The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1923-11-15
FORBES PASSES
LIE AT INQUIRY
Flatly Denies Charges That
He Furnished Conf
dental Tips.
SAWYER WANTS BOOZE
Refused to Honor acquisitions
Because Quantities
Were Excessive.

tails of his denial of the charges
against him, former Director Charles
R. Forbes Of the Veterans Bureau, put
new thrills into the senate veterans
investigation today by fatty contra
dieting the testimony of several pre-
vious witnesses.
He passed the lie direct to Elias H.
Mortimer of Philadelphia, who had
told the investigating committee that
under Forbes administration confiden-
tial information was furnished GER
tain contractors rega1 ding proposed
hospital sites.
eff Mortimer states that" the for
mer director said, she states that as a
lie"
Then he turned to Mortimer, and
exclaimed:
''You lie."
Chairman Reed of the. committee in
terposed.
''You are testifying to the commit
tee, and it is not necessary for you
to address other persons" he said.
Contradicts DIR. Sawyer Also.
The witness also contradicted direct
ly the testimony of DR.. Charles E..
Sawyer.
Counsel for Forbes, read into the
record requisition on the Veterans,
Bureau for supplies for the soldiers
home at Dayton, Ohio, made by Gener-
al Sawyer. It called for twenty bar
rels of whiskey, twenty barrels of al
cohol, 100000 sheets, 100000 towels,
and $4,000 blankets, 100000 yards of
gauze and 100000 yards of gauze
bandage. This requsition, Forbes said
he refused to fill.
"Why?" asked the committee chair
man, Senator Reed, Republican of
Pennsylvania.
"The quantities were excessive"
Forbes responded.
Says Mortimer Testimony False.
The witness characterized as "ab-
solutely false" the testimony of Nor
timer that the Thompson Black COM
pany of Chicago, which Mortimer said
he represented, was furnished with a
confidential" list of proposed sites
for hospital sites, so it could elect the
one on which it preferred to build.
2uSSIlOHSQ dUOuG HIS relations WIFI
Mr.. and Mrs. Mortimer, Forbes said
he met Mrs. Mortimer first at the Vet
Grams Bureau, and soon afterwards
was introduced to Mortimer. He de-
MED that Mrs. Mortimer was at the
bureau on soldier welfare work, say
ing she was there to visit woman en-
ploye.
He said he became "fairly intimate"
with the Mortimers and found them
agreeable companions" Coming then
to the famous Pacific coast trip with
them in the summer Of 1922, Forbes
said it was Mortimer who suggested
that he and Mrs. Mortimer accompany
the Forbes party to the west, as Nor
timer never had been to that section
Loans Forbes $4,000.
L stated that there would be lot
of men in the party" the witness con-
tinued, shut that I did not see any OBJ
lection to their going if they desired"
Forbes testified as to the arrange
ment of the rooms of his. official party
at the Drake hotel, Chicago, where
Mortimer claims he loaned Forbes
$4,000 in the form of ten $500 bills.
Up 10 CHaC Time, FofDeS- SAID, MOrtl-
mer had been talking about contracts.
But l never gave him any encourage
ment," he added.
What about drinking parties on the
Pacific coast trip" Easby-Smith, Col.
Forbes counsel, asked
Il know of no drunkenness on that
trip, except Mr.. Mortimer" Forbes re-
piled. Il swear to God there was no
carousing or anything wrong on that
trip"
Denies Lake Leap.
Nov what about Mortimer's story
about you and a lady friend jumping
into the lake at Hayden Lake ?" asked
Easily Smith.
How does he know; he wasn't
there" Forbes answered.
Then he explained that he and some
friends went on fishing trip in the
afternoon and that there was sug-
gestion that the party go bathing.
Forbes said all were roughly dressed
and that he jumped into the water,
which was about three feet deep.
Forbes then denied Mortimer's story
Continued on page 81