The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-27
WILL PRESS INQUIRY
Shipping Investigators
Want Truth of Alleged
$4,000 Bride.
CALLED USUAL AFFAIR
Witness Says Tribute Was So
f. Common In Capital 1t
Didn't Move Him.

Additional testimony connecting r.
emergency Fleet Corporation and
brother-in-law OF President Wilson
with the $4,000 which Wallace Dow
ney 10 alleged TO have paid as a bribe
for unusual favors at the hands of the
United States Shipping Board was
brought out yesterday when the
Walsh committee resumed its hear
fngs a. the Federal Building.
: Tucker X. Sands. former vice presi-
Cent Nof the Commercial National
Bank Of Washington, d. c.. was ques-
yioned closely at the morning session,
ana, though halting and uncertain in
many of his answers. reiterated the
Charges re made last Saturday that
he received $4,000 in notes from
Downey; that $4,000 had been real
Hed on these notes, and that the pro-
Seeds had been distributed among
himself, Boiling, Lester Sisler, former
secretary OF the Emergency Fleet
Corporation, and John Cranor, a.
Ipbbyist employed at one time by the
Dcwney Shipbuilding Corporation.
Counsel BeIitties Testimony.
! The testimony Of Sands was corrob-
Grated in part by Benjamin Franklin
Fuller, a food salesman. who said that
enc night In the late spring of 1918 he.
entered Sands's rooms at the Willard
Hotel IN Washington and saw Boiling
Va .f&t. t,aaI .aft = or
$500 which had just been given him by
Sands.
Pretty soft for your Fuller said he
told Boiling.
No" replied Boiling. according to the
witness, 1T vas pretty tough
John r. Meehan, deputy chief of the
division OF investigation of the Ship
ring Board. took the stand when Fuller
&nished his testimony. and told of his
efforts TO get at the facts IN the accu-
sation that the $4,000 was for bribery
and that Boiling was TO share in 1t. He
said that Sands and Fuller, who were
responsible for the story. were both
crooks" and that he would not attach
any Importance to what they said.
He said that the runors had been
called to the attention of officials OF the
chipping Board more than once. and
Fiat Admiral Benson, chairman of the
board: Commander Abner b. Clements,
executive assistant TO the chairman;
Martin J. Gillen. former special assist
ant to the Shipping Board, and A. NJ.
Fisher. the investigator employed by
the Walsh committee. had expressed
themselves as satisfied In their own
minds that the story was started as ar
attempt to blackmail Boiling.
For two hours Representatives Joseph
walsh OF Massachusetts, and Patrick II.
Kelley of Michigan fred question after
question at Meehan. trying TO make him
admit that tho efforts he had made to
learn the truth about Boiling did not
after all constitute a real investigation.
Meehan insisted that he had done all he
could reasonably have been expected to
30 in the circumstances. He said the
case had not been marked as closed yet
He admitted that possibly ut may be
that Boiling is lying and Sands is tell
Ing the truth
Sands Is under Indictment on a charge
OF violating the Federal banking law.
Fuller admitted on the stand that he
was indicted by the Federal Grand Jury
IN Washington in October, 1918. charged
with uttering a forgery in connection
with note purporting to have been
signed by p. d. Armour. Jr., and that
no was tried and convicted in December
OF that year and sentenced to four years
He Is now out on bail, he said. pending
appeal. He said that last summer he
worked as a special agent for the De-
psrtment OF Justice in obtaining evidence