The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1920-11-26
SANDS STICKS
TO HIS STORY
Reiterates Charge Wilson's
Brother-i r-in-Law Was to
Get Part Of Bribe.

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New York, Nov. as.--d, N s.)-
Tucker X, Sands. again on the witnes.
stand before the congressional shipping
probers today. stuck 10 his story tina,
notes for $4,000 were given by the
Wallace Downey shipbullding corpora.
tion as commission fdt obtaining a
large contract for building ships. He
reiterated that his ;fee" was to bs
shared, according to hisscherge. by r,
Wilmer Boiling. brother.in Jaw Of Pres
ident Wilson.
Edward 8, Mailman. cashier Of the
Corn Exchange bank. New York. who
was the FIRST witness. told the commit
tee that two notes. ono TOR $40 800. and
another for $4,000 signed by Wallace
Iowney. had passed through the Corn
Exchange bank.
The witness was not asked to whom
these notes were made payable. but he
was requested to furnish data show
ing loans made by the Corn Exchange
bank to tho Downey shipbulding cor
poration March 1. 1917. to March 1. 1919.
He also was asked to supply the COM
mittee with records showing the
monthly status Of the Dcwnyy account.
Sands charge was that the alleged
$4,000 brlbe ito get fat shipbuildIng
contract" was offered 20 him. Boiling
ana Lester Siseir. formerly secretary OF
the shipping 6oard.
Jacob Nieman. assistant cashier OF
the Hanover National bank. who was
next called 70 the stand. testified that
the two Downey notes mentioned by
Mailman. also passed fhrough his bank.
which, he added. acted IL agent for the
Tacoma Park Nationai bank, Of WASH
ington, ID. q.
Both Mailman ana NIeman said that
no official OF any branch of the govern
ment had at any time made any Inquiry
at either bank " coanectlon with these
two notes.
Sands, who then assumed his esti-
days. for 5000 tc Is BALD by II. D.
Mepham tv the Co1umercial National
bank, WaahinEtpa. sands said Me-
phan was a friend III Nsler This note
was was signed by &. II Gray. Of Kansas
On tie reverse side was a notation
OF s575. above me signature Of III. b.
Chairman waish irisd to nnd out
what connection tnsra was between
testified he had pald sisler. He de
lowlns the paemeiif II Hlpler,
"AA far an this tIu<N KoHg, there r.
/. aot 2. z word q 9 inef ppo. 4 y show
that Nj, blaer got pNaEd fgr Obtain,
building corporation. is thereY" Asked
Chairman Walsh. .st
mo, there u not" Sands admitted,
ibid you have any controversy with
Wallace Downey7"
Yes" replied the witness "First,
on the grounds on which the $40 900 was
given. and. second. that the amount OF
!. was excessive"
Sands said he had dispute with
Downey at Washington M to what
the $4,000 was to be paid Tor
Mr.. Dpwney wanted this TO be
charked as a fee for securing financil
accommodations, Sands testified. "But
! told him ] understood Il was for
securing contract" 4
did Mr., Downey know how this
money was To- be divldedg" asked
II don't think NO."
DID you mention Mr.. Bolling's
mo. SIR"
.".or Mr.. sislor's'"
mo, SIR"
Sands said he had obtained a credi,
og 100000 for the Downey ship build.
ing corporation AZ his bank.
You are not prompted in maleing
,nene ,nss, - sta,sments hn,i by . spirit Of black
scern?" Sands was asked.
NO: sir; no. sir" Sands said. adding
,nai s ns was sorry they had been
!, Sands dsc'arec thar he had given
possession and that he would produce
the checks, cancelled now. by which he
said he had distributed the money pro-
cured from discount OF notes received
from Wallace Downey. OF the Wallace
powney Shiphuildine corporation. and
head Of the Providence Engineering
corporation. Sands said he thought Tho
occasion for a visit to him In his hotel
In New York " Boiling and Mr.. aisler
was IN connection with the tugboat
'Do you know n they hslped 10 get
the contract7" sands was asked,
II think they did" he replied, adding
that they nev,r talked 10 him about
II except that when he inquired how
u was eomlng along" he was told ''en-
Fifteen thousand dollars OF the $40,
600 never wns distributed because he
had never received II from Downey,
Sands said. In explaining the dlscrep-
ancy between the $4,000 he said was
distributed ana the $4,000 he said wns
Intended to he distributed.
BENJAMIN Franklin Fuller, who said
he formerly was employed by the de-
partment Of justice and was awaiting
an appeal from a four-year sentence In
the District Of Columbia federal court,
whore he was tried for alleged forgery.
testified that he saw Sands give Boiling
a check for 5000 or $500 In Sands room
In the summer OF 1918. Fuller said
that at the time he had been 'dicker-
ing with Sands on a proposal that
he, Fuller. buy four notes for $4,000
each and that when he went TO Sands
room he saw Mr.. Boiling there He
said he saw the check and heard ono
Of them sny II wns for $500 or $500
II laughingly aaid that was chicken
fesr" said Fuller. adding that II did
not strike him As strange as there was
lots Of that kind Of work going on In
Fuller said he did not know what the
check was for, that Sands told him
after Mr.. Boiling had left the room
that Sands had procured some money
On the "Downey notes" and that those
fellows knew OF H."
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