The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-05-13
ACCUSES BURNS MAN
Indicted Legislator Says Detective
Confessed Completely in Murder

Confessed Completely IN murueT
Columbus, Ohio, May 19-The grand
Jury is expected to close the invest-
CATION of legislative bribery tonight,
when many more indictments will be
returned. Prosecuting Attorney Turn
err has found it impossible thus far to
find any of the subpoenaed witnesses,
who have been spirited away. Sus-
pected legislators and their friends
have resorted to every means to ham
per the work of the grand jury,
D. S. Johnson, manager OF the John
son Detective Agency of Cincinnati,
employed by the attorneys of Senator
Andrews. one of the indicted, who
charges that Detective f. 5. Harrison
served time for theft and completely
in a murder, said Thursday AS intim
ated by Senator Andrews, ii will be
proved that one of the Burns detec-
es-Harrison-fgu in a conspir-
acy with a Chicago physician to kill
a girl for his share of $4,000 insurance.
Posing as the girls fance, he made
himself beneficiary and after the
death of the girl who was poisoned at
tended her funeral as a mourner He
was to receive $1,000 for the role he
PLAYED i'm the deal The detective in
May. 1901, turned states evidence and
was freed. The physician Is now ser
Wig a twenty-year sentence in the Jol'
let penitentiary."
Averring that the cases against Sen
ators Andrews and Cetone would burst
like a bubble, Johnson intimated that
two other Burns detectives would be
shown up within the next week.
The Burns operatives assert that
either a desperate play is being pulled
of or a frightfu mistake has been
made, into which Senator Andrews has
been unwittingly drawn in his eager
ness to strike back. As a result OF
this action il will be necessary to sus-
tain the charge to the satisfaction of
the members of the Senate who were
swept off their feet by the powerful
appeal of the accused Senator and his
castigation of the detectives and ofiic
ials who procured his indictment
Senator Andrews said What If il
is shown beyond question that one of
the detectives who secured evidence
against me was sent to the penitenti-
airy fifteen years ago for stealing;
what if il is proved that one is muir
derer by his own confession, and the
foulest sort of a murderer; one who
entered into a conspiracy with another
man, taking out a life insurance policy
upon the life of a defenseless young
girl, and then agreed to murder her
in order to obtain haH that amount of
money. And supposing he turned
states evidence, confessed the crime
to gain this same immunity and his
pal is now in Joliet Prison serving
a life term of Imprisonment. When l
heard this probe was to be made |
offered to testify. ] went to the attor-
ney general but they did not heed me-
"When the sergeant at arms was
quizzed by these detectives he told
them he would go in and tell the truth
but tell you it is not truth they want
in that grand jury room. 1t is indict-
ments, excitement, and sensation to
fill the columns Of the yellow press"
Johnson says Harrisons right name
is Frank H. Smiley and it was as Smi-
ley that the detective figured in the
famous Defenbach murder case in Chi
cago in 1900, Johnson has complete |
copies of the court records of the De
fenbach case. The records bear out |
Johnson's story given above. The doc
tor who administered the poison to
the Defenbach girl was A. M. Ungerer |
who is now serving a 20 year term in
Joliet Penitentiary.
Smiley or Harrison has only been in
the employ of William ]. Burns eight |
months Detective Johnson says he |
is satisfied Burns did not know Smil-
ey's record when he employed him.