The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-01-08

Among the witnesses called for to-
day were Secretary Of State Lansing,
Joseph P. Tumulty, secretary 70 the
President; Thomas w. Lawson, Bos-
ton f1nancier; Charles H. Sabin, pres
ident of the Guaranty Trust company,
New York; Bernard M. Baruch and
Otto Kahn, New York broker; Wash
ington representatives of Wall street
Journal, Financial America and the
Central News association and the
managers of the local branches OF the
Western Unio.s and Postal Telegraph
companies. y
All but Secretary Lansing and Sec
retary Tumulty had been subpoenaeo.
The newspapermen had been sum-
moned to testify regarding their
knowledge of ticker service reports on
the day the Presidents peace note
was given out.
Mr. Kahn and Mr. Sabin were the
first witnesses to arrive. They con-
ferred with Chairman Henry to ar
range testimony.
When the hearings opened Repre-
sentative Campbell, Republican, moved
that the committee subpoena F. M.
Lockwood and company, brokers, 46-4S
Broadway, New York, to bring gapers
and documents showing sales from
Dec 10 to 23 The committee decided
to consider in it's executive session.
On motion Of Representative Clipper
field, the Boston stock exchange was
ordered to preserve its brokers slips
for the same period.
Joseph P. Tumulty, secretary to
President Wilson, was then called and
read a journal statement. CThe state
ment will be found elsewhere in The
Farmer today)
Chairman Henry, of the rules COM
n1ittee, announced that he had no
questions to ask and Representative
Campbell questioned Mr.. Tumulty.
do you know who aided in the
preparation Of this note?'
1.-The President prepared and wrote
the note himself said Mr.. Tumulty.
HE is an expert typewriter in addi-
tion to his other achievements"
did any stenographer or clerk in
the executive offices know OF the ex-
fstence of the note?"
'I do not know
Mr. Tumulty added that he had
tried to find out how a leak could
have occurred but had been unable to
get any definite information.
''The mere mechanics of preparing
the note might make it possible for it
to get out" he said "My first knowl-
edge that a note had been given out
came from The Associated Press cor
respondent at the White House on the
afternoon of Dec. 20. He, told me when
I returned from lunch that the note
had been given out. 1 asked him what
note and he said the peace note"
Representative Chipperfeld asked
Secretary Tumulty if he knew that
C1yrt of 10Th
street, New York, former president of
the National Bank of North America,
was in fact the "a. Curtis who wrote
the letter. Mr. Tumulty said he did
not.
Mr.. Tumulty added he did not think
the Teak could have occurred on >the
note through any employe Of the ca
ecutive office. He then read a letter
from l.. T. Russell, editor Of the New
ark Morning Ledger, fererring to the
mysterious "a. Curtis who wrote
Representative Wood, author of the
investigation resolution.
TWhat prompts me to write,'' said
the letter. "is note, one by the name
Of Curtis is brought in as having
written the Wood letter using your
name and I recall that on a number
Of occasions under various suspicious
circumstances since nave Deen In
Newark I have received telephone
calls from New York from a man
calling himself Curtis and alleging
himself to be a banker or broker. In
each case he undertook to give me
tips of various sorts of what was hap
pening, not only in the financial
world, but on one occasion called me
up on the telerrlone to tell me that he
had good reason to believe. that Dor
othy Arnold was at an Orange. n. j.,
hotel. During the Standard Oil strike
he called up almost daily, giving what
purported to be inside information
and also predicting future develop
ments
II made considerable inquiry but
could never identify or locate Mr.. Cur
tia"