New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-06-02
ATLANTIC C|7Y'S CRAFT
SCANDAL IS SPREADING
Burns Declares He Now Has
Confessions from Twenty
three Men Involved.
CONTRACTORS DRAWN IN NET
Detective Says Fifty In and Out
of Office Will Be Pilloried- :
Councilman Phebus Quits,
Others to Follow.
BY Telegraph TO The Tribune. !

Atlantic City, June 1.--Developments
multiplied rapidly tonight in the official
graft scandal which has stirred Atlantic
City to the depths.
From five, the number of men involved
il, the various ramifications of roguery
which Detective William J. Burns ard
his men are probing, was Jumped to
twenty-four. Within forty-eight hours.
according to Burns. fifty men In and
out of official places will be piloried FOR
corruption.
Burns's headquarters here tonight
gave out statement that twenty-three
Of the forty-one men holding places high
in the official and politictl life Of the
city. who were summoned to meet Burns
on Wednesday when Councilmen Phe-
bus. Malta, Kessler and Lane confessed
they had received $500 each to vote for
the concrete boardwalk scheme, con
cocted by the Burns agency to entrar
suspected grafters, have placed coHfes-
sions in the hands Of Burns and his
men.
Who these men are is not disclosed
Some of them are now eX-members ct
the Council. Others have ceased TO oc-
cupv municipal jobs of various kinds
Others are contractors who are alleged
IN have paid substantially for contracts
The new chain Of evidence is said 10
lead into one of the most important pun
lie boards in the city. and the effect "l
the discoveries which brought signed
confessions under threat Of exposure and
arrest will force into retirement at least
five Of the machine candidates In the
race for City Commissioner.
Fear that machine followers might
unite and elect three of these men al
questionable character and thereby Sc
cure control of the compact body when
is to rule the town under the commls-
sion plan of government is said TO nave
snurred the reformers TO appear ~
Burns for help in driving the suspected
men into enforced retirement.
Councilman Phebus. chairman Of the
boardwalk committee and councilmanic
sponsor for the boardwalk steal propo-
stion, has resigned.
Phabus meant more than was under
stood yesterday when he said ne was
clad to have a burden off his mind, Tor
he had written and dispatched TO Mayor
Bacharach his resignation as member
NJ the Council when he made the dec
laration.
Phabus's REIMBURSEMENT of ofhce
reached the Mayor this morning an1
took effect tonight. There was no &C.
casion for the Mayor to take any action
other than accept the resignation.
Mayor Bacharach's statement this af-
ternoor that he has not asked for any
further designations is taken to mean
that be expects Lane, Dougherty. kess-
Ter. Mulock, Donnelly and President OF
the Council Germany. who were impii-
Gated in Burnss scathing announcement
before he left the city last night 10 1ol-
low the example set by Phebus.
Dougherty still denies his guilt. He
insists he is the victim of a. frame up
and that he has been added to the list
Of men marked for degradation because
Of his refusal TO go along in NUMBER
If deals for which money was passed.
Dougherty vows he will not confess even
even under promise Of immunity.
I'm not going to blacken my name
through any such arrangement as that
ne said tonight. IT was not in on this