Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1924-04-21

even get replies to its letters on these
subjects.
WASHINGTON, April 2I.-Speaker
fiilett appeared at the Daugherty COM
mite" hearing today and questioned
H. l.. Scafc. committee witness ~ ~
nls statement that liquor seized ia
Washington BY prohibition agents some
years ago went 10 GiIlett's offire.
Where did you get your informa-
tion:" the speaker asked
Most Of il came from Mr.. Woodruff"
said Scaifc
CONGRESSMAN Woodruff"
Yes"
Representative Woodruff. repubIi-
can H. from Michigan
The witness turned ~ the speaker
and asked If ~ denied" that tb. Iinnor
had gone a. his office.
II certainly do said ,,ilett.
"bo you deny that trunk went
there Scaife persisted.
6illett said a constituents trunk had
Deen taken to his office but that there
was no liquor in it.
speaker tiillett then made a statement
10 the committee under oath. He ssiJ
/ that ~ the spring Of 1922 he had heard
ana denied the report thar trunk ~
liquor had com. 10 his office
IN investigation. he said hr found that
trunk from which liquor had been r..-
moved had been sent 10 hi> offir. for u
constituent in 1919
This was before the Volstead Law
but it was against the law 20 TRANSPORT
liquor through dry territory. a" the spesk-
er said, adding that his friend who own
ed the trunk. "a very distinguished
citizen Of Springfield. Mass. had heen
bound on fishing cruise and had six
| bottles Of liquor" in the trunk. II was
! breaking Of one OF these which lead 20
the seizure.
The speaker said he was out Of ths
city NJ the time. and his secretary ar
ranged to obtain the trunk and the
clothing il contained, but not the Iiouor
and ship II to MIR. b." in Springfield.
Later. he told Representative Wood
ruiz al Of the circumstances. he said
and was assured that Mr.. Scaife would
not give any more publicity 70 the mat
ter. II was printed in Springfield. how
ever. the speaker added Substantially
rs have told il here"
Everybody likes d joke on \ promi-
ncnt man. \" he said.
For witness before you to throw
! out bold statement that got liquor
from the department of justice when he
knew the facts. or had opportunity to
know the facts-well. that's an outrage.
! won't try TO conjecture what this mo-
tive may be-he may desire notoriety.
>caifc. former department of justic.
! investigator. insisted that his original
testimony needed no correction "a bix
knowledge. lie reiterated that his -ip-
formation" was that the speaker get the
liquor for "a constituent"
Department of Justice records ver.
produced by the speaker To show thar
the liquor had been removed and he sand
Scale knew this when he testified
think It Is an outrage" the speaker
said
Il don't know what his motive il. H
ne had told the whole facts 1t would have
cxonerated me-"
r. NJ boucher. n former Justice de-
partment agent. testified that during bis
employment there was always n snppIy
OF liquor in the safe in the chiefs Of
fice." meaning the office Of the chief
oi the bureau of criminal investigation
OF the department Of Justice. This
liquor was always given to people" he
said.
Boucher testified that he was "dis-
missed by William j. Burns when he
came in and said he made one "deliv-
cry" Of seized liquor to n house on II
Street.
Who lived in this house?" asked Sen
ator Wheeler.
Mr. Daugherty and Mr.. Smith"
You mean Jess Smith,"
"Yes."
The witness said he had escorted"
the liquor consignment to the II. Street
house but did not know what person IL
was delivered to. As to other deliveries
he referred the committee to "the boys
who drove the cars who made the de-
liverics."
Boucher said he had seen seized liquor
"stored" in the "chief's office" and
"the best Of il put in the safe" while
the rest was taken TO the basement. The
delivery to the house on II. Street. Bou-
cher said was in 1921 after the attorney
general took office.
"How much was taken to Daugherty's
house?" Chairman Brookhart inquired.
"It was four or six quarts" Boucher
said.