The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-01-17
Leak Inquiry Broadens When
]. P. Morgan. n. P. Dawson
and F. A. Vanderlip Called
LAWSON SAYS HE OR
HENRY IS PERJURER
Calls On Committee to Ascer.
tain Which-Mrs. Visconti
Summoned But Has Not
Yet Been Located

Yet Been Located
Washington. Jan. 1s.-Mrs. Ruth
Thomasson Visconti, the mysterious
woman, who. according TO Thomas w.
Lawson, furnished him with details
of the administration leaks to Wall
Street. was located tonight shortly
after midnight by a squad of deputies
and served with a subpoena to appear
before the House Rules Committed,
now conducting the probe. Mrs Wis.,
cont was found after thirty-six-ho
search in her fashionable Aston
Apartments. and service upon the wo-
man was obtained personally by Colo-
mel Robert b. Gordon, sergeant-at-
arms Of the House of Representatives.
Colonel Gordon said early this morn
ing that Mrs. Visconti would positive
ly appear before the leak COMMITTEES
when its session is resumed at 10
O'Clock tomorrow.
Washington. Jan. 1.-THE eternal
feminine and the lords of high finance
tonight became the central figures in
the sensational leak investigation,
which has swept the heights Of
Washington official life, and of
financial America. A search for ''tha
woman Mrs. Ruth Thomasson-vis-
cont. who has mysteriously disap-
peared, and a demand for the testi-
mony of J. p. Morgan and other
powers OF the financial world were to-
days big developments in the leak
probe. The scope of the investiga-
ton widened tonight to a point
where it became apparent that the
depths Of Wall Street financial oper-
atoms, and the innermost precincts
of the government service. high and
low. are to be probed. The inquiry
has assumed proportions that promise
a greater and more sensational In
vestigation than has been conducted
by Congress since the famous money
trust inquiry.
COMB WASHINGTON FOR
WOMAN QUOTED BY LAWSON
Tonight flying squadron of House
sergeants-at-arms combed Washing
ton and nearby cities for the mys-
FERROUS Ruth Thomasson-visconti.
who, according to Thomas w. Law
son. outlined to him the details Of
the White Wall Street leak.
She is the woman who named Secre-
tary to the President Tumulty and
w. w. Price. a newspaper man, az
the pipe lines" which carried the
leak. A twentyfour hours search
by sergeants- alarms resulted In a
report to the committee today that
she could not be found. and the COM
mittee ordered the search resumed
with greater vigor. Mrs. Visconti Ii
known in Washington to have made
some private Investigations on her
own account touching high officials.
and the committee is extremely
anxious to find her. Lawson told the
committee today that he did not be-
lieve Mrs. Visconti was the sort OF
woman to disappear if she were want-
ed. But at her apartment house
home 1t was stated that no one knew
where she was although it was not
believed she had left Washington.
The possibilities in Mrs. Visconti's
disappearance and her testimony
have aroused official Washington to :
high pitch of excitement
MIsSISSIPPIAN WANTS
TESTIMONY OF HIGH FINANCE
The demand for the testimony Of
the big men of financial America
came today as bolt out of the blue.
Representative Harrison. OF Mis-
sissippi. without warning. moved that
the committee summon j. p Morgan
and Henry =. Davidson, OF the hrm
of ]. +. Morgan & Co. Frank A.
Vanderlip, president of the National
City Bank; J. S. Bache and Arthur
Upper. of New York. and Sol Wekle9t
of New Orleans. These men Represents
the length and breadth Of the finAnS
cial world and Representative HAr~
rlson said he desired to get whatever
information they might have. He
gave no indications of what he WANT
ed to ask them and there was no
mention of their names in todAy'1
proceedings
The increasing scope of the investi.
CATION and the fact that high finance
and officialiom have been combed for
witnesses brought about demand
that the committee secure competent
counsel and proceed with the inquiry
with care and thoroughness. The Re-
publican members of the COMMITTEES
suggested that lawyer familiar With
Wall Street operations and competent
to handle the delicate questioning ok
great men be secured. The Demo~
cratic members took the Suggestt04
under Serious Amusement. Severa1
prominent lawyers have been su9S
gested for the place.
Won BERNSTORFFrs NAME
is AGAIN BROUGHT IN
Diplomatic Washington began .
take the leak situation seriously today
"a 1t became apparent that the inquiry
had broadened out. During day ~
sharp cross-examination of Tho1n<1
w. Lawson. German Ambassador ~
Bernstorff's name has again 49,
brought to the front LAwson Id
that Chairman Henry told him t1A3
he had heard Won Bernstorn had madM
So, 600. zoo In tha peace raid IN -
stock market. Lawson said no tc4M
Henry he did not believe the Youog
Ambassador Won Bernstor6 made ~
following statement: III se8 8S
s.MF. Lawson sayn ~ d0en -
nclieve I'mAa1r fla6 $500 sas!kA
which h MpcnkM - - AoG
r,sarank AnOA $780, - - 3& Fl