The Washington herald., 1908-04-26
DISTRICT ATTORNEY
MAY HELP FASSETT
Operator Who Sent Telegram
to Cassidy May Suffer.
MR.. BAKER TO CONSIDER ACT
Secretary to Member of Congress
whose Telegram 10 state Senator
Cassidy Killed Hughes Anti-racinE
Bill, InVOIses Laws Aid to Prose-
eute Man Who Changed Message.

James ". Shea, private secretary to
Representative J. Sloat Fassett. who is
in Elmira. made complaint to United
States District Attorney Baker yesterday
that telegram from Mr. Fassett to State
Senator Owen Cassidy. urging him to sup
port Gov. Hughes embracing bill had
been changed in this city in the course Of
transmission so as 10 make it appear
thar AIr. Fassett wanted SEM tor Cassidy
to vote against the bill.
It was Senator Cassidys vote which
killed the measure. The district attor-
.neys Office has taken the matter under
advisement with a view TO ascertaining
whether criminal action can be brought.
Mr.. Shea, who acted in behalf Of Rep
.rescntauve Fassett. was told that it was
doubtful II the act would constitute for
gerry under the law. but if It could be
shown that the transmitting telegraph
operator had acted ia conjunction with
other persons. to alter any such kilograms
his act would constitute a common-law
conspiracy, an indictable offense in the
District Of Columbia.
Makes Letter Public.
Mr. Shea made public a letter to Repre-
sentative Fassett from the local manager
OF the Western Union Company stating
that the original Of Representative Fes-
sett's telegram. fled at the Capitol Office
Of the telegraph company. was different
from the wording of the same telegram
when received at the main Office OF the
company. the difference consisting of the
insertion of the word mot" so as TO
make it appear that Representative Fas-
sett was urging Senator Cassidy not 20
vote for the anti-race track bill.
Mr.. Shea made the following explana-
tion of the circumstances connected with
the sending of the telegram:
"On April S. the day Of the final vote
on the race-uack bill, Mr.. Fassett sent
the following telegram TO Senator Owen
Cassidy. Albany n. Y
John and ! (meaning Representative
John ". Dwight and Mir. FassetO think
you better support governor on race
track bill owing to conditions IN your
district.
This Telegram was in my handwriting,
and I filed it with the Western Union
Office at the Capitol at p. m. April s.
The receiving clerk at the window check
ed it. and after making the usual nota-
tions of the number Of the message. his
initials. and the number of words con
tained in the message. handed IL over to
the transmitting operator, who, at 1903
O'Clock. transmitted the message to the
main Office Of the Western Union down
town.
Check shows Eighteen Words,
THE operator In the downtown office
receiving the message over the wire no
ticed that it contained nineteen words.
while the check showed only eighteen. On
calling the attention OF the Capitol op-
orator to the discrepancy the Capitol
operator notified him to change the check
TO nineteen words. the Capitol operator
having inserted the word mot" In trans
hitting the message, making it read.
John and I think you better not support
governor on race-traek bill, owing to con-
ditions in your district
IN this form the message was trans
mitted to Albany, where II was received
at p. m, and delivered at 40 e. m.
the same date, and about twenty minutes
before the call of the roll for the final
passage Of the bill"
The operator who sent the message
from the Capitol has been dismissed.