The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1917-01-19
Arrives in Washington TO
Prepare for Examinations
Next Week.
WOMAN OF MYSTERY
WILL TAKE STAND
Mrs. Visconti. Who Exposed Deal
to be First Witness
Tried.
Special Dispatch to The Tribune.

| Special Dispatch TO The Tribune.
Washington, Jan. fisherman l.
Whipple, a well-known Boston Demo
cratic lawyer. was today unanimously
chosen by the House Rules Committee
to serve as counsel to conduct the leak
investigation. The decision to employ
Whipple was reached this afternoon
and he was summoned to Washington
by wire to review the testimony al
ready submitted and be ready to re-
sumo the probe Monday morning.
The announcement was made by the
committee tonight that Mrs. Visconti
would be the first witness called Mon
day morning. She will be asked to re-
peat the statement she made to ThOS.
w. Lawson, when she asserted that
J. p. Tumulty, Secretary to President
Wilson, and w W. Prize. a uewspa-
perman attached to the White House,
were go-betweenS in leaks from the
White House to Wall street.
Indignation of the Republicans was
expressed in Il formal statement by
Representative Campbell, who declared
the investigation must not be smoth-
cred or strangied. He aSsailed the
Democrats aS seeking to make a par
tisan investigation by employing par
tiSan counsel, ''the conclusion being"
he asid, that the Democratic men,
bers believe it important to do So
A score Of prominent witnesses, in
cluding Wall street operators, bank
ers, brokers, editors and others, were
excused this morning, subject TO call
Of the committee. No more public
hearings are expected this week.
Neither branch Of Congress will be in
session Saturday, as adjournment is
planned out off respect to Admiral
Dewey, whose funeral will be held at
the Capitol. It is planned to resume
the hearings Monday.
The question of velaeity raised be-
tween Henry and Thomas W. Lawson,
and repeated charges Of Republican
partiSanShip from Democratic men,
bers Of the Investigating Committee,
have complicated the work of inquiry.
The aim now is to obtain the type of
counsel described by Representative
Lenroot, Republican member Of the
committee, as one to be acceptable not
only to the Democratic and Republican
members of the committee, but to both
side sof the House and the country at
large.
The keenest disappointment, so far
as the public is concerned, is that it
has not yet had the opportunity to
hear the testimony Of Mrs. Ruth
Thomason Visconti. the mysterious
woman named by Lawson as authority
for his statement that w. W. Price, a
White House newspaper correspond
ent. was "go-between' in the deal"
to Wall street. It was she, according
to Lawson, who said Price received
$4,000 and Joseph T. Tumulty. the
Presidents secretary, got "much
more"
Mrs. Visconti now is in SecluSion.
Rumors here today were that another
woman, formerly in the employ of the
Carnegie Peace Foundation, might ap-
pear before the committee soon and
that her testimony would rival that
expected from Mrs. Visconti. An eff
fort is being made to find this woman.
She is believed to be in New York.
If Mrs. Visconti's testimony sub
Lawson's statement, there is
a growing feeling that the investiga-
ton should pass out Of the hands of
the Rules Committee to 4 special COM
mittee.