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_take the wood, instead of carrying out his part of the contract, used the concession in freight rates grant- ed Huston as a lever to get a similar. reduction in freight rates from his own limits in Northern Ontario to | Fort Frances, and, having secured that reduction, renounced his agree- /ment with Huston, or, rather, he told him he would take 10,000 cords and no more.” Threatened With “Rough Stuff.” When Huston came to Fort Frances to press his claims, Mr. Lewis said, he threatened to make the whole transaction public, and was said to have told a friend that 'he had been threatened over the \telephone with “rough stuff.’ Three days after his arrival his body was nd in a field. ae man who had broken the contract and was interested in securing the documents,” continued Mr. Lewis, “was BE. W. Backus of International Falls, and before Pro- vincial Inspector Jeffry left Toronto ’ to take up the investigation into this case he had an interview with R. T. Harding, one of Backus’ solicitors, and then left for Fort Frances to undertake the investigation; and almost before he left the train Me made the statement that he had been sent up to investigate this ‘case of suicide.’ He went up with his mind firmly fixed on suicide, and the peculiar thing is that R. T. Harding, with whom he had discussed this matter, visited Fort Frances shortly after, and. in speaking to Capt. Hus- ton’s brother, said: ‘Sorry, but it’s a plain case of suicide.’ There is evi- dence that all along the line there was a desire to settle on this young man the stigma of taking his own life, and not until the 18th of Febru- arv did the Attorney-General offer a ‘reward for the capture of those re- | sponsible for his death.”’ Will Not Be More Specific. Attorney-General Raney sought to draw a specific statement or charge from Mr. Lewis, asking if he cor- rectly understood him to suggest | “that the man whom he has named 'was guilty of bringing about the death of this young man,” and did he suggest that “a professional man was privy to the diversion : of an officer of justice from his duty in connection with the inquiry into the facts?’ Mr. Lewis, however, said he was not responsible for the Attor- ney-General’s understanding or im- pressions. He proceeded, however, to a_ re- statement as follows: ‘‘What I have said, and what I repeat, is this: that | this young man was found killed under circumstances so plain that anybody could see he had not killed himself. I repeat that there was one man with whom he had been in a business deal—I do not say that man was responsible for his death-— but I do say there was one man in | whose interest it was to secure the) papers he was supposed to have on'| him, and I do say that the officer deputed by the Attorney-General to investigate: had on hour’s. confer- enve with R. T. Lkordmg befers he left Toronto, and you may. tnke whatever inference you like from it.” To Mr. Raney Mr. Lewis admitted he had not placed his “clue” with| the Attorney-General or any of his! subordinates. He said it was not’ necessary. He repudiated the sug- gestion that Huston ‘was in financial difficulties, and read a letter from Huston’s sister which said that he was credited with more than $10,- 000 at the beginning of the year. Some Pointed Queries. Mr. Lewis demanded to know why Inspector Jeffry had fone back to England; who suggested that Mr. Jeffry interview Mr. Harding. “Why was no attempt made to trace the ex-convict seen in Fort Frances the day Huston was killed, but who dis- appeared the same night and hasn’t been seen since, a man known to the _ police of that section, and a man | who, early last year, had shot a de- tective in the employ. of a lumber company whose limits certain offi- clals. of the Backus company were investigating on their own hook?” Attorney-General Raney denied the charge of laxity on the part of is department; quoted departmental] reports to show the promptness with Which his men were on the job; and mentioned the proffered $1,000 re- ward. He admitted that Mr. Jeffry) $$$ cee esigned while the commis- aaraka an probing an accusation against him of accepting a_ bribe from bootleggers. This latter circumstance, ‘Mr. Lewis held, cast a doubt over Mr. Jeffry’s whole investigation.- “An investigation will be at once authorized and the honorable gentie- | man will be summoned as a Witness, said the Attorney-General, ir.terrupt- ing a demand for investigation. j a#tor the House rose for the din- ner hour the Atioe pees ~ asked what for ney-General was would take, m the investigation “A commission.” “Does that mean sion dae y nae * } ‘. at of commission w can appoint — ee Drury Promises Municipali- ties Representation on Chippawa Inquiry CLASHES WITH MAYOR Meeting a delegation of 200 repre- Sentatives of the Municipal Hydro- electric Association who waited upon him at the Parliament Buildings yesterday morning, Premier Drury promised to place a representaeive of the municipalities on the Hydro- electric Inquiry Commission if six or eight names of men “not com- mitted up to the neck” were sub- mitted, After the meeting the \Premier Said his statement to this effect to the delegation was a definite prom- ise if “they give some names reason. ably acceptable.” Does Not Like Mayor. The Premier said also that the Government did not contemplate a “flat rate’ for Hydro and was not considering changes in the Hydro Act, He crossed words, virtually, with Mayor Maguire of Toronto, and said of him that he “did not like fim” and ‘‘would rather not meet him.” He suggested that Mayo: Maguire stay away from the Parlia ment Buildings. bd The delegation, which was met by the Premier, the Attorney-Generai and Col. Dougall Carmichael, asked that there be no change in the Hydro-electric Power Act or the Hydro-electric Railways *Act; that the municipalities should be given direct representation on the Hydro- electric Commission, and that more aid should be given to rural power lines, The deputation wished to protest also against any flat rate or zOne rate for Hydro, and against the appointment of the Royal Com- mission to investigate Chippawa without first consulting the muni- cipalities, T. J. Hannigan, Guelph, who headed the delegation, said that they regretted that the Royal Commis- sion had been appointed without consulting the municipalities, No Fiat Rate, Says Drury. Mayor Maguire said the deputa- tion represented a million and a half people and they wanted no change made in the Power or Radia] Acts until the people directly inter- ested had been consulted. They haa heard about a flat rate, he told the Premier, “There is absolutely no flat rate to be adopted,’ said the Premier, Neither he himself nor the Attorney. General was considering changing the Hydro Power Act. “The personnel of the Gregory Commission is alarming to us,’”’ said Mayor Maguire. ‘‘We are not satis- . fled, and do not think it right for a man to be on that commission who has opposed Hydro since its inception.” Sam Carter, Guelph, supported the request that the municipalities should have been consulted when the Royal Commission was appoint- ed. “We will never accept the re- port of the Gregory Commission until one of our own representatives is placed on it,’’ he said.