Amarillo daily news. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 19??-current, 1920-11-27
WILSON RELATIVE
WAS BLACKMAILED,
SAYS BUREAU HEAD
MEIiN EXPLAINS FAILURE TO
lNNESfIGtTE 4 II \ Il ES
AGAINST ESIDENT'S
BROTHER ~ LAW.
~ iaicd Press

~ Associated Press.
NEW YORK, Soy. 26--iohn r.
Mcrhnn. deputy chief II the shipping
boards bureau Of investigation. tosii.
noi hofor, the Walsh committee To-.
dly that charges ~ alleged division of
money hy n W Boiling President
Wilson's hroth'rin.inW, Lester Sisloi
md Tucker X. Sands obtained from
90, Duwu,y shipbuildlnR corporation ct
New York for favorable contract"
were not thoroughly investigated" by
the board. Sisl'r II former secretary
oi the board and Sands former Wash
.ng bank official
Victim ~ Blickmail.
"" explained the departments failure
Co ~ deeper into the charges M due to
bis opinion that Mr.. Boiling, now
treasurer 81 the shipping board. was
the victim OF ATTEMPTED blackmail."
Mr,han testified. however. he had ~.
cciycl mo- instructions to halt the IN.
ycsiigation and that Il was silll open.
Mcchan had testified previously. but
hc was recalled by the committee after
Sands had repeated his allegation that
Boiling and Sislcr were involved In tho
division ~ the money. the proceeds q;
notes given 90 him by Wallace Downcy.
The extent of his bureaus inquiries.
Mcchan testified. was to talk to Boil.
ing. Admiral Benson. Martin Gilicn.
special assistant to former chairman
Payne. and 10 ascertain II the depnr,.
m,nt uf Justice had investigated the
subject.
Charges Without Foundation.
The Investigation. insofar as tho
shipping boards men went into II. he
said. took place about June this yea =.
Mcrhin added that his opinion that
the charges were without foundation
was. o. "a certain extent. induced hy the
reputation Cf the mon from whom h.
believed a., charges emanatcd lie
admitted ne did no examine Sands
books and that he did not 40 10 tho
Downcy shiphuiliing corporation to as.
certain why IL would be necessary for
tract when they had previously bcei
awarded one by the board for a much
larger sum.
Walsh QuiIlcs
Chairman Walsh asked him II he
know ~ single investigation that the
chipping board made prior 10 1920 and
Mc,han replied that h. did not.
Mcchan said his first knowledge 81
ihr charge came To him In January.
1920. when he was al Philadelphia. lie
went tu Washington. saw Alunzp Twcc.
dale comptroller ~ the beard and told
him ~ the reflection on Mr. Bollings
charactcd and standing.
Il was informed by Mr.. Twecdalc. q"
the witness said that II had been In.
ycstigatod and that he. Twccdalc, was
satisfied there WAS nothing To- a." lie
then said h. went to Boiling. and Boil
ing readily agreed that his private
Lonks should d examined which
iichcan did.
Relieved Boiling straight
\ lie said he saw an anonymous letter
addressed a. Secretary McAdoo touch.
ing on the matter and he also ascertain.
I'd that the department Of justice in
yestigation ~ the matter had disap.
proved tho allegations.
The summing up II the matter was
rs b ostatcd. that Boiling 90 his mind
on the part of Sands. lie said h. did
waS an attempted victim ~ blackmail
not wish to spread the reports further.
which he was satisfied were ground.
less. by carrying II along as a govern.
ment investigation" lie explained In.
Vcstigations worked great damage to n
person who WAS innocent. II felt" he
said that In view 81 the character 81
the men under investigation. We had
gone FAR enough
he also said he had talked with Gu
lon aud that h. also gathered from
Gillcn that the investigation had gone
lar onough-that Boiling was straight
Mechan agreed with Chairman
Walsh that. In yiwc Of the seriousness
Walsh that, In view ~ the seriousness
should D. publicly investigated and
either proved or the men against whom
they were aimed cleared II all susp.c.
ion.
Al lIT L