Salt Lake Telegram | 1935-07-27 | Page 5 | Patton Affairs under Scrutiny

PATTON AFFAIRS AFFAIRS' UNDER SCRUTINY WASHINGTON July 27 UP The RI-The The senate enato lobby committee tee is Invest investigating gating the private finances of at Representative Representative Rep- Rep Patton CD D. D Texas Texas Texas-a at Pattons Patton's Invitation The inquiry re re- suits suIt from testimony that out of his ils first of government salary the he congre congressman man invested in United States bonds At the same time the committees committee Is s using all of ot its reso resources to untangle untangle un- un tangle angle a conflicting story ab about ut a mysterious wrapped package On One witness said Bald he had seen Patton carry such a box bo from front the ho hotel room of ot John W W. Carpenter Carpener Carpen- Carpen ter er Texas Power company president president president dent the day before the congressman congress congress- man an v voted ted against a utility bill provision pro vision calling for compulsory disso disso- ution lution of at certain holding comp companies This box was described by E. E V V. Sellers idlers a friend of at Pattons Patton's after both Patton and Carpenter had de denied denied denied de- de nied that the congressman visited the hotel that day Sellers said eaid ho he was certain of the date and said ald he he- did not believe the package was Wa a box of ot cigars Patton opened his accounts to the committee investigators denying g h he had done anything wrong I hope I might be struck struck- dead here if it that is not the truth and the whole expose of or the bu business he ha shouted as he completed hl his story tory of accepting a box of cigars from the power company officials official's son Ion Carpenter issued a a. statement d de declaring claring daring that any insinuation or inference in in- ference that I ever gave Mr Patton anything of ot value is baseless and false I t I 1 have never given or Instigated the giving to Mr Patton of anything of any kind except the box of cigars given him by my eon son i Carpenter said He said ald he and his family were away on a a. motor trip on the date date- mentioned by Sellers and none of ofus ofus us saw Mr Patton at any time on that day t. t Philip H. H Gadsden chairman of ot the committee of public utility executives executives ex ex- fighting the Roosevelt lt utility util utU- ity bill charged in a statement that the lobby committee was engaging in a campaign of terrorism and character assassination to silence silence- protests over the bill and push it through I f The lobby committee was in re recess re cess until Monday