The times., 1901-05-12
DUPED BY A DECOY LETTER
A War Department Clerk Dis
missed for a Breach of Trust.
Offered to Sell Confidential Enforma-
ton in Connection with the Nicely
Case for s.OO-So Further Action
to Re Taken fu the Mntter.

ton in Connection with the Nicely
Case for S.OO-so Further Action
to he Taken In the Mntter
For offering to sell confidential Govern
ment information, William Davis VIII
liams, of MinersviIle, Schuylkill County,
Pa, formerly secretary of Representative
Brumm of Pennsylvania, and lately con-
! fidential secretary to Colonel Edwards,
! Chief of the lnsular Division of the War
Department, was summarily dismissed
! from the service by Secretary Root yes
! terday.
Attorney General Knox was called up
yesterday over the long distance tele-
phone by Judge John d. Lindsay, of New
| York, one of the counsel of Charles K.
/ w. Neely, and was informed that a GER
| tain John b. Dickinson, of General De-
| livery, Washington, ID. c. had in a let
| ter offered. for $500. to sell Neely's coun-
! sci the correspondence between ex-Attor-
ney General Griggs and Secretary Root
! in the Neely case and to furnish other
information on the subject which had
! passed between the Department of Justice
and the War Department
Dickinson wrote that he was in pos
session of information which might be
very valuable in the Nicely case; that he
would be glad to furnish it for a consid-
Grafton.
Attorney General Knox thanked Judge
Lindsay and suggested that he send the
original copy of the letter which ''Dickin-
SON. had written to him and that he
write Dickinson" a letter as Dickinson
asked in care of the general delivery,
saying that ne would like to know more
in detail of what he had to offer and
would IN him.
fore making final answer to the PROPOSE
tion. Judge Lindsay did as requested.
In the meantime, Attorney General
Knox called up Chief WiIkie. of the Sc
cret Service Bureau, and told him about
the case. Mr.. Wilkie sent Mr.. Burns. one
of the Bureau operatives. to the Postoffice
Building this morning and at $3.50 short
young man with light hair. wearing a
brown fedora hat and dark suit, stepped
UP TO the general delivery window and
asked if there were any letters for John
Dickinson. He was handed Judge Lind
says letter and left the window appar-
emily in high spirits.
lie did not wait long to tear open the
envelope and look at it's contents. Burns
was close behind him and picked up the
portion of the envelope which he had
torn off.
Department followed by Burns, and walk
ed into the Insular Bureau, took off his
coat and hat and sat down to go TO work
Operative Burns reported to Chief VIII
kie and the latter, with Solicitor General
Richards, proceeded to Secretary Roots
office, where they told him the facts in
the case Lieutenant Colonel Edwards
was called TO the Secretary's office and,
when told what had happened, said he
could hardly believe it. Williams was
sent for and, when shown FDickinson's'
letter to Judge Lindsay and asked if he
wrote it, denied that he had The letter
was written in disguised backhand
Accompanied by Chief Wilkie and Opera
tive Burns, Williams went to his home in
the Southeast and delivered to these Off
GERS the papers which he had proposed to
sell. a
Williams was asked to show the letter
which he received at the postofFice this
morning. He broke down and cried as he
took 1t out OF his pocket. He then ad-
Initted that he had written the letter to
Judge Lindsay, and was summarily dis |
missed from the service by Secretary !
Root. he had not committed an actual |
crime Tor which ne could be punished, and |
as he pleaded for mercy, saying that it |
was his FIRST offence, Secretary Root de- |
cided that instant dismissal was harsh !
enough punishment for him TO administer |
The correspondence to which Williams |
had access, relating to the Neely case |
consisted of a copy of a letter written |
by Judge Lindsay to ex-Attorney General |
Griggs, a copy of a draft of an opinion |
on the Neely case of twelve pages. BY |
Assistant Attorney General Beck. sub |
mitJed TO the Secretary of War, with |
Mr.. Griggs' approval. and also several |
other letters that had passed between |
the Departments of Justice and War on |
the Nicely case
Colonel Edwards felt keenly the du- |
plicity of his assistant, as he had been |
very friendly toward the young man. who /
had been with him about year Colonel |
had recently recommended that /
be given an increase in salary. |
and had favored him in other ways