New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-03-08
WREN LIKELY TO BARE
MORE HARLEM GRAFT
Hussey's Former "ColIector,'
Facing Many indictments,
Seeks Whitman.
CURRAN REPORT TUESDAY
Probers Will Urge Home Rule
for City and Curb on Two
Secret Societies That
Dominate Police.

District Attorney Whitman presented
testimony before the grand jury yesterday
which he believes. will result In the In
dictmert of Jimmy" Wren. formerly a
plaincothes man on Inspector Hussey
star before Dennis Sweeney was placed
in command OF the 9Th Inspection District,
which embraces Harlem.
The chief witness against Wren was
John TONES. proprietor of the Colonial
Hotel. l25th street and Eighth avenue.
This hotel. the largest Of its kind in Har-
lem. paid protection money both under
Inspector Hussey's and Sweeney's rule In
Harlem
Tonnes told the grand jury that he had
paid 80 a month regularly for the last
FIVE years for police protection, and that
the protection was delivered. He said he
paid money to Sergeant Peter j. Duny'
Of Sweeney's staff, and previous to tnat
10 Wren. He asserted his belief that the
money later found its way into the hands
OF the inspectors. az he said he knew the
men who collected the money to be the
inspectors men.
Wren retired from the Police Depart
in'U' w I'F''ulUf'. d'''i ''PPN '"c''~
ing disclosures about police graft In Har-
lem. lie Is now part owner OF the Hotter
Braddock. Eighth avenue and 18th street
on Thursday he sent his partner. PAT
rick Doonan. to District Attorney Whit
man TO learn If he would get immunity
by testifying before the grand jury He
called In person on the District Attorney
yesterday lie was accompanied by his
lawyer and asked the District Attorney
10 give him until Monday to make up his
mind just what he wanted to do.
Must Tell or Plead.
District Attorney Whitman made II
plain to Wren that " he did not tell
Monday what he knew of graft conditions
I'm Harlem when he was Hussey g
staff he would find himself pleading to
charges OF graft.
n is not unlikely that Wren. whether
he tells all he knows or not, will be In
dicted on Monday. But in the event OF his
aiding the District Attorney there would
be no effort TO try him on the indictment
II he should elect TO Join the ranks OF
those who Will not tell. at least half
dozen indictments may he found against
him, each one charging the receipt OF pro-
lection money from gamblers and hotel
keepers.
one OF the indictments that could be
found against Wren would be on the tes-
timony of Ashley Shea who confessed he
WAS collector for Sweeney after he had
given UP his gambling business. Shea tes-
titled he paid 500 week to Wren or a
little more than 500 month for protec-
ton when he was running a poolroom on
Madison avenue.
II was learned yesterday that Sergeant
Peter J. Duffy visited TONES at the Co.
lonial Hotel on Thursday night and asked
him to remain friendly" to him. The
former alleged collector Of Inspector
Sweeney went away without accomplish
ing his mission.
Duffy yesterday formally pleaded not
guilty to the bribery charge in Justice
Seabury's court. His old bond of s0U
was continued.
That little. IL any. collecting was done
by the police captains under Sweeney,
with the exception Of Captain Thomas w.
Walsh. was learned yesterday. walsh
told Mr.. Whitman he was the only cap
tain permitted to have full sway or the
graft collections I'm his district and that
on one occasion. Sweeney, egged on by
Duffy, demanded that Duffy be permitted
10 do half of the collecting in his district.
This Walsh refused to do. and Sweeney
made no further effort to poach on his
preserves.