Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-05-27
HUMMEL TELLS A TALE
Warned Mrs. Gould of Private
Detectives Only.
IN THE PRISON HOSPITAL
Commissioner Hanson Cross-Examines
Him About the Shadowing.
NOW FUNSTON IS TO TALK
He Is Known as the Adonis of the
Force and Got "Candy and
Cream Jobs"
NOW FUNSTON IS TO TALK

NEW YORK, May 27.-Deputy Police
Commissioner Hanson, who is investigating
the detective bureau as 1t was run under
Mclaughlin, went to BlackwelIs Island
yesterday and had a talk with Abe Hum
mel. Mrs. Howard Gould told Mr. Hanson
on Friday that she had been Informed by
Hummel that detectives attached to the
central office We're shadowing her
Mr.. Hanson went to the lawyer as he lay
on cot in the prison hospital. Hummel
told Mr.. Hanson that Mrs. Gould had evil
IDENTIFY made a mistake when she said that
he had warned her that central Office men
were trailing her. He did tell her, he said.
that detectives were following her wher-
ever she went but he was positive he in
formed her that they were private sleuths.
and he couldn't recall that he had ever sa
anything to her about city detectives shad-
owing her.
Hummel assured Mr. Hanson that he had
never heard of the activity of Inspector Nc
Laughlin or any of his detectives In the
Gould case. and consequently he had no
reason to convey the idea to Mrs Gould
that the city's police were prying into her
affairs. He said he would gladly aid Mrs
Gould In her suit for separation, either pub
licly or privately. If he could but he said
he was positive that he could reveal moth
ing Of a conspiracy to establish bigamous
marriage.
Deputy Commissioner Hanson went to
Blackwells Island on the police boat Patrol
he feared that he would not be admitted
to see Hummel, but Warden FalIon was
willing to allow Mr.. Hanson to see Hummel
II the lawyer consented to be interviewed
Hummel consented readily, and Mr. Hanson
was ushered to the prison hospital Hum
mel had never met Mr. Hanson. but his eyes
Frightened, and he looked erf, nj fpr ,a
deputy commissioner was the first visitor
he has had since he went to the island a
week ago today.
Visiting Day.
1t was visiting day in the penitentiary
yesterday, and nearly all of the convicts
who are in the prison hospital had relatives
or friends visiting them. Hummel couldn't
suppress his joy when Mr.. Hanson walked
up to his cot and took his hand The COM
missioner said that Hummel, who is suffer-
Ing from kidney trouble, looked very well
and had improved considerably since he was
removed from his cell to the hospital
Mr.. Hanson told Hummel that he did not
desire to question him about the domestic
troubles Of the Goulds. All he wanted to
know was what Hummel knew of the activ-
ity of former Inspector Mclaughlin and the
central offce detectives in interesting them
selves In the case He repeated exactly
what Mrs. Gould had told hir1-that Hum
mel had informed her and warned her that
detective sergeants Were shadowing her.
Mr., Hanson believed that the lawyer might
be BILE to tell him who the detectives were.
Hummel sought to excuse Mrs Gould
for making the statement which he was
compelled to discredit by saying that when
he referred to detectives Mrs Gould know
Ing little. If anything, about police mat
ters got the private sleuths he had In
mind confused with the detective sergeants
of the central office. He attributed her
mistake to woman's ignorance of such
matters.
While Hummel was emphatic in what he
said to Mr. Hanson, the deputy commits
sioner isn't at all sure that Mrs. Gould was
not trailed by detective sergeants Mrs.
Gould has furnished Mr.. Hanson with a
description of several men who she de-
clared have Swallowed her. and several
members Of the police department who
were formerly detective sergeants in the
bureau under Mclaughlin and now doing
duty as lieutenants in precincts will be
summoned to Mr.. Hanson's office and ques-
toned
Lieut.. Funston Involved.
The commissioner admitted yesterday that
Lieut.. William Funston, the Adonis OF the
force, will be asked today if he was ever
sent to trail Mrs. Gould. Funston, who
was one of McLaughlin's right-hand men. is
now doing duty in Parkville, whittier he
was shipped by Commissioner Bingham the
day the sleuth corps was jotcd. The as
lied by the police as the candy and cream
jobs He accompanied President Roose-
welt on tour across the continent
and he has acted as bodyguard to Prince
Louis of Battenberg, Prince Henry of Prus-
sla and several other prominent men who
have visited us.
Mrs. Gould gave Mr.. Hanson a descrip-
ton of a detective who Swallowed her that
tallies with that of Funston, the commits
sioner admitted yesterday Funston VIII
be called to police headquarters today and
asked If he has ever been mixed up in the
Gould case, and if he denies that he had
hand in it Mrs Gould will then have
to go down to Mulberry street and look him
over.
Former Sergeants to Testify.
Several other former detective sergeants
whom Mr.. Hanson suspects will be lined
up soon for the purpose Of Identification
Mr.. Hanson had about made up his mind
to show to Mrs. Gould the photographs Of
the sleuths who are suspected and see If
she could recognize them as men who have
made life miserable for her, as she put it,
but yesterday he said he had abandoned
that idea. He thought 1t would not be fair
to the men suspected, and he has now
decided to have Mrs. Gould personally
identify them If she can.
The federal authorities will take a hand
in the Gould case today. Mrs. Goulds
statement that her letters were tempered
with will be the subject of searching in
CURRY and the matter will be formally
brought to the attention of Postmaster Will
cox. 1t was said yesterday that post office
inspectors without waiting for official no.
tifcation Of Mrs Gould's charge, have gone
to work on the case. Her charge that Sc
cret service men were also employed in
tracing her movements will be investigated
by William Flynn, chief of the New York
division.
Mr.. Hanson admitted yesterday that he
had begun an investigation of two cases
similar to the Gould scandal in which the
detective bureau was concerned, but he posi-
lively refused to divuge the names of the
people who are. involved. Men who served
as detective sergeants under Mclaughlin,
he admitted, are to be questioned as to
their activities In divorce cases in which no
record was made on the Ilotter of the de-
tectiVe bureau. Mr.. Hanson said he got
his Information about these cases from pri-
vate sources which he wasn't at liberty to
make public.