The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-05-01
WORKING IN DARK,
WIRES GET CROSSED
Detectives, Sleuthing Case OF
Legislative Bribery, Get
Themselves Arrested
REVEAL IDENTITY AT
THE POLICE STATION
Claim They Have Evidence
to Convict Four Members
and Grand Jury Will
Make General Probe

COLUMBUS. O., May despite
the fact that F. s. Harrison. a. c..
Bailey and David Perry, Burns detec-
tives, arrested. charged with having
bribed Representative George b. Nye.
insisted that they were working only
TO secure evidence involving members
of the Legislature In a bribery scan
dai. they were bound over to the
grand jury in $1,000 each to-day.
They furnished the bonds and were
given their freedom. The grand jury
will begin consideration OF their
cases Tomorrow morning.
Nye when approached by the three
men notified Speaker vlning Of the
offer, and, according to his story, a
structions from the speaker, Nye ac
cepted cash. promising to vpte M In
structed. Then the trio was arrested.
They revealed their identity when
taken to the station house. and said
that tho arrest was plot to dis
credit them They said they had evil
dence Involving four members Of the
legislature. which they have already
turned over to the prosecuting attor-
ney. The latter admits he has this
evidence, and that II also IS to be
put pe1off the 6fan0 jury.
General Graft Probe.
Although the grand jury will to-
morrow morning take Up the general
graft probe, Il 10 feared that the TN
expected arrest Of the three Burns
detectives will seriously cripple It's
success. The three men had been at
work here for six weeks. when. in
attempting to see X Representative
t.v~4t . hax,
made II possible FOR him to lay the
trap that resulted In their arrest and
the making public OF the plan for q
secret probe Of the legislature by the
Burns detectives.
Nys was first approached by De-
tscdvS Bailey ana Berry and gfxef
Slo0 to enlist his support against the
blu limiting the working hours oil
women 10 nine hours day. Nye al
once went to Speaker vining with the
bride and both, presuming that the
detectives were bonafide lobbyists ar
ranged, for Nys to meet them again
and accept another bride whom there
would be witnesses present.
While this was being done, however
Chief Detective Harrison was pro
ceedtng likewise to arrange for an
other bribs to be given Nye when hi
also would have witnesses present.
Room is Fixed Up.
Harrison secured adjoining rooms
at local hotel and fitted up one with
dictaphone 30 that any converse
ton In one room could be ehard II
the next room where a steuographeI
would take down every thing said az
evidence. II was under those oircum-
stances that Nys accepted the sec
ond bride and teh same rooms with
~ At ~ rrt
similar operations by the detectives in
the effort to bFlee other iestsia tt,rs
The sudden arrest however of the
three men az the result of Nyes hay
ing detailed the whole affair TO speak
ar Nining brought the probe by the
detectives to q sudden end.
The Burns mon. however, declare
that before their discovery was
brought about they had secured evi.
dance against four other Legislators
and these the grand Jury will inves
uEate.
Tho graft investigation was brought
about by local manufacturers and
merchants who were Disguised at tho
repeated demands made on them b,
crooked legislators A large fund wa.
raised and placed in the hands o.
Charles Freshman. president Of tn,
chamber OF commerce, who turned
the matter over to the Burns detec,
tive agency.
May Break Up Senate.
Burns detectives who have beer
probing alleged corruption Of the
present State Legislature this after.
noon Inserted that they have secured
evidence against no less than twenty
members and arc confident that q
great many more will be involved
when the grand jury begins its probe
tomorrow morning.
They assert that nineteen members
of the Senate alone will be charged
with boodling. In which event ther,
would not be a quorum left to trans.
act business.