New-York tribune., 1920-11-21
Broker Says Il. W. Boiling
Got $1,000 ia Form of
Loan for Part i'm Land
ing$2,O0O, ,ONOContract
Sands's Testimony
Proves Conflicting
e
Declares He Got SESAME
of the Money Paid ;ss
Downey Go. President

Charges that $4,000 in graft was
paid by the president OF the Wal
lace Downey Shipbuilding Corpora
ton. of Staten Island, for.assistance
in obtaining S2,000,0 900 contract
from the Shipping Board we're n.ade
yesterday at the Congressional in
vestigation under way in this city.
It also was testified that R. w.
Boiling, treasurer Of the Shipping
Board and brother-n-law of Presi-
dent Wilson, and Lester Sisler, Sec
retary Of the board, shared in this
graft. -
Mr.. Bolling's share in the alleged
graft, according to the testimony.
was to have been $4,000. Of this
amount, it was testified, he got only
about 81 800 in the fern of a loan.
The main witness, who made the
charges under oath ard in the face Of
repeated challenging Of his testimony.
which was often contradictory. BIZ
Congressman Walsh, chairman of the
committee, and Congressman Kelley. of
Michigan, was Tucker S. Sands. He
gave his address as Al West Forty
fourth Street, New York City, and said
he was manager of the brokerage firm
of Halstead & Harrison. At the time
Of payment of alleged graft, Mr.. Sands
testified, he was cashier for the Com
merciai National Bank, in Washingto,h
and was on intimate terms with Mr.
Boiling.
Flat denial of his story was made
last night by Mr.. Boiling and the Wal-
lace Downey Corporation
Says Affidavit Is Correct
Sands asserted under oath that an
affidavit drawn up some time ago by
Alfred McCann, newspaper man, and
a man named Schwartzkopf, embodying
the charges involving Mr. Boiling and
Mr.. Sister and presented to him for
signature, was substantially correct. A
photostatic copy Of the affidavit, the
original Of which had been DESTROYED
was shown to the witness by Congress-
man Walsh. Sands Identified the docu-
ment as we'll as certain notations and
corrections ne had made in his own
handwriting. He said he ultimately re-
fused to sign the affidavit on advice of
his attorney, Peyton Gordon, of Wash
ington. The photostatic copy of the
affidavit was made by Mr.. McCann at
the Offices of the Shipping Board be-
fore tho destruction Of the original
Dispatches from Washington last
night quoted Mr.. Boiling as saying that
there was not grain of truth in Mr..
Sands's assertions. The dispatches
also said that Admiral Benson had
made the statement that Mr. Bolhng's
explanation Of the charges was "per-
focty satisfactory" Mr.. Boiling de-
clared that be expected to appear be-
fore the committee and would wait
until that time to answer any charges
or questions concerning his actions a.
treasurer Of the Shipping Board.
Boiling Was Board Clerk
At the time of the alleged payment
of the graft, yesterdays testimony in
dicated, MIR. Boiling was merely clerk
IN the Office OF the treasurer of the
Shipping Board.
The persons who shared in the graft,
according to Sands's testimony, were
four-Mr. Boiling, Mr.. Sisler, John
Cranor, a representative of the Wal
iace Downey Shlpbuilding Corporation,
and himself. His own share in the
transaction, the witness said, was
$4,000.
Sands testified also that he attempted
to obtain the influence Of Mr.. Boiling
and William G. McAdoo, at that time
Secretary Of the Trea sury, in having
the Depar' ment Of Justice and the
United States District Attorney
handling the case quash an indictment
brought against him for permitting
the General Shipbuilding and Aero
Company TO over1raw its account al
the bank at which he was employed.
Although Sands refused to say definite
ly that MIR Boiling declined to inter
cede in his behalf. letter written bv
Mr.. Boiling to Sands and read into the
record showed that Mr.. Boiling turned
down his request. Sands also failed
TO obtain the assistance Of Mr.. Nc
Adoo
Say Charges Were Not Probed
The matter involving the Sands
charges was first presented to the
committee yesterday by A. VI. Fisher,
It's clerk and statist:cian. Mr.. Fisher
ttStl4tcu tuGl He Udu PtISOHdl9y pre-
sented the charges contained in the
Sands affidavit to Commander A. b.
Clements, executive assistant to Ad-
mral Benson.
Mr. McCan. who followed Mr. Fisher
on the stand testified trat he had
called the affidavit to the attention OF
Secretary OF the Navy Daniels, Secre-
tary of Agriculture Meredith and Sec
retary of the Treasury McAdoo He
explained he did so because a member
Of the Presidents family was involved
and he considered it advisable to have
the matter settled one way or another.
Both Mr.. Fisher and Mr.. McCann as
serted that as far as they knew no in
vestigaton Of the charges had ever been
made by the Shipping Board or the
Cabinet members to whose attention
they had been brought
Mr. McCsnn testified that he first
learned of the matter from Mr.. Gano.
at that time district auditor for the
Shipping Board at New York, who in
pat <