The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-06-01
TURN LIGHT UPON
POLITICAL CRAFT
At ATLANTIC CITY
Detective Burns Makes Dis
closures of Corruption to
Grand Jury
FAMOUS SLEUTH IS
THE STAR WITNESS
The DietagrapIs and Marked
Money Figure in Latest
Scandal 1T New Jersey =
Coast Resort

ATLANTIC CITY, \, j.. May i'll
Corruption. official, political and
ciS1c. is to be torn I'D by the roots In
this city: and. despite me exposures
of the past year. eliminating In the
uncovering of .'the concrete board
walk" bribery graft, the arrest OF one
councilman. and the confessions OF
four more. taxpayers or the city
haven't the faintest idea how deep
these roofs GO.
They are going to find out, however.
The results of a years work by oper-
atives employed under the personal
direction of William J. Burns, arc to
be disclosed in the form OF grand jury
proceedings. and arrests, and the de-
veiopments will throw the shadow on
the boardwalk" case.
Election bribery. and other offenses
against the ballot. protection OF gamb-
ling both straight and crooked.
traffic In saloon license; bribery
charges In connection with garbage
contracts. and ad Oxen other instances
of how Atlantic City has been mis-
governed and exploited, will be
dragged to the light.
Burns lefr for the West this after
noon. after Councilman Harry Dough-
81 ~ the Only ono the I'VE COAHIA-
men accused OF accepting a bride OF
$500 each TO vote for the board
walk" ordinance. who refused to admit
his guilt. mad been held fer the grand
jury in $4,000 bail.
Before leaving the city Burns. in an
interview. named three other members
OF city council In connection with the
bribery charges He said that Coun-
Gilman Samuel s. Phoebus. one OF
those who confessed, will testify that
he paid money to each OF the three
IN the boardwalk" case. Those who
have confessed are Councilman Phoe-
bus. Gustav Kessler, James W. Lane,
and William Malta. Dougherty was
stubborn. SO he was arrested.
The Dougherty hearing. at which
Burns was the star witness. and at
which one Of his operatives told The
story Of the famous dictagraph. was
intensely dramatic.
oou3hsrty Not on Stand.
Dougherty was NOT placed on the
stand. He listened in silence to the
evidence against him. Three council
men. whose confessions Burns holds.
were witnesses against their col
league. They merely fold of their
presence at the Burns interview with
Dougherty. when the latter declined To
admit his guilt. Phoebus told Of his
advice to Douxherty TO do as the
rest OF US have done" The most
direct evidence against Dougherty was
That given by r. s. Smiley. the Burns
operative. who turned up the Ohio
legislative scandal Smiley identified
Dougherty az the man to whom he
said he had given ten marked fifty
dollar bills
IL IL asserted that evidence has been
obtained against every gambling Joint
In the city. 1t VIII be placed before
the grand Jury ar the proper time.
Two well known politicians will. /, is
said. be involved IN the gambling dis
closures.
Disclosures Corxnu.
In the election OF last fall, the re-
form forces. fighting for the reign OF
deceney, formed fusion of the re-
formers. and. tkss Democrats agfrf II. s-s,
battle 10 the organization. only to
DO defeated by the machine The
coming disclosures will show how this
was done. at least in part
Inefe IL In the possession of the in
vestigztors evidence Of vote buyinr
and briber giving and taking, upon
which warrants for the arrest Of FORTY
seven game workers are 10 be Issued
1T the proper time. In the meantime
these election manipnlators are being
watched. and there is no fear that
they will get away.
Poking an exploring finger into the
matter Of license. the investigators
found another rotten spot. Evidence
In this direction was obtained by
working another Burns plant" 4
saloon was equipped and a license ap-
plird for. Negotiations were opened
with certain counciimen. Money, It
Is said. was passed. The license was
granted and the saloon, ir orde.. that
no such suspicion might be afoused.
began doing business. 1t was run for
. month. and then closed, the an
nouncement being made that 1t did
not pay"
There is more OF the same sort of
evidence In the hands Of the inyes-
tigators.
Burns Star Witness.
Today, OF course. conferred In the
Dougherty hearing. Burns, himself,
was the star witness. He said he be-
gan operations about q year ago. end
told Of getting information that START
ed him TO investigating the council
,Een. II was hts suggestion that a
,ann. posing as a contractor, should
come here and let It be known that he
wanted to build q new concrete board
walk, and that following this brides
were to be offered to members OF
council In return for their votes for
the ordinance. in order to test their
honesty"
The ordinance was prepared and
psssed," he said. My operative. Mr..
smiley, working as Mr.. Francklyn.
had Immediate charge OF the case. SO
tar AZ ] am concerned, was not
present when the bribes were given.
never saw Dougherty unril l sent
for him yesterday I asked councit-
man Phoebus. who, was the first to
confess that he had, taken . br!bc, to
phone for Dougherty to como 20 my
room,
The money 10 undsFatepd to have
been pa6sed 70 the accused counctl-
nlen 81 = room IN Nalia's hotel. On
!: As,l e @ =. 81: $500 e s e