The sun., 1908-06-03
HUNTING $4,000 GO.BETWEEN
PHILADELPHIA MAYORS SEC
RETARY rs ACCUSED.

james McNichol, the Accuser, Known ~
City's Republican Boss, Faces Criminal
Libel suit-Money Alleged to Hayo
Been Given to Law and Order Society.
PHILADELPHIA, June 2.-Driven by the
attitude Of d. Clarence Gibboney. secretary
Of the Law and Order Society, to make
public the name Of the man who, he says,
accepted $4,000 from him to insure a
crusade Of arrests by the society just
before the election In 1905, State Senator
James P. McNichol, Republican boss OF
Philadelphia. to-day declared that Max
Kaufman, secretary to Mayor Reyburn. is
the man.
This statement was contained In q letter
to Secretary Gibboney In reply to the lat
ter's challenge written on Sunday to name
tho alleged -go between" In that letter
Mr.. Gibboney denied that any money ever
had reached him. and offered. II MoNiohol
could prove his case. to aid him In every
manner possible.
As soon as the allegations In McNichol's
letter to Gibboney became known Kauf-
mann had warrant sworn out against
McNichol accusing him Of criminal libel.
He took this action after consultation with
former Judge James Gay Gordon, whom
he has retained to fight his case.
Anticipating some such action McNichol
has retained an array Of council. among
the leaders Of whom are George s. Graham,
A: s. L. Shields, Joseph Gilflllan and former
District Attorney John G. Bell. Those
men, with the exception Of Gilfillan, have
been the most prominent among the lawyers
for the defence Of the alleged State Capitol
grafters In the trials at Harrisburg.
A conference of the counsel of both sides
will be held tomorrow afternoon, after
which Kaufman will decide whether to
have the warrant served. Tonight he
said he would push the charge against
McNichol to the limit
Of a speech made last Friday night by
McNichol at Republican ward club ban
quet. Commenting on "reformers," he
said that during the administration Of
former Mayor Weaver he had given $4,000
to a representative Of Mr.. Gibboney, with
the understanding that in return, the Law
and Order Society agents would make
arreets which would expose the hypocrisy
Of the Weaver administration. The arrests
were never made. he said. but the $4,000
never was returned.
This speech, when published. bro ught a
hot retort from Mr.. Gibboney, in which the
writer expressed the opinion that the
charges OF the Republican leader were
false, but offering to assist him. IL he could
prove the truth OF his assertions, to bring
The lctter was In effect a challenge to
MoNichol to either make good or admit he
had lied. After holding the matter under
consideration until to-day he sent his
answer naming Kaufman.
That Kaufman would be named was
freely whispered around City Hall yester
day and to-day before the letter was made
public.
The Mayors secretary. who was a news
paper man before his appointment to his
present position, was placed in his berth
through influences opposed 10 McNichol.
The leader repeatedly has shown his dis
like TO Kaufman. and 1t has been pre-
dicted for months that sooner or later he
would have the secretary's head.
Kaufman denies emphatically that he
received money from McNichol as an
agent for Mr.. Gibboney, and declares the
statement of the State Senator is part Of
q movement to discredit him before the
public In return for fanoied wrongs which
the Republican organization thinks II has
sustained from him.
In his letter 10 Gibboney McNlchol brings
In the name Of United States Senator PEN
rose. AThs proposition TO give MIR. Kauf-
mann the money the letter reads, sas well
as the fact that ! had given 1t. were dis
oussed by me at the time before tho giving
and after. with Senator Penrose, Hon
David Martin. Samuel NJ Clement and
others.'