees, cabinet affairs
and advance information direct from
the white house Itself
From that he led into CHARGES of
"premeditated, deliberately figured out,
deliberately worked out robbery Of
the American people through United
States stock gamblers
He said he knew who was respons,
lble for the leak and reiterated he was
convinced the committee did not want
an investigation He reviewed his re.
cent trip to Washington.
Il came TO Washington" said he, ito
aid IN an honest investigation. only to
have hell lambasted out of me as soon
as congress convened Promptly when
the senate met, leather lunged, sew.
er-mouthed old blatherskit-"
Inc chairman stopped Lawson there
and then followed a row between Law.
son ad Representative Chiperfeld
which was unintelligible even to the
official stenographer.
Chairman Henry raped for order
and Lawson roared:
Il don't propose to be bulldozed and
will not be intimidated."
Finally. after more wrangling. by
unanimous vote of the committee. all
officlal lawson testimony was struck
from the record.
The chairman then began a series az
questions designed to elicit the nano
OF the person who carried the leak "a
Wall street. or of the person or per.
sons responsible for the leak. or of his
informant. Lawson fatty declined ia
mention names but insisted that
enough information had already been
given the committee to warrant an of.
fetal investigation.
Adjournment until a later hour this
afternoon followed
Just before the afternoon session be-
gan, the rules committee issued sub.
poenas for F. NJ. Lockwood. New York
stock broker and Alfred H. Curtis, for.
mer president of the National bank of
North America.
Lawson told the committee that
member of congress had told him
member of the cabinet had speculated
on the falling market caused by the
leak, but he fatty refused to give the
committee the name of the cabinet
member or of the member of congress
who told him.
Oefies Committee.
Who told you that and who was
the member of the cabinet?'' demanded
Representative Campbell.
Il am not going to answer" said
Lawson determinedly.
Representative Campbell declst~,A
that the committee | d the power to
compel him to answer.
When | say that the name was Civ.
en- to me in confidence on honor NOT N
be repeated do you still insist upon an
answer asked Lawson.
YES" said Campbell,
Well. shall not answer, said I-sy.
soa