The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1917-01-05
WOOD OBJECTS TO STAR CHAMBER
HEARING DURING PROBE OF LEAK

WASHINGTON, Jan. 81 am IN
formed" Representative Wood testi
fled at the public hearing of the house
rules committee today, that Barney
Baruch had information about the note
to the European belligerents two @,
three days before IL was sent and that
on two or three occasions at about
that time he was in consultation with
Mr.. Tumulty at the Biltmore hotel in
New York.
Representative Bennett Of New York,
q member OF the committee, said on
the house floor Wednesday that Ba
ruch was reported in New York to
have sold short $4,000 shares of steel
on rising market shortly before the
note was mace public.
Motion is withdrawn.
At the outset Of the hearing Repre-
sentative Campbell Of Kansas moved
To subpoena Secretary Lansing, Seere-
! tary Tumulty. Baruch and Thomas W.
lawson He was prevailed upon by
other members to withdraw his mo
ton. but he said he would make It
again later.
Representative Wood objected siren.
uouslY to testifying in public.
What information he had regarding
the so-callcd leak, he said. was only
hearsay and he feared that public
statement would interfere with the
work committee in obtaining wit
nesses,
Representative Chipcriield, OF ILL
nois. Foster of Illinois and Harrison
OF Mississippi protested SO VIGOROUS
~ against any tar chamber proceed
ings" that Representative Garrett OF
Tennessee. who had moved that the
sessions be made cyof '"". withdrew
his motion.
Gives All Information.
Chiperfield insisted that as a wit
ness sworn to tell the truth Wood
should give the committee the advan'
tage Of all the Information In his pos
session. Wood testified he had been
informed that on Wednesday, Decem-
Der 20, which was prior to publica'
ton of the note. confidential tele'
gram had been sent by r. w. Nc
Kinnon, of Thompson & Mckinnon,
brokers of Chicago, to Ralph II. Hart
10y manager OF their branch at Osh.
,koSh, Wis. advising him that the
President would have message OF i'm.
portance soon and that he should ad.
wise friends and patrons OF his office
to sell short on stocks
s. B. Friday Of Oshkosh, was named
by Wood as his informant.
Also Receive News.
Early in the afternoon OF the same
day Wood said he was informed, Law
son brothers branch brokerage office
in Lafayette. Ind, also received infor-
nation from Chicago that the Presi-
dent was about to send a peace note.
Representative Wood requested that
Otto Kahn. of Kuhn. Loeb & Co., New
York, be subpoenaed and Intercepted
regarding what advance information
he had, If any. about the note.
A resolution offered by Mr.. Campbell
to ask the New York Stock Exchange
to preserve all its books and papers
frcm Dec. 10 to the present date, and
another by Representative Harrison OF
Mississippi to make the same request
O. w. r. Hibbs & company, and any
other brokers in Washington, were
approved by the committee.
.J have information ALSO" Represen-
.tative Wood told the committee. 'that
an exchange firm here known as F. A.
Connolly & company. OF which a Mr..
Boiling, brother of the Presidents
wife. is a member, engaged IN profit
able transactions during the recent
furry. Their dealings on the STOCK
Exchange were made through Hutton
& company of New York, reputed to
be one OF the largest speculative con-
Germs in Wall street"
Asked by Representative Henry for
the source of his information, Mr..
Wood said that most OF it came from
"Mr A. Curtis. broker and stock
dealer in Wall street.
who gave you the information
about Barney Baruch and Mr.. Turn
ulty?" Representative Henry asked.
THAT came from Curtis
Did you see him, and where?
mo, never saw him." Wod re-
piled. ut came to me in letter"
Asked for the letter. the congress.
man said he did not have 1t with
him but would get 1t later
where did you get your informa.
ton about the Connolly firm and the
Mr.. Polling you spoke of"
THAT has been a common rumor
prevalent for several days." said Rep
resentative Wood. 81 heard 1t from
several sources but don't remember
just where
lyon certainly must have received
1t from some one"
"Ycs, but don't think I can recall
just who told me that. heard it
many times. l haven't taken the
names of all persons who gave me in
formation"
Here Representative Wood inter
rupted the questioning to say:
Il have said and / wish to say
again at this tine, that l have made
---