Omaha daily bee., 1910-01-09
Letter subsequently Was Published
in New York Magazine.
END OF LONG INVESTIGATION
Indicted Man is EmplOye of Inter
state Commerce Commission.
WORKED FOR SUGAR COMBINE
He Was at One Time Traffic Expert
for the ''rrust' and Furnished
Mach Evidence I'm Rail-
road Rebate Cases.

NEW YORK. Jan. S.-Thomas p. Reilly, /
special Investigator for the Interstate Com
merce commission was arrested here late
this afternoon and locked up in the Tombs,
charged with the theft Of a letter from
George w. wickersham, United States at
torney general, to Harry A. Wise, United
States district attorney, from Mr.. Wise's
office in the New York federal building.
The letter subsequently appeared in the
Cosmopollton Magazine and 1t was known
yesterday that the long search for the man
who stole II had At last resulted in the
return Of an indictment by the federal
grand pury. Whether other indictments
will follow, Mr.. Wise would not say to-
night, but they are expected.
The specific charge against Reilly in the
indictment is ''the taking and publishing
OF letters and private papers without au-
thority." In violation of the United States
revised statutes and Of the New York
penal laws. The acts complained of are said |
said to have been committed on July, l, 1909, |
when Mr.. Wise was abroad.
In addition to the Wickersha letter there |
were also distracted from the files of the
district attorneys office two letters from !
G. r. Heike, secretary of the American
Sugar Refining company to John Il. Par
sons, counsel for the company and the
minutes of the board of directors Of the
company for the meeting held at the house
Of the late Theodore Havemyer, December,
1900.
Letter stolen from Desk.
1922 Abel /. Smith, the assistant United
States district attorney who worked up the
case against Reilly, said tonight that when
the publication OF Mr.. wickersham's letter
first greeted Mr.. Wise on his return from
Europe, he Immediately Instituted search
for the original. The Wlckersham letter
he had left in his desk. 1t was found
finally, In the w file. A copy of 1t had
evidently been taken for publication. The
IfeiSe-persons iettGTs had also been copied
for the originals were recovered in the
office file but the minutes of the sugar
company's board Of directors have appar-
nelly disappeared.
News of the arrest caused a sensation in
the federal building, where Reilly was
known a pTotege OF Henry l.. Stimson,
now special counsel for the government in
its prosecution of the sugar cases and
formerly United States district attorney.
1t was on Information furnished by Reilly
TO Mr.. Stlmson that the government prose-
cuted with success the New York Central,
Rock Island, Chicago Milwaukee & ST.
Paul, Central Vermont, Western Traction
company and other railroad and transit
companies for giving rebates sugar
shipments in violation of the Hepburn law.
The railroads, on pleas of guilty, were all
heavily fined.
George Won Utassey, business manager
OF the Magazine, and Perigon Maxwell,
manager, have both testified before the
grand jury to the price they paid for
ba hut inf hua mt
been made public.
Text of stolen Letter.
The Wickersham letter, as 1t appeared in
the Cosmopolitan magazine, follows:
WASHINGTON. Sunday June 81, 1900
My Dear Wise; Senator Root has sent me
the proof Of petition signed by Bowers,
Miburn and Guthrie in support OF their
contention that the statute of limitations
has run in favor Of Messrs. Parsons Klssel
and Harmed. II the only overt acts done
TO carry out the objects of the unlawful
conspiracy were those referred to in the
brief 1 should think they were insufficient
TO save the bar Of the statute.
"A strong effort will be made tomorrow
to persuade the president to Interfere in
some Nay to prevent the indictments, but
ASIDE tvom that no indictments should be
returned against any one n there is II,
reasonable ground to believe they oan :.
yLstained-if for instance. the ofrsRsc,
charged are clearly barred by the statute
need hardly say this to you.
What Iwant to impress upon you is tha
II you have any reasonable doubt in tn,
natter you either have the grand jury ash
the court for instructions, or. If that Il
not feasible, that you advise the depart
ment of the specific charges on which yo,
rely to save the statute before actual,
having the indictments brought in Yol
may telephone either to me or to Mr. Ellis
II should be out OF the department whei
you call on this point.
GEORGE w. wICKERSHAM
Former EmpIoye of sugar Combine
WASHINGTON, Jan. .S-As a specia
agent Thomas p, Reilly has been an EN-
ploye Of the Interstate Commerce commits
sion for about two years. He is regarde,
as a diligent and thorough investigates
Through his efforts hundreds Of thousand
OF dollars in fines and penalties have beel
turned Into the United States treasury.
Reilly for many years was traffic ex
pert for the sugar trust" and Is declare,
70 be better Informed on the relations he
tween the Sugar trust" and the railroad
than any other man. Several years ago n
relinauished his position with the trust
y and became special agent OF the Unite
States district attorney in New York City
He was recommended to the eommissio
by former District Attorney Stlmson q
New York.
After he Joined the commissions invest
eating force Reilly spent much time In IN
distrit attorneys office. where he was al
forded office and desk room. II has bee
known to the commission that Reilly wa
suspected OF knowing something about IN
disappearance OF letters and document
and their consequent publication. and N
" news Of his arrest created little surprise
II is said AZ the commissions office this
as soon as Rsilly@s Indictment and ARE.
wvIe communicated 10 the body offieiall
he would be suspended 9,a3.ng further d.
zalaDmenta.