Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-11-18
M0RTIMER'S WIFE. WAS
PROMISED FINE CAR, IS
WITNESS TESTIMONY


Continued from First Page.)
on which Mortimer said code for use
| OF himself, the contractors and others
| had been agreed upon in connection
with communications relating to hos
pitfalls.
Appointment By Wire.
| Another telegram signed Jones'"
| dated at Omaha on about August 10
and addressed to Mortimer. said:
VIII meet you in Minneapolis
Tuesday"
! Mortimer testified that this tele-
gram was from Black. that he had re-
minded Black later that his code name
| was "Briscoe" and that he had re-
piled that at his age names meant
no difference. that one was as good
as another
The witness said he met Black in
Minneapolis and that the conference
had to do with the hospital at St.
Cloud, MIMI. which Mortimer previ-
ously testified was one of those to be
included in the split" OF western
hospital work between the Thomp-
son-Black Company and the Hurley
Mason Company.
Says They Met Mt Hotel.
You heard Col. Forbes testimony
that he and Mrs. Mortimer were
| never alone except on one occasion
! for couple of minutes in the Ward
!; man Park Hotel?" asked Mr.. Organ.
! YES. SIR
| Organ then read into the record
n telegram addressed to Mortimer in
Washington and sent from White Sui
. phur Springs. w. Va. on August 80.
! 1922. ut said:
! Colonel motoring back Saturday
morning. Mr.. Sweet arrives Friday
morning. Wire your plans. Love.
| katherine"
! Mortimer explained that he and Mrs.
| Mortimer went to the Greenbrier
Hotel at White Sulphur Springs in
August, 1922, and that to his utter
SURPRISE" Forbes arrived about two
days later.
! We had a suite on the third floor"
he continued, and to my utter aston
| ishment, on the other side of the
living room there was another room
! that had been reserved for Col.
! Forbes. When / found II out ! had
! other matters relative to Mr.. Forbes
that l was looking into very seriously
at the time and l went to Washington
| to get the Information.
| when l received this telegram, l
went back that night and Mr.. Sweet
was on the same train with me-"
| Explains His Letter.
Mortimer was questioned about the
! letter he wrote to Mrs. Mortimer on
| last November l characteriZing as "a
! lie from start to finish" the testimony
! of J. NJ. williams Of Philadelphia
before the committee.
| Mortimer said there were scare
lines" in the Philadelphia newspapers
that Mrs. Mortimer was to get from
Forbes $4,000 due to Mortimer: that
Mrs. Mortimer crying. called him on
the telephone In Philadelphia and
asked him about II. He said he told
her he would write her a letter, and
; did.
| II was referring to Mr.. Williams
| testimony about the $4,000 Nor
timer said II had not read his other
| testimony"
! Mortimer told the committee that
he was trying to effect reconcile
alton with Mrs. Mortimer. and that
/ he wanted to shield her" He added
that he would not have then. and
would not now, do anything to hurt
her"
Conspiracy Ii Charged.
Mortimer charged that Forbes.
Charles F. Cramer. general counsel
for the Veterans Bureau, who com
Thompson and himself had entered
into a conspiracy whereby the Pom
tiac Construction Company Of Detroit,
Mich. was to be informed of the
amounts Of the other bids on the
foundations for the Northampton.
Mass. hospital and then permitted to
put In it's bid.
His testimony was that Cramer was
to open the bids and to inform J. w.
Thompson at the Lee House, this city,
Of the figures. Mortimer said this
explained why the Pontiac company's
bid was not in when the others were
opened.
The Pontiac Company got the con-
tract, as II agreed to finish the work
IN sixty days, as against 100 days for
it was understood between himself
and Forbes that time was to be the
'.cs4ence of the contract" and that IL
his company was low on time Forbes
could manipulate" 80 1t would get
the contract.
Asked About $500 Bills.
Cross-questioned about his previous
Testimony that he gave Forbes ten
$500 bills In the Drake Hotel at Chi
cagO in June. 1922. Mortimer said he
returned to the hotel in the late
afternoon and Thompson gave hxn
$4,000 in the bathroom Of the Forbes
auto and he called Forbes in and
Forbes and Mrs. Mortimer were
rhooting craps on the bed" Mortimer
said. and he had his coat of. He
had won $3.50 from Mrs. Mortimer. 1
gave her the money to pay him, bat
| don't know, whether she gave it
We're they there alone~ asked
Chairman Reed.
"Oh, no." said Mortimer, "Thomp-
son was there shooting craps and
there were q number Of others there"
Other Persons There.
The witness could not recall. the
names of the others. saying so many
people were. IN and out" during the
afternoon that he could not recall
You realize that you've testified
here to matters very discriminating to
yourself?' asked Senator Reed.
Yes. sir" said Mortimer.
=, "W y,,f,r,:, your motive for testifying
Its a personal matter that ia like
to explain to the committee privately"
Don't you realize that the ar
rangement made at Hayden Lake
constituted q conspiracy to defraud
~lA