Evening star., 1940-05-02
Stanley Denounces
Bribery Charge as
Malicious Fa|sehood
Former U. S. Aide Denies
Offering Opposing
Attorney 100000


Attorney 100000
BY the Associated Press.
William Stanley, a former Assist
ant Attorney General, characterized
as deliberate and malicious false
hood" yesterday testimony that as
counsel for the Columbia Gas g.
Electric Corp. he had offered an at
torney for a group d Missouri
Kansas Pipe Line stockholders a
100000 "bribe" to "be friendly"
Appearing before Senate Judici-
ary Subcommittee, Mr.. Stanley, who
resigned as Assistant Attorney Gen.
eral in 1895 and later formed law
partnership with former Attorney
General Homer Cummings, asserted
the testimony was such a silly
statement that 1t should need no
answer"
The statement to which he re-
ferred was made before the sub
committee about two weeks ago by
Robert w. Woolley, who said Mr..
Stanley offered him the 100000 a
few months after leaving the De-
partment of Justice.
WoJhey Repeats Charge.
AS Mr.. Stanley concluded his re-
ply with the "falsehood" character
ization, Mr.. Woolley, seated across
the committee table, said bluntly:
Il can return that doublefold. You
have lied on several occasions"
Chairman Hatch, Democrat, of
New Mexico of the subcommittee,
broke in to admonish both men that
"the record will not be benefited in
any way by personal exchanges"
The subcommittee has been con-
sidering a proposal by Senator Nye,
Republican, or North Dakota for an
investigation of enforcement of the
antitrust laws in the natural gas
and petroleum industry.
Mr.. Stanley told the committee
that his negotiations with Mr..
Woolley concerned a private suit be-
tween the Mokan Pipeline receivers
and Columbia Gas and Electric and
not antitrust litigation brought by
the Justice Department.
Working for Settlement.
He was employed by Columbia,
MIR. Stanley said, in the Mokan case
and instructed to work out a settle
ment OF the suit with Mr.. Woolley
after deciding against representing
the company in the Justice Depart
ment case.
AT one time he said, II did ad-
wise Mr.. Woolley that, if the Depart
ment OF Justice had no objection
and If the courts in Delaware ap-
proved, I would recommend to nv
clients that they provide, as a part
OF the money settlement of the
private suit, an additional $1OO, 900
Tor Mr.. Woolley's client so that his
client might give it to Mr.. Woolley
for his service.
"Mr. Woolley wanted $500 900
which I thought was ridiculous, and
told him so.
That was the only occasion and
the only reference which was ever
made to any sum of money to be
paid to Mr.. Woolley, and it was on
the distinct understanding that it
would have to have the approval of
the Department of Justice and the
Delaware court"
Says Statement Is "Untrue."
Mr.. Stanley told the committee it
was absolutely untrue" that in
June, 1895, while he was still In
the Justice Department, he con-
templated becoming counsel for Co.
lumbia, against whom the depart
ment had brought court proceedings
He had no idea of working for
Columbia, he said, until three
months after leaving the DEPART
ment.
He denied also that he had dis
cussed the Columbia case with q
department official in July of 1885.
He testified that he did communi-
cate with Mr.. Cummings in Europe
and department officials in WASH
lngton in the fall of 1885 in an effort
10 OBTAIN delay in the filing of an
amended complaint against Colum-
bla, complaint which Columbia
omclals felt contained several dis
tasteful and offensive statements"
Mr. Stanley said he was contem-
plating becoming Columbia counsel
at the time and believed 1T was not
unreasonable to ask that no further
action be taken until my return
(1rom Europe) to give me an oppor-
tunlty to determine the propriety of
my acting in the case, and I could
not make this final decision until I
mad an opportunity to consult off,
Gals of the department.