The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-11-02
FEDERAL PAPERS ARE
HIDDEN IN STOCKING
Eta Mclean, Trusted Stem
ographer, is Accused
and Arrested.
NANFOUNDISHER ACCOMPLICE
Pair Held for Alleged Conspiracy to
Steal Secrets Relating to the
Cash of Banker Walsh.

Chicago. Nov. 2.-Peeping through a
skylight just above her desk, a fed
eral secret service operative saw Miss
Eta L Mclean. trusted stenographer.
secrete IN her stocking the stolen
copy Of a letter from United states
District Attorney Sims to Attorney
General Bonaparte.
Miss Mclean, a little later, having
been arrested, produced the letter
from the self-same receptacle, while in
the office Of her employer Mr.. Sims.
At the same time she confessed to
having stolen another letter written TO
the attorney general several weeks ago.
Both communications related to the
John r. Walsh bank case Miss Nc
Lean, in her fearful confession, impli-
cater as her accomplish, Alexander b.
Gordee, with whom she has been liv-
ing.
From the secret service detective
who witnessed the stocking episode, 1t
was learned that Gordee had gone to
Mr.. Walsh's Office in the Grand Central
railway depot and, presumably, tried
TO negotiate for the sale Of the first
letter.
Pair Locked Up in jail.
All this was brought out yesterday
afternoon at the hearing Of Miss Nc
Lean and Gordee before United States
Commissioner Mark A. Foote They
had been arrested by government Of
hcers on the previous evening. At the
conclusion of the preliminary inquiry
the two We're sent to the county jail
in default of $4,000 bonds.
The charge against the couple is
conspiracy TO steal and also against
the woman the actual theft of the let
ters. For the conspiracy charge the
penalty may be two years in the peni-
tentiary and for the second charge the
penalty may be five years, with the adj
dition Of a $4,000 fine in either
charge.
The district attorney, acting under
the instructions of the attorney gen
erai, is trying to find out how many,
II any, secrets relating to the Walsh
case or any other important matter
in the district attorneys office have
been stolen and sold by the stenog-
rapher and her pal"
Woman Tells Everything.
The woman, it IS believed, has con-
fessed everything she knows. including
all details Of her personal guilt. The
man. who is ready to do anything to
save himself. seems willing to
sacrifice his accomplice. would not adj
NIT that he had disposed of any infor-
nation. though questioned until late
last evening. He would not admit he
had gone to Banker Walsh, though
there is absolute evidence that he did,
or at least that he went to Mr.
Walsh's office
Whether there would be any further
arrests right away District Attorney
Sims could not sal last night. He
said he was going after the case hard
because stealing secrets OF his office
or the Office of any other member of
the department of justice of the United
States was a great deal worse than
stealing money.
WaIsh's Lawyers Brought Into Case.
The firm name of Mr.. Walsh's at
ty. Risther. Hart. Montgomery &
Abbott, was brought into the case.
Gordee or T. WeidIing-which Is said
to be his real name-approached John
S. Miller soon after the first letter was
stolen. lie told Mr.. Miller he had
learned that members of the law firm
employed BY Mr. Walsh We're to be in
dicted. Mr. Miller made no comment
on the statement, as he told the com
missioner. and that was the last he'd
seen OF Gordee until he met him again
yesterday in court.
1t developed during the hearing that
Miss Mclean had been under sus-
picion for some time before her ar
rest. or before the district attorney
even became aware that she had stolen
letter on Oct. Is. Mr. Sims would
not disclose the basis for his sus-
picions. 1t is believed. however, that
one reason why grand jury that
started to investigate certain phases
OF the Walsh case with a view to fur
Their indictments cid not proceed a /
month ago was because the inrorma-
ton in some manner leaked out that
there was to be such a supplemental
investigation.