Evening star., 1907-11-02
DECOY LETTER WORKED
STENOGRAPHER AND ALLEGED
ACCoMPLICE ACCUSED.

CHICAGO, Ill. November miss Eta
L. Mclean, stenographer in the ONCE
of United States District Attorney Sims.
and Alexander B Gordee. her alleged ac-
complice were held for III federal grand
jury yesterday afternoon by Commits
sioner Foote. charged with conspiracy to
steal letters from the United States. Both
are in the county jail. where they were
taken in default of 5000 in each case.
Through the testimony brought out at
the preliminary hearing banking affairs
Of John R. Walsh were made public and
dictment of one or more lawyers for -:lerly
affiliated with the Walsh interests The
law firm of Ritsher, Montgomery, Hart
& Abbott was mentioned during the hear
ing.
other stenographers in the district at
| torney office the wife of the man
with whom she is involved. Neither de-
fenddnt would make any statement to the
commissioner, and their attorneys inter
posed strong objections when John S.
Miller. chief counsel for Mr Walsh in
sisted upon explaining how he had been
approached by Gordee.
Watched Through skylight.
Capt Thomas I. Porter of the secret
service related in detail the manner in
which, it was asserted, Miss Mclean had
stolen copies of the government corre-
spondence and had hidden a decoy com
munication. and further details were
given by Laurence Richey, grandson of
capt Porter, employed as a secret serv-
ice operative.
While Richey told of lying on a skylight
over the district attorneys office and of
peeslng through a small hole while the
stenographer slipped a government docu-
ment into her stocking, Miss Mclean,
seated behind Attorney Charles NJ
Thompson, hid her face behind a black
veil
After the hearing the prisoners were
| taken to the Office of Marshal Hoy. where
MISS Mclean is said to have stated that
her betrayal of the government was due
to urginss on the part of Gordee.
Tordee flIed bankruptcy petition last
May. his liabilities were contracted in
Boston. where he was in the advertising
business. and where Miss Mclean was
employed by him as stenographer. The
mans liabilities totaed $1,000, while mis-
assets were given as $40
Found Papers in Her Room
Discovery of papers relating to the
Standard Oil trial In the room of Miss
Mclean has led to the suspicion that she
and her confederate may have disclosed
government plans not only in the Walsh
case, but in the cases against the Stand
ard OH Company. the Chicago and Alton
railway and the school book combine
Miss McLeans position as stenographer
in District Attorney Sims office. which
she held since April, gave her ample op-
portunlty to obtain copies of the most
valuable papers in all these cases. The
fact that Gordee. her sweetheart was
able to live in fdleness, dining at expen-
sive restaurants. for the past six months.
has made it apparent he had some secret
source of income.
While the government officials feel con-
fident they have unearthed a far-rea CHI
ing conspiracy they have yet to learn its
magnitude or to what extent its opera
tions have injured government prosecu-
tions. In the prosecution of the Standard
Oil. the Alton and the book combine ii
was apparent at every turn that the de-
PENDANTS knew in advance the govern
ment's moves. no matter how escretly
planned. The arrest of the couple, 1t is
believed. has solved this enigma.