The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-05-22

was decided to postpone operations
for a time. Other council1en, it is
said, did the same thing.
COYNE INTERVIEWED
Select Councilman y. ]. Coyne said
to a Tribune man last night: Every
one knew this fellow was a detective
and / myself told him to his face he
was such when he tried to get me to
accept money. He certainly had lots
Of it and wanted the worst way to get
rid of it. Some of the councilmen did
take $50 apiece from him and de
posit it before witnesses with promi-
nent attorneys. Preparations were be-
irg made to have him arrested and
shown up, but the LeXow intervened
and if the arrest was sprung it would
be made to lose its effect very likely,
so it was decided to postpone it for
some time. / can not vouch for every
councilman, but | know that it was
generally understood Harris was 4
spotter and he was being quietly
laughed at for his puerile attempts a.
trapping somebody. 1 know ringers
who possibly never saw the inside Of
council chamber, get themselves in
so and So of Such a ward and work
him for a good sized wad of marked
money.
II first met the fellow through Wade
Finn. 1t was in the city controllers
office one Saturday couple of months
ago when Finn strolled in and inquired
if l would be going down town soon.
/ said yes, and when l finished my
hic X..it No ste
out with him.
Just in front Of city hall Mr.. Finn
was approached by a stranger, who
| afterwards proved to be Harris, and
asked if he could tell him the names
Of the license committee Of select cour-
ell. Mr.. Finn referred him to me, but,
although l was a member of the COM
mittee, l could not give him the names
of my colleagues and had to go back
| into city hall to get a manual before
l could tell him.
Harris. or Smith, as he called him
| SELF handed Finn a letter and after
reading it Finn said something about
it being all right and indicated that
| Tommy meaning me. would look aft
er him an show him where to find
the chairman of the committee, after
| Il
would take a car | went down town
with Harris and in passing the Jermyn
he asked me to come in and have a
| cigar or something. We weren't in the
room two minutes before he began to
| get real confidential with me, told me
all about his intention to scalp Silli-
man and flashed big roll of bills. l
was on to him, to use a common ex-
| tl,t iIr. -
tell you lot more about this thing,
| but / guess that is sufficient to show
the public that this instance is no ex-
ception to the rule that there are two
sides to every story"
SENSATIONAL EPISODE.
Mr.. Coyne figured in a rather sem
eational lateral episode. 1t appears he
has a letter in his possession which
the detective wanted very badly, and a
note was sent to his house during the
afternoon asking him to meet Harris
at the Jermyn at 4.30 o'clock. He had
business in town and after transact
ing it, he says, he dropped around to
see what Harris wanted. He was
served with the warrant charging
bribe taking and escorted to Alder
man Fuller's office. Attorney F. f.
Beers, Detective Harris and several
constables were in the private offlca,
whittier he was ushered. The door
was closed and a request was made
for the letter. He refused to give it
up, declaring it was a private COM
munication and there was no author
ity in law for demanding his giving it
up.
Just what followed is disputed, but
at all events Mr.. Coyne was seized and
the letter taken away from him. II
was found in his closed hand torn
into small fragments, but the pieces
were pasted together and the full con-
tents of the letter was made legible.
Mr.. Coyne says that when he refused
to turn over the letter he was pounced
upon and the letter forcibly taken
from him. He exhibited an abrasion
on one of his wrists, a torn cuff and
dented hat as evidence Of the force
that was used
Attorney Beers says that 1t is true
a demand was made for the letter and
that it was taken out of Mr.. Coyne's
closed hand, but that he was NOT
forcibly seized until he had made
threats to Kill.
Alderman Fullers version of the at
fair follows: "Mr Coyne jumped bach
into a corner, excitably, when a de
mand was made on him for the letter
put his hand to his hip pocket ant
threatened to kill anybody who at
tempted to molest him. Two officers
seized him, and was appealed to Il
authorize search for concealed
weapons. As he had made threats anC
put his hand back to his hip pocket,
felt it proper to advise them that the!
might search him for concealed
weapons. ] would not have counte
nanced It under any other circum
| stance. In making the threat, Mr.