The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-12-01
BOILING DENIES PART IN
 $4O,OO0 POODLE SCANDAL
tContinued from Page one.)

been found to be without foundation. Alonzo Tweedale, comptroller of the board. was called as witness and testified that prior to his recommend l ing MT. Boiling for the appointment as treasurer of the shipping board he had been informed of the allegations by Boiling himself.
 Tweedale testified he ascertained that the charges against Boiling had ! been investigated by Houston Thomp- son, assistant attorney general. | through the secret service branch of the department of justice, and was as-
 sured by Thompson that there was absolutely nothing by which Boiling could be implicated or attached to the story" He also said he had talked with John T. Meehan. investigator for the shipping board. and was given similar information.
 EMINENTLY HONEST
 "Meehan told me there was nothing
 to duplicate Mir. Boiling" Tweedale
 asserted. The witness said he con
 sidered MT. Boiling an "eminently straightforward and honorable man" Boiling" he added, had millions of dollars in his hands every G.-y. I would trust any matter to hi. ware,
 knowing it would be taken care 3s as well as could do 1t myself" Boiling told the committee that the receipt of anonymous letters first ap- prised him of being implicated in the alleged distribution of $40.000. He was asked if he had investigated the origin lof the letters or had consulted Sands rahout their import, to which he re- piled he had not gone to Sands about them.
 "You say you and Sands were very good friendsr' Representative Kelly asked.
 'sYes sir" Boiling replied. Does it occur to you that you should have consulted Sands when you re- ceived those letters involving your good name. and found out what it was all aboutr" Representative Kelly asked.
 The witness replied in the negative. hut added he realized now that he should have made inquiries. M'ADOO GETS LETTER MT. Boiling testified further that the anonymous letter to MT. McAdoo was written on October T. 1918. and that the following month he accompanied Edward N Hurley, then chairman of the board. 1 to France. where he remained until | March, The decision to go abroad thwarted his intentions to conduct a searching investigation of the anonymous letter. On his return to the United States Boiling said he practically dis carded the matter as inconsequential, af- ter he received the report of the depart ment of justice and shipping board of ficials. He said the first letter written | to Joseph P. Tumulty had been de- stroyed. after the Presidents secretary thad advised him to forget all about Il" Transactions of the Providence En- gineerng corporation with the shipping board were reviewed in detail. The tes- timony was that the shipbuilding com. pany's credit did not at that time justify the award of the contract for the con. | struction of ten tug boats with an aggre. gate cost of $2.8S0000.
 | Tn accordance with this demand for additional credit by the shipping board. John T. cranor, agent of the Wallace Downey Shipbuilding corporation. was sent to Washington to seek further credit. in order to assure the execution ! of the contract. Cranor. the evidence showed, sought $125.00o additional credit l through the Commercial National bank of Washington. Tucker K. Sands, at that
 time. was vice president of this banking 1 institution.
 ] On March 15. 1918, the shipping board