New Britain herald., 1923-11-15
Counsel Declares He Will Bare Past Life of Former Organization Director.
Delves Into His Personal Affairs and Brings in Matter of His Recent Divorce Suit.

1 Washington. Nov. 15.-Stirred by l Charles R. Forbes charges against committee counsel, John F. O'Ryan told the senate Veterans committee today that he expected to prove 'convincingly the whole truth of Mortimer's charge that Colonel Forbes was one of the gang of con- spirators who were tied together cheek and jowl to defraud the gov- ernment."
 "I expect further to show" O'Ryan said, that this criminal conduct was i in consonance with his previous life record"
 The statement of General ORyan, who Is the committees general coun- Sel, was made immediately upon re- sumption of the hearing and before the cross-examination of the former director of the Veterans bureau was resumed.
 Yesterday in the cross-examina. ton of Colonel Forbes" O'Ryan said. The made charges that the testimony thus far introduced which impeaehes his character. is not only false, but | l perjury and the coercion of witnesses. He also charged that documents and papers which would have indicat- ed the innocence of Colonel Forbes were withheld by counsel for the com- mittee.
 When asked for proof of thess charges, the witness said that his counsel was in possession of the proof and thereupon his counsel said he was prepared to offer the proof of the committee.
 'I did not wish at that time to abandon the cross-examination of the witness to go into a collateral mat ter. It is a well known recourse of embarrassed witnesses to district nt- tention from themselves by attacking others.
 l Assails Eorles Colonel Forbes I regard as irrp- l sponsible. l expect. however. to prove much more than irresponsibil- ity in his conduct of office and in his lack of care of the disabled. Colonel Easby-Smith fcounsel for Forbes) Is an officer of the court and is responsible, and ask him here and now if he has any proof of any fm- proper action toward any witness or improper action of any other charac- ter upon my part or upon the part of Major Arnold, my assistant counsel 7''
 Chairman Reed interrupted to say that the committee had announced over and over again that this was not trial ot Forbes or any other person and that the committee did not de- sire to lose sight of the main issue, which IS the investigation of the vet- erans' bureau. He added. however. that If the committees processes have been used for the suppression Of the truth, the committee desired to know if.
 Mir Easby-smith responded that hs would submit a list of witnesses 10 the committee in connection with Forbes charges and would furnish tho committee with a list of docu- ments which Forbes claims were withheld
 General O'Ryan then demanded to know whether those charges were dts rected against general counsel or as- sistant coUnsi, and Mir. Easby-smith replied:
 Makes No Charge
 "l am making no charges. Tho charges are made by Colonel Forbes. I hold that this questioning Of me by committee counsel is entirely im- proper. I shall consult with the cor1- mittee and furnish the list or wit nesses at the noon recess if that is de- sirablp"
 Chairman Reed said tho committes would meet him at that time. and the eross-ezafnination of Forbes was resumed.
 IL developed today that Mrs. Elias H. Mortimer. wife of one of the chief witnesses against Forbes had been examined by the committee tn exscu- tive session. The record Of this ex- animation has not been made public and probably will not be for some time. Mrs. Mortimer accompanied her husband and Forbes and his of- ncial party on the famous Pacific coast trip in the summer of 1929 and i was understood that she was ques- toned at length with regard 10 iu- cidents on that trip.
 Are you a native American. or naturaIized citizen 9" Forbes vas asked by General O'Ryan al the out set Of t0day's examination.
 SaiuTaIiysrI Citiz,n
 .I am natura1ized cftizen-
 U'Ryan wanted to know if the for- mer bureau director had had sn altercatiom with Mortimer on I.abor Day. 1923.
 'I had some words with him. but do not remember when it was"
 was f about Mrs. Mortimer"
 'T don't remember. IL might have been partially about her"
 Forbes conceded that Mortimer had found the former director and Mrs Mortimer in an apartment al the Park Inn here. but de- clarpd the door was wide open.
 The former director denied that it s-ss a few days later that he became
 tContinuad From First PageJ indignant becausp Of Morfimer's con-