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Show SHIPPING BOARD TREASURER EXPLAINS WASHINGTON, Nov. 20. Denying- all knowlcdgo of the $40,000 brlbo from which Tucker Sands alleges al-leges ho received $1800 In a "loan" from lchard W. Dolling, brothcr-ln-law of President Wilson and treasurer treasur-er of tho shipping board, tonight accused ac-cused Sands of attempting to brlbo nnd later of trying to threaten him Into making an appeal on Sands' behalf be-half to tho president.. In a statement issued by Admiral Benson, which Includes tho result of an Investigation conducted by both tho shipping board and tho department depart-ment of Justice into the samo charge mado on a previous occasion by Mr. Sands, bollef is expressed that "It ufas blackmail" engineered by Sands to force Mr. Boiling to Intercede with the President to savo Sand from further fur-ther prosecution by tho department of justice IlOLLfXQ EXPLAINS "When Sands was In troublo with tho department of Justice," said Mr. Boiling at the offices of tho shipping board tonight, "ho begged mo to Intercede In-tercede on his bohalf with the president. presi-dent. I told him I did not think It would bo proper to do so, and was sure tho president would not interfere inter-fere with tho orderly process of Justice Jus-tice In his caso or any other case. . "He becamo very angry and threatened threa-tened mo at tho time. Laer both myself, my-self, Secretry Tumulty and Secretary McAdoo rclelvcd ann,onymous letters which declared that my namo would be brought Into Bcandal. STILL OWES MONEY "I havo known Sands since 1903 and was formerly oiy most friendly tcrm3 with him. In 191G when I was In tho contracting business, I built him a houso for about $16,000. Ho paid all but $0,000 nt tho time, Klvlng mq a. nvfa for tho remainder. "In tho spring of 1918 Sands had paid me all but $3,000 on tho note. At that tlmo ho Introduced n man to roe, asking my help In getting certain cer-tain building materials for tho Downing Down-ing Shipbuilding company, which were Intended for consignment to another concern, "Sometime afterwards Sands told 'l,n)e ho had recolvcd a fco of $1,000 rcVrom tho Downing Shipbuilding company com-pany for getting them tho materials and offered to divide It with me. I told Sands that on no conditions would I accept any part of It. Sands then told mo ho would llko to pay mo what I thought waa a fair profit prof-it on tho house. rORMERLY FRIENDLY ' "I Bald I thought $500 would bo reasonable, if ho wanted to pay it. Ho gave mo $200 at tho tlmo and later $300, "Sands otlll owes mo $800 on tho nolo he gavo mo in 1918 for unfinished unfin-ished payment on tho house. I received re-ceived a letter from him two weeks ago saying that ho is unablo to pay mo the balance "Mr. Fisher, spoclal investigator 'or tho Walsh committee, has appar-rntlji appar-rntlji talked to everybody within ;jud without tho Investigating committee com-mittee about me, but has novcr naked mo for a statement. I never heard about tho $40,000 brlbq supposed sup-posed to havo been given by tho uhlpbulldlng company until I read of it In press reports." MINSON INFORMED When Mr. Dolling had finished Hits' statement Admiral Benson said: "Not long aftor I bocamo chairman chair-man of tho shipping board Mr. Dolling Dol-ling waa appointed troasuror. He od mq tho whole -story of tho char-tea char-tea made by ono Tucker K, Sands, r- ' and lator referred to In tho evidence boforo tho Walsh commlU "In addition the matter was dlr cussed with Colonel doff, counsel of tho shipping board and together wo directed that a thorough Investigation Investiga-tion bo made. ItKPOUT MADI5 "Tho report made by Frank Burke chief of our bureau of Investigation U as follows: "I saw Mr. Houston Thompson, vlco president of tho federal trade commission, who told mo that Mr. Boiling camo to hlra about two years ago and reported that an unsigned communication had reached Mr. Tumulty Tu-multy In which tho writer charged that ho had accepted part of $40,000 which was paid by tho Downey Shipbuilding Ship-building company to Tucker Sands. Tho letter was cither misplaced or destroyed. "Shortly afterward Mr. Boiling called again with another unsigned letter which roltcratcd practically tho samo charges, which they believed believ-ed wn3 from someone, connected with Tucker Sands and that tho letter originated or-iginated In tho Sands family. SOUGHT INFMJENCi: Shortly nfter that Mr. Boiling told him that Tucker Sands had seen him In Washington and mado a very urgent ur-gent demand that ho (Boiling) sec tho president and use his Influence with tho president to havo tho activities activ-ities of tho department of Justice Mopped and havo tho prosecution against Sands dropped. "Sands at this tlmo was under Indictment by n federal grand Jury charged with vlolnting tho banking acts. On tho advice of Mr. Thompson Thomp-son Mr. Boiling wroto a letter to Mr. Sands tolling him that whllo ho regretted re-gretted exceedingly that ho had be-como be-como Involvod with government ho cculd not and would not approach tho president on any such proposition. proposi-tion. CALLS IT BLACKMAIL "Mr. Boiling again requested Mr. Thompson to Investigate tho matter. Mr. Thompson scat for Bruce Hlclas-kl, Hlclas-kl, chief of tho bureau of Investigation, Investiga-tion, department of Justico, and instructed in-structed hlra to mako a thorough Investigation In-vestigation of chages against Mr. Boiling. "Mr. Blelaskl had "Pert bank accountants ac-countants from tho department of JUBtlco go into nil the records, traco out nil check notes, drafts, etc., that could possibly havo any bearing on tho case, nnd they failed to find any thing corroborating tho statements of Sands. In tho belief of Mr. Thompson It was blackmail engineered engineer-ed by Sands to forco Mr. Boiling to lntorccdo with the president to eavo Sands from further prosecution by tbo department of Justice." |
