The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1904-03-29
Board of Police Commissioners De-
clare that Charges Of Bribery Pre-
ferred Against Detective Burns Were
Not Substantiated By Evidence
Tom Smith and Boyd Receive Some
Hot Shots.

1Ol CuUlS.
"OMcsr Martin Burns was charged
with having accepted bride Of $40
from Lou HUNT on the nth day Of
March, the money being given said
Hunt by Ack Arbuckle for the pur-
pose Of securing protection for said
Arbuokle.
above case the board Of police COM
missioners hnd that the charges are
not sustained"
Within 90 minutes after the Detec-
tive Burns hearing this morning on
the charges made and sworn to by
Mayor Boyd, the board of police
commissioners rendered the above
decision. and the hearig was hardly
over before Ack Arbuckle, the prose-
cutting witness against Burns, had
been arrested and locked up at the
police station on the charge of living
off the earnings Of fallen woman,
under the state law n felony.
The Trial.
But little new was brought out at
the trial OF Detective Burns before
the board of police commissioners,
except the apparent great love of
Mayor Boyd for the accused man.
The mayor. though acting as prosecu-
tor, though the signer of the com
plant. and Notwithstanding the fact
10 w
publicity possible and even went SO
far as to give out late last night an
anonymous letter purporting to come
from two convicted criminals which
was derogatory to the officers good
name, was extremely careful to i'm
press upon all those present his
fptherly interest and extreme regard
,~the welfare of Martin" as he
Insisted on calling him.
Prior to the taking of testimony
the mayor went into detail in explain
ing that while he appeared as chief
prosecutor II was simply in order to
bring the matter properly before the
board and because II was his duty.
Arbuckle was the first witness He
sion; had been IN the city four or
five months, but admitted that he
hadn't done lick of work while here.
He said he had lived of money he
had. He didn't state where the
money came from. In regard to the
Burns affair he said:
Il see Mr.. Burns give me a hard
Ion ~, ha Nv nd
! went to Mr.. Hunt and had him talk
to Burns. Hunt reported that Burns
had three or four fellows on his
slate and i was one of them; that
had better come through so Burns
would overlook me-"
Arbuckle then told Of the alleged
bribery transactions. He said he had
o'clock in the afternoon, and that
about 3 o'clock Burns came into the
oxford poolroom, and Hunt took the
officer back into his private office
while the witness and Dufresne stood
at the bar.
When they came out the witness
says Hunt said he had given the
marked to the witness,
HE was fool to take such q
chance and let anyone get such q
mortal cinch on him"
Arbuckle was subjected to cross
examination in which he denied hav.
ing reported the case and said that he
didn't know who did. He then lef'
a OF M TN,tf ,aIl
- Dufresns Talks.
Dufresne did not give his occupa
tion but said he was sick man. Ht
told his story in beautiful French
dialect.
Now 1t was about the fourth OF
hft'n OF March when Ack Arbuckl,
come TO me and say he be run out o.
him. told him to talk to 10,
Hunt"
Mr. Dufresne then took up the stor!
of the alleged bribery. He said tina
between 2 and o'clock, maybe late
on the afternoon of March II he wa
in the Oxford saloon with Arbuckle
He had seen Arbuckle give Lou Hun
then came in and Lou Hunt took hin
back into the private Office In tn
.poolroom and saloon. They wer
there a few minutes when they cam
out and Burns went away. Dufresn
then said Lou Hunt said he had givel
the money to Burns and remarke,
that he didn't see why a man woul,
put himself In a Jackpot like that
Upon GROSS examination Dufresn
asain and again sidesteppsd the ques
{ tion of why It was necessary 70
Arbuckle to give up any money t
anyone, ana why he should fea
arrest. He would not commit himsel
on any OF these questions
Hunt Denies It All.
Lou Hunt was the next witness 70
the prosecution but lie failed TO d
that sido of the case any good. II
denied In toto the statements O
Arbuckle and Dufresne. lie said the
were In tina saloon as they had state
and that Detective Burns came 1
while they were there. Blu; hs said