The New York herald., 1922-01-07
Report of Check for $4,000
Never Heard Before by
Brokers' Employee.
DENIAL MADE BY BERGER
Law Partner Says He Knows
Nothing Of Firm Seeking
Return of Quotations.

Whether Clayton r. Lusl. President
pro tenn OF the Senate. interested him
self as attorney or friend in an attempt
to get back the ticker service removed
from the stock brokerage offices OF
Hughes & DER by order Of the Stock
Exchange last May has been made the
subject of an investigation by David
Hirshfield. Commissioner OF Accounts.
Yesterday he examined two employees Of
the firm Of E. d. DER & Co. and for
merly Of Hughes &c Dier.
Carl NJ. Kneass Of Forest Hills, who
said he was an assistant In the firm
with the power of signing checks. was a
witness. In putting him on the stand
Commissioner Hirshfield said:
''It is common rumor that when the
tickers were removed from the office Of
your concern Stanchfield & Levy said
they could not by action in court secure
the restoration Of these tickers and that
then Senator Lusk and his partner. Ber-
ger. were employed and paid $4,000 to
get these tickers restored through po-
litical influence and. IL necessary.
through threat OF introducing legislation
through which to impress the Stock Ex-
change with the advisability OF giving
back the tickers."
An official OF the Stock Exchange last
night said the brokerage firm had not
got the tickers back. neither had they
made any application.
Senator Lusk, who was at the Murray
Hill Hotel last night, refused to COM
ment on the matter.
Senator Lusk has an office with Sam
uel A. Berger, former Deputy Attorney
General, but there Is no partnership
When the story was told to Mr.. Berger
he said:
IT never represented this firm in any
way. shape or manner. I know nothing
about the firm. / never heard OF the
two men who testified before Mr.. Hirsh-
field to-day"
Commissioner Hirshfield asked Mr.
Kneass il Mr.. Berger didn't meet Sem
ator Lusl In the offices OF Hughes &
Dier. The Witness did not think Ber-
ger was there bat he understood the
Senator was acting as the attorney for
Mr.. DER IN getting his ticker back. The
witness said Mr.. DER never said any
thing to him about giving money to
Senator Lusk. He never signed a check
for the Senator to his knowledge.
Benjamin F. Shrimpton. who had
charge OF the wire service OF the firm.
he said, met Senator Lusk In Mr.. Dier's
room In the ST. Regis Hotel. Four or
five others were there. He wouldn't
call Il conference; It was more OF
They talked about the
removal of the ticker In the course of
the evening. but most OF the talk was
about bookkeeping. Senator Lusk asked
q public accountant employed by the
firm about matters of the firms book
keeping he did not understand.
1T had something to do with the
alleged reason the Stock Exchange cut
off the ticker service?" asked Commits
sioner Hirshheid.
Yes"
80 Senator Lusk was there IN the
capacity OF a lawyer to handle the mat
ter OF attempting to have the ticker
service restored?"
81 wouldn't say SO on that particular
occasion. I would consider II more OF a
friendly call"
Did you ever sign or did you ever
see n check for $4,000 or two checks
for $1,000 each made out to Senator
Lusk or to his firm for the payment OF
services in connection with these tick
ersT'
mo. str. Nor did I hear that 10000
was to be his'fee."
The Commissioner OF Accounts said
he had been trying to get Mr.. Dicr to
testify. but had been unable TO reach
him He told Mr.. Shrimpton to tell his
employees their books would be SUBJ
pnnaed unless he appeared.