The Detroit times., 1911-05-01
SLEUTHS HIRED TO
FAsTEN BRIBERY ON
LEGISLATORS
Three Detectives Employed by
Columbus Citizens Are Arrested
and Real Purpose Of Their
Activities Is Made Public.
Grand Jury VIII Take Up General
Investigation Of Conditions in
Ohio Legislature.


Burns detectives who have been
probing alleged corruption Of tho
present state legislature, this at
ternoon asserted that they have
secured evidence against no less
than twenty members and are
confident that a great many more
will be involved when tho grand
Jury begins its probe tomorrow
morning. They assert that 19
members Of the senate alone will
be charged with boodllng, In
which event there would not be
a quorum left to transact busl-
ness.
William J. Burns, head Of the
detective agency, will come to
Columbus tomorrow morning 70
take personal charge Of his forces.
COLUMBUS, Ohio. May 1.-The
Ohio state legislature Ii today facing
a sweeping grand jury probe OF alleg-
ed boodling during the present ses-
sion, following the arrest of F. g. Har-
rison, A. c. Bailey and David Perry,
three Burns detectives, on q charge
OF trying to bribe Rep. George p.
Nye.
The three men arrested under the
supposition that they were lobbyists
after Nye had reported the attempt
to bribe him to Speaker Vining and a
trap had been laid to catch them.
With their arrest. however, the
three supposed lobbyists at once iden-
titled themselves as Burns detectives
employed in probing alleged corrup-
ton In the legislature and admitted
they have already established cases
against at least four legislators. These
cases will be taken before the grand
jury tomorrow morning.
The three detectives, nevertheless,
were arraigned today on charges OF
bribing Nye and were bound over
to the grand jury In $1,000 bonds each,
which they gave.
Although the grand jury was tomor-
row smorpiug take up the general graft
probe, Il b feared that the unexpected
arrest OF the three Burns detectives
will seriously cripple fts success. The
three men had been at work here for
six weeks when, In attempting to see
AZ Rep. Nye was susceptible to bribery,
they made 1t possible for him TO lay
the trap that resulted in their arrest
and the making public the plan for q
secret probe of the legislature.
Nye was first approached by Detec-
tives Bailey and Berry and given 500
to enlist his support against the bill
limiting the working hours Of women
to nine hours q day. Nye at once
went to Speaker Vining with the bribe
and both, presuming that the detec-
tives were bona fde lobbyists, ar
ranged for Nye to meet them again
and accept another bribe when there
would be witnesses present.
While this was being done, however,
Chief Detective Harrison was proceed
ing likewise to arrange for another
bribe to be given Nye when he also
would have witnesses present. Harri-
son secured adjoining rooms at
local hotel and fitted up one with
distaphone so that any conversation
In one room could be heard In the
next room over the dictaphone where
q stenographer would take down
everything said as evidence. II was
under these circumstances that Nye
accepted the bribe, and the same
rooms with the dictaphone were to be
used for similar operations by detec-
tipes In an effort To hribe other legis-
lators. The arrest, however, Of the
three men as the result Of Nye's hav-
ing detailed the whole affair to Speak
er vining brought the probe by the
detectives to q sudden end.
The Burns men, however, declare
that before their discovery was
brought about, they had secured evi-
dence against four other legislators,
and these the grand jury will investi-
gate.
Z The graft investigation was brought
about by local manufacturers and mer-
chants who were disgusted at the re-
peated demands made on them by
legislators. A large fund was raised
hnd placed In the hands Of Charles
Pretzman, president OF the chamber of
commerce, who turned the matter
over to the Burns detective agency.