The Washington times., 1912-08-08
OIL MAGNATE'S SON
OBTAINS EVIDENCE
Of POLICE GRAFT
J. D. Rockefeller, Jr., Runs
Pretended Disorderly
House As Blind.

NEW YORK, Aug. 8-The Tenderloin
got a real shock when Il became known
today that one of the chief aides to
District Attorney whitman in his cam
paign to obtain evidence of police graft
and the existence of the system" Is
John ID. Rockefeller, jr., social settle
ment worker and Sunday school
teacher, who, backed by his father, the
Standard OIL king. operated a pretended
disorderIy house In the heart of the
red light district to get evidence against
the police department and white slave
traffic. ".....
Whitman admitted that Rockefeller's
experiment was wholly detached from
the murder Of Gambler Herman Rosen-
thai whose assa assination precipitated
the present upheaval. having been
started year ago. But the evidence
produced by the Standard Oil decoy re-
sort in Forty-hfth street so comedies
with the police graft evidence resulting
from the investigation of the Rosenthal
killing that It may be used in the prose-
cution of Police Lieut.. Charles Becker.
Started as Social Reform.
The Rockefeller experiment was be-
gun in the interest of social reform,
and it's evidence was not submitted to
the district attorney until the trail Of
the Rosenthal murder pointed to the
police department.
1t is asserted that the Rockefeller de-
tectives obtained evidence that ordinary
disorderly houses pay $500 a month to
the system" more pretentious houses
pay more, and there Is a sliding scale
for houses Of lesser prosperity.
The white slave traffic, 1t was de-
clared, is a regular trade In New York,
girls from the country and immigrant
girls from the steamship steerage being
taken to the resorts by their masters
and offered at auction like black slaves
in Africa. :.
Twenty witnesses were waiting when
the Rosenthal grand jury reconvened
today after a weeks recess, and in the
office Of District Attorney whitman 1t
was said that further indictments were
expected in connection with the gam
bling scandal.
The evidence of police graft obtained
through a decoy disorderly house estab-
liShed on the order and with the money
Of John D. Rockefeller, jr., 1t was said
today, blazed trail that led up to high
police officials. being especially damag-
ing to one inspector.
Asked what cognizance, IL any, the
police department would take Of the al
legged Rockefeller disclosures which Dis
trict Attorney whitman will present to
the Rosenthal grand jury, Police Com
missioner Waldo said:
II do not know of my own knowledge
what Mr.. Rockefeller has done or what he
has found out, but hope he been sue
cessful in obtaining evidence that will
enable the department to dismiss any
rascals that may be guilty Of wrong
doing"
Hughes Is Ill. .
1t was learned today that Inspector
Edwin p Hughes. who headed the Cat
skills expedition that conducted a three
day mountain hunt for Lefty Louis
and "Gyp the Blood" is suffering from
pleurisy and threatened with pneumonia,
as the result of exposure. Four of the
twenty detectives who. formed Hughes
posse are similarly i'll.
John F. Mcintyre, chief counsel for
Lieutenant Becker, after a conference
with his client in the Tombs today, an
nounced that he would leave town, to
be gone until next Wednesday, on
mission connected with the Becker de-
fense.
Asked about his fee, Mcintyre indig-
nantly denied the stories that he would
receive $4,000. but said that Mrs. Becker
had given him "dignified sum-