The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-03-28
STEAL PAPERS EI<f0R DEFENSE Sensation in Frisco | Graft Case. FIVE MEN UNDER ARREST Officers Break Down Door of Cal- nouns Office. ConndentiaI EmpIoye of District Attor- ney Was Making . Business of
 the Theft and Sale ef Private Papers.
FIVE MEN UNDER ARREST

San Francisco, Cal. March 27--Five men were arrested this afternoon and on accused of conspiring to secure confidential records and transcripts-of | evidence of value to the defense, In the graft cases, from the private offices of the District Attorney. = The men arrested are: Reed N. Ham, I lin. confidential smploye of District Af- torney Langdon. and for two years pri- vate secretary to Detective William J Burns: A. L. Mckinley. William Corbin. F. A. Platt and Joseph Van worper.
 After his arrest Hamlin broke down and made & confession of his part in the affair. He was the only man in the District Attorneys office who possessed key to Burns's desk. and also the combination to the safe. It is alleged | that Hamlin. for a consideration of S200 month. has been in- the practice of transcribing records and documents he thought would be of importance to the graft defense and turning them over to Mckinley, who Is declared to have acted as go-between. About two months ago Burns became suspicious of Hamlin and since then he has been allowed to handle nothing of import ance.
 Platt is alleged to have sold reports of investigations. of members of the grand jury panels in the graft cases. and the others are said to be implicat- ed as intermediaries in the matter.
 Break Down Door
 Armed with search warrant and backed by dozen special officers, ten or more police, detectives and a score of patrolmen, headed by Detective Ser geant Thomas Murphy and Assistant District Attorney Thomas, Harrison broke into the offices of Patrick~Cal- houn, President of the United Rail roads late tonight, and searched every nook and corner in the suite which is occupied by Calhoun and the legal forces of the company. /
 According to Harrison, the search warrant calls for certain papers and documents, alleged to have been stolen from the office of the District Attor- ney. M s
 The search warrant was served by Murphy on Earle Rogers, counsel for Calhoun in the bribery trial now be- fore Judge Lawler. Rogers having an- swered his knock Rogers stepped out into the hall and after scanning the paper. said 1t was not of sufficient power to allow the search. Other at- torneys in the room say he told Mur- phy that If he would enter with one or two of his plain clothes men. Rog- CTS would permit him to search.
 Murphy refused to do this and Reg- CTS stepped back into the room, closing the door. Murphy instructed one of his men to break in and the glass panel was shattered to fragments.
 Meanwhile. the officers had sum- moned assistance and the attorneys telephoned for some railroad men. The rooms were damned with policemen, detectives and newspaper men in less than ten minutes. During the evening. Luther Brown, head of the railroad detectives, and James Hamilton, claim agent, were placed under arrest on warrants charging larceny. They were released on bail. A safe was broken open in the offices and following the search of the rooms warrant was issued for the arrest of William M. Abbott, assistant general counsel of the United Railroads Company, charg- ing him with receiving stolen property.