Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-01-15
LEAK" HEARING
is RESUMED WITH
LAWSON ON STAND
Faces List of Questions He
Must Answer or Be Cited
Il
For Contempt

Washington, d. c., Jan. 15.-The
House Rules Committee to-day re-
bumed it's efforts to get Thomas w
Lawson to give the names of officials
who he intimated in previous testi-
mony might be involved in his charges
relating to leak of advance informa-
ton of President Wilson's peace note.
When called to the stand he faced a
list OF written questions whose answer
was demanded under threat that if
he refused he might be cited before
the bar of the House on contempt
charges and imprisoned if declared
guilty.
Before the hearings began the
committee met in secret session to
pass on proposal to ignore a writ
or haoeas corpus in case Lawson
should obtain it in fight against
contempt proceedings. Plans were
considered to prevent Lawson from
introducing the name of any represen-
tative of foreign government in his
testimony.
Recommend Wider Probe
Among others called to testify were
Barnard Baruch, of New York; +. w.
Mckinnon, of Chicago, broker: James
r. Reilly, of the Dow-Jones Company
ticker service and the Wall Street
journal: Donald Mcdonald, of Boston,
and members of the brokerage firm
of Lockwood and Company, New
York
While the committee was deliberat-
ing behind closed doors a message
was received from Lawson saying he
could not reach Washington at the
time specified for his appearance but
would arrive later in the day.
Chairman Henry then directed the
sergeant-at-arms to get Immediate
service on Lawson to bring him be-
fore the committee. A recess was
then taken pending his arrival.
The committee voted to recommend
TO the House the adoption of another
resolution which would broaden the
scope of the inquiry still further and
extend the time in which the commit
tee might report to ninety days. This
members say, would give ample op-
portunity to investigate anything that
might develop.
Later Chairman Henry received a
telegram from Lawson saying he
would arrive at p. m. Henry then
set the time for the hearing to resume
at three.
1t developed during the recess that
Chairman Henry received a letter
from Lawson yesterday laying down
certain conditions under which he
would testify. His principal conten-
tlon, 1t is understood, was that q spe-
clal congressional committee be
formed 10 interrogate him. The rules
committee will not heed the condition
James Reilly, news manager of the
Wall street Journal, and Donald Nc
Donald, head of Boston financial bu-
reau, to whom Lawson is said to have
given the name of the congressman
who he says told him the name of a
cabinet member, a congressman and a
broker who were involved in stock
market operations were waiting to tes-
tify.
Two Strengthening Resolutions
Two resolutions to strengthen the
powers of the rules committee to COM
pei witnesses to answer questions were
presented by Representative Garrett, a
member of the committee, and were
adopted soon after the House met one.
One of them was general in character
but the other would compel Lawson to
give names specifically.
Representative Campbell, Republi-
can. to-day introduced resolution for
q special committee of five to deal with
the leak" situation.