The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-11-13
ALL NTOVN BRIUE 70 UREA
DETECTIVE 9MOUENERS RLANR
IN 18TH REGIMENT CASE.

Ma tina 70 Dmer Money 70 spe
CessnsE's AscusgF-DOubt n ANY stain.
terry Offence Mas BsSa CSmmIttCa.
Col. George r. Dyer Of the Twelfth Regi-
ment, Who recently called for . our Of
inquiry ON charges In the s~ubstantRtton OF
which 8erxt. John McIaeR was the Chief
Witasau. denied yesterday that he had
authorised Lawrence +, Dixon, = private
deteotive, 10 offer 5000 on any other bnbe
TO MoI3ea TO leave the State and 20 to Cali
Eornia. Dixon. who was arrested ON Mon
day night by detoctives from b District
Attorneys onice after. ~ they say, he had
offered the witness against Col. Dyer money
10 Ieava the State, shoulders all the blame
for tha transaction himself.
Col. Dyer issued a statement from the
Office OF his counsel. James w. Osborne.
that no had not bean AVA Of any attempt
on the part Of the detective TO brtbe McFtea
until ne read the account Of DixOn's arrest
in yesterday mornings paper. MIR. Osborne
also issued a statement saying that the
detective no had hired had mani6estly eX-
| Ceeded his authority and that no attempt
to bride the sergeant Of tho Twelfth
had been ordered or sanctioned. The
detective had notified himself and Col.
OVtTs 3NlU NIL OnpOTh6p 1A3s nO W"@ BSs-o
TO get McRea to sign affidavits retracting
the statements he had given in his testimony
before the court OF inquiry. but no authority
had been given the detective to oner any
reward for such an affidavit. This is Col.
Dyer's statement:
Last Saturday afternoon as l was leav-
ing the armory upon the closing Of the in
Quiry with my brother and Capt. Morris.
Dixon came up to me and said that Mchea
bad promised him to sign an affidavit with
drawing all Of the charges he had testified
TO against me during the course OF the
inquiry. 1 told Dixon l would be delighted
to get such a document because OF my wife
and children.
That was the last heard OF the matter
until 1 read in the papers this morning that
Dixon had been arrested for Offering a bride
10 McRsa to leave the State. wish to say
that I authorised. and my attorney author
lied, absolutely no offers Of money or other
bribes TO McEesa in exchange for tho am
davit. do not know how it was that the
detective succeeded In getting Mcttoas
nromise to make such an affidavit.
Dixon. the detective, was arraigned IN the
Tombs police court on the charge oil en-
deavOring to induce q witness 70 leave the
jurisdiction Of a State court. Bail was nxed
Al NnUU AUU I00 1AdAhlAAueACA Neg ~ ~
Friday morning. After leaving the court
room Dixon said:
Il wanted TO get the goods IN McRea and
nave him indicted for perjury. In order
to do that | wanted to get him TO slgn an
affidavit retracting everything he had said
against Col. Dyer at the inquiry. McHea
had promised TO sign the paper last rr1day
night, but he wanted a change in the word
ing. lie had been talking to me about IA
fact that IL he signed the paper he conic not
~, W--LT AnAaaaaa hA Wuimhf
be brought up for perjury. He snld, more
over. that he had no friends lett IN town
because Of the testimony he had given az the
oyer inquiry and that ne thought ne ought
TO get out OF town. Maybe l did
him in his desire To leave town, but did 1t
UureIy for The purpose of getting him to
sign the affidavit. After he a done that
1 Intended to throw him down. Tn whole
thing wOuld have gone through II lt hhdnt
been that McRea's vile got suspicious oil
ia pad. Then they framed it up to have
the detectives nab me. The scheme was all
mine and nobody is to blame for It but NY
SELF
Mr.. Osborne said: There was no attempt
on our part TO get MoItea out OF the State.
His Absence would hurt Col. Dyer's case
and would do no good, for II the Governor
shall decide to call a court-martial in this
case McRea's evidence given before the
military court could be read into the evil
dence We want McEtea there TO testify
40 that we can CrOss-examine hin -.
I'VE know that the testimony Mchea
gave before the inquiry was untrue Acting
on this knowledge we OF course felt 1t a
great advantage IL we could get him to
make affidavit clearing Col. Dyer. l knew
affidavit beforehand. but ne vi too
enthusiastic. He went too far. hoping
to make grandstand play before me and
Col. Dyer. l did not authorize him TO
offer any bride in payment for the securing
Of the affidavit. nor did l authorize him
to get McEea to leave the State.
4 suppose | am as great an offender
as anybody, because / knew. that Dixon
was going to get McRea to sign that am
davit. But DixOn cannot be counted an
offender even IL what the District Attorneys
detectives say about his Offering money
10 true. According to the reading Of
section lIS of the Penal Code IL is a crime
to attempt to bride a witness in a case
or in an action pending. Since the inquiry
by the officers Of the Twelfth Regiment is
now closed and the Governor has not
authorized the calling of q oourt-martial,
case against Col. Dyer. Consequently McRea
is in no sense OF the word. a witness.
The charge against him will have to be
dismissed"
Yesterday before Dixon was arranged
before Magistrate Moss there was a con-
ference in the Office Of Assistant District
Attorney Mott between Osborne. Mcsea
and William Rand, Jr. Later in the day
il was said In the District Attorneys Office
that there was no charge against Col.
Dyer pending in that Office. Whether
or not the charge against Dixon will be
pressed was not stated.
It is understood that the ruling OF the
courts ~substantiates Osborne's contention
the detective now held 10 In no sense
a witness briber. In past cases the courts
held that a witness Ia one actually
under subpoena to appear in court o. al
ready in court awaiting b call to the
witness chair. To charge bribery Of q wit
ness the prosecution must have evidence
that there was an agreement between
briber and the witness that tho bride
given 10 TO influence his testimony. McHea
is not at the present time under any sub-
pona as n witness in any suit against Col.