Jasper County Democrat, Volume 19, Number 85, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 January 1917 — LAWSON PRESENTS A SORRY SPECTACLE [ARTICLE]

LAWSON PRESENTS A SORRY SPECTACLE

Eve x the Indianapolis News, whE'h like Congressman Wood, resort to almost anything to e~ hashes the Wilson administra- . tion. admits the complete fizzle of the peace note leak charges in an editorial in Wednesday’s News. It Bays: "In his testimony of yesterday Thomas W. Lawson certainly presented a sorry spectacle as a witness. He said that Chairman Henry of the investigating committee had -told him that Secretary McAdoo had been a member of a Wall street pool that had traded on secret information in regard to the recent note. ‘Unless,’ said Lawson, ‘your chairman said •what I said he said I am guilty of foul perjury. I’m guilty of foul perjury and unfit to be anywhere outside the bars of a prison.’ Later In his " testimony he said that the impression that he had coupled the names of McAdoo, a senator and a broker with the statement of Chairman Henry was erroneous, and 'that the information had come from another source. ‘Henry,’ he said, ‘mentioned only Baruch, Lansing and Count von Bernstorff,' and Lawson admitted that Secretary Lansinghad been guilty of no ■wrong. This lets Henry out. “Another witness oh whom Lawson relied —Fisk, the banker—had, as Lawson admits, ‘been to his club late and had eaten and smoked a good deal.’ When asked by a member of the committee whether Fisk’s ‘tongue got to running,’ Lawson answered: ‘Yes, I guess that’s it. Many a man has had the same experience.’ And this was the man who was supposed to have 'controlled McAdoo.' In regard to the letter of Mrs. Ruth Thomason Visconti, through which it was attempted to connect Tumulty with the affair, Lawson himself said:

My only reason for putting in that letter was because I was asked flaf-footedly if I had any other information than had been referred to in questions asked me at the previous hearing. Being under •oath, and having the letter, I produced it. I had no intention of using it, and wo”ld not have used it had I not been asked that direct question. I almost regretted that I had the letter with me. ■‘Lawson had an interview with this vvoman, and she told him, as he ‘recalls,’ that Price the newspaper man—who has denied the whole story—-who was said to have 'got the tip from Tumulty, got $5,000, while Tumulty received a much Jiigher sum. Mrs, Visconti, when asked for a statement, declined to talk. We quote from the dispatches:

Representative Patten attacked Lawson for bringing in the name Of Price on the strength of a letter from Mrs. Visconti, who co'uld not be found. Lawson defended himself by saying the woman appeared honerable and made a statement before a man he supposed was a reputable attorney. He also said that he withheld Price’s name as long as he could. “Do you imagine,” Patten asked, “that -this woman was actuated by , high motives?” “No,” Lawson said, “I think there was some great wrong under this thins.” “McAdoo, Tumulty, Price, White, Gibboney , and Henry have all denied the Lawson charges, such as they are, and as yet nothing that could by any stretch of the imagination be dignified as evidence has been brought out against any of them. And Henry has been vindicated by Lawson himseif! We wonder if Lawson is willing to have the conclusion drawn which fie said should be drawn. The investigation irf to go on; and every man mentioned by Lawson will be subpenaed*, or will voluntarily appear. That is as it should be. We should add—and in this the American people, remembering other days, will rejoice—that Lawson Jias said that he is unable to name one member of congress who is known as a Wall street speculator.- Though up

to the present time the story very much like the product /of a frenzied imagination, it will ,be thoroughly tested.”