The evening world., 1909-03-05
GRADER Tells Court Horton
Agreed to Let Him Plead
as First Offender"
WAS TO PAY HIM $500.
Minor Plea Was Accepted for
Burglars Who Had
Prison Record.

Another chapter was written In the
"wilful mendacity' and "cigarette-and.
hlghball' controversy between District
Attorney jerome, on one side and Com
missioner Bingham and Inspector Nc
Cafferty on the other to-day. when
one of McCafferty's detectives was ac-
cused, In open court, Of trying to eXtort
$500 from thieves he had arrested. on a
promise OF securing light punishment
for them The detective involved Is
Horton. former Connecticut school
teacher who was once a member Of the
ill.starred Vice Squad.
Horton denied. under oath, that he
ever made any demand for money from
the thieves who accused him Never
theless, a letter embracing the charge
was spread on tie record in the case
OF William GRADER, BENJAMIN Frank and
Edward Greenberg.
These three men. with another were
arrested on the night Of Jan. q while
attempting to blow safe at No. .
First avenue. Commissioner Bingham
issued a statement last night in which
he charged that the District-Attorney'
office Lad been Influenced in their favor,
According to the Commissioner east
side crooks told his detectives that Ora
Der, who has long criminal record,
had a pull and would be allowed to
plead as first offender. Sure enough,
the Commissioner declared, after sew
eral postpOnements and delays, GRADER,
Frank and Grecnberg were permitted
TO plead guilty to robbery in the third
degree as first offenders. They were up
before Judge Grain. in the Court of Gen
eral Sessions, to-day for sentence.
Before the men were arraigned GiaSer
handed letter to Assistant District
Attorney Caravan. Nr. GaNan, after
reading the letter, turned it over TO tht
Court. The letter read:
Mr.. Garvan-Dear Sir: read in 10.
days papers an article about the Police
Commissioner kicking because the Dis.
Attorney office allowed us 10
plead guilty to burglary as a FIRST Of
Tense In the police court. Here Is the
reason why the case was put OF:
Officer Horton asked me for $500 to
plead guilty as first Offenders. As | did
not have the coin with me | had the
case postponed on his advice to give
me time TO get the $500. tried to get
It. but could not, so | waived eXamina-
ton in the police court.
Furthermore, they did not have us
right. Benjamin Frank was arrested on
Che street with nothing on him. Officer
Horton Is sore because we got plea
without giving him 500. Put this all in
an affidavit and ] will swear to It,"
Horton was in court with the crimi-
nal records Of the three men prepared
TO ask Judge Grain to infIc; the maxi
mum sentences. He was called 10 the
witness stand and asked to read the
letter. AS he read the communication
he gulped neryOusly and his face paled
Are those statements truep' asked
MIR. Caravan.
They are absolutely false" shouted
Horton. There IL no basis for them
whatever. never asked any of the Sc
men for cent"
In addition TO the letter he wrote to
Mr.. GarVin, Graher wrote another to
the Judge. In this last he admitted
that he had been "A crook all his life
and said he was not looking for elem
ency, but wished the court would take
into consideration that he owes four
teen months on a former term in Sing
Sing which he will have to serve when
he goes back.
GRADER was sentenced to five years in
prison, Greenberg got three years and
Frank one year and six months
II u understood that Dissatisfaction or
ney Jerome will ask the Police Com.
missioner TO investigate the charge
made by GRADER against Detective Hor-
ton