New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-02-04
J. Fred Essary, Reporter
and Broker, Testifies He
Gave Out Information
PRICE ALSO ADMITS
HE SENT MESSAGES
Boiling, in Tears, Begged
Vindication of Mrs.
Wilson, Says Operator

Washington, Feb. 3.-Two Washing
ton newspapermen, ]. Fred Essary,
head of "The Baltimore Sun" bureau,
and ". W. Price, White House corre-
spondent of "The Washington STAR"
admitted at the "leak" inquiry to-day
that on December 20 last they supplied
advance forecasts of President Will
sons peace note OF December 81. which
eventually found their way to the Of
fee OF L. F. Hutton e. Co., New YORK
brokers.
Essary, Washington broker and
partner OF K. W. Boiling, a brother-in-
law of President Wilson, said 1t was
without financial gain that he prepared
the telegram Connolly previously had
testified he wrote and sent to the Hut
ton house over his private wire. Such
information rs the message contained
Essary said he gained from converse
tons with other newspapermen and
deductions he made from his knowl-
edge of the international situation:
He added that he was not one OF
the group of correspondents contden-
TALLY advised by Secretary Lansing
that the note was coming.
Price testified that he sent two mes
sages to Chicago brokers-Frederick
A. Aldrich and Finley, Barrel e. Co.
telling them he understood Secretary
Lansing was about to issue a state
ment" touching on peace. He said he
was regularly employed to furnish such
information. Both went to the same
address as that of Clemen, Curtis &
Co., brokers, Chicago, and less than an
hour later a message, signed "Clem-
ent" and using much of Prices Ian
guage, was received by the Hutton OF
fees in New York.
Price insisted that his messages were
based on information he had received
from other reporters, which he did not
consider confidential, and his own in
depreciation Of the situation.
A story Mrs. Ruth Thomson Visconti
told Thomas W. Lawson, alleging Price
was the gobetween for Secretary Tu-
multy and others in certain Wall
Street deals during the "leak" period
brought Price nto the hearing weeks
ago.
George A. Ellis, jr, member Of the
Hutton firm, supplemented the testl-
mony of both Essary and Price. He
wrote the warning" message, sent
broadcast 10 Hutton correspondents,
which he based, it now develops, on Es-
ssry'S information.
With tears in his eyes, Edwin A.
Roper, telegraph operator for Con-
molly, to whom Essary handed the fore
cast of the note, told to-day how Boil
ing had pleaded with him to tell the
truth and set him right before the
country Boiling did not know the
source of the note, he said, until within
a few days.
"For two weeks" said Roper, "Boll-
ing was in tears. He said the public
looked at him as though his sister had
violated the confidence Of the Presl-
dent. | have been wanting to come
here, but did not want to put Essary
in wrong. Several times | started. but
| turned back. Then yesterday Boil
ing implored me again TO come up and
tell the truth. You subp9naed me,
and here | am. When ! left the office
to-day Boiling said. God bless you!'"
Essary testified that he had known
Connolly for years, had an office near
him in a downtown building and was
trying to help him all he could by CIV
ing him his opinions of public matters
which might interest him.
The committee will continue its In
vestigation on Monday. With the in
formation obtained to-day, future
hearings in New York seem doubtful.