Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-25
MORE TRAPSSET
|NATLANTA GRAFT
Telephone Device Is Used
Against Mayor After MUIR
der of Phagan Girl.
ROW BEGUN BY DEATH
STIRS THE GEORGIA CITY
Factory superintendent Charged by
Grand Jury With Putting
End to Youthful Employe.

ATLANTA. Ga. May PA further
sensation was provided in local political
circles today. when it became known
that secret telephone device had been
used against Mayor James G. Woodward
and Charles G. Jones. proprietor Of a
near-beer saloon, in connection with
the fight between a certain political ele-
ment i'm the city and the local police de-
partment.
The developments of today added to the
stir created yesterday when it was dis
closed that the telephone device had
been employed by detectives in obtaining
a stenographic report of conference be-
tween Thomas B. Fielder. a prominent
local attorney. who is interested in the
prosecution of the Mary Phagan case,
6. {. FEBRUARY. secretary to Chief of
Detectives n. A. Lamford, and A. S.
Colyar. The stenographer's report of the
conference of Fielder. FEBRUARY and
Colyar, purpOrted to show that Fielder
was trying to obtain papers in the Phagan
case. which he declared the local police
had manufactured and which he believed
would be sufficient to drive Chief OF
Police Beavers and Lanford from office"
Onered 81 ,OOO for Papers.
According to the report of the confer
ence Fielder offered to pay FEBRUARY
1000 to get the papers from Lanfords
safe.
The publication today in the Atlanta
Journal of record shows that Mayor
Woodward and Jones were subjected to
the telephone device at different inter-
walls on the same day-last Wednesday,
and in the same hotel room as Fielder.
The affidavit of George NJ Gentry, the
stenographer who reported the alleged
conversation of Mayor Woodward. states
that FEBRUARY. Colyar and r. o. Miles
an investigator. were engaged in the con-
ference with the mayor
The record of this conference quotes
Mayor Woodward as saying he was seek
ing evidence against the police depart
ment and particularly against Chief of
Police James l.. Beavers. who was iden-
titled with the movement last fall which
resulted in eliminating the segregated
district from the city.
Mayor Woodward Quoted.
Mayor Woodward is quoted in the re-
port of the conference as saying. with
regard to the papers" and possible re-
Enumeration for them:
Il told Fielder that certain persons
Wou1u bt WIiiiHS " pay Tic IiohCy LII
him and if he got the evidence that
would convict these people it would be
paid, and it will be-.
Woodward also is quoted as telling in
FEBRUARY to Get anything that looks
like graft, / don't care who it hits. and
especially Beavers.
FEBRUARY is quoted expressing fear
that the men who obtained the papers"
might be placed in jail. Woodward's re-
ply as quoted in the record was: I'VE
have got lawyers here that will get you
out pretty quick and 1 have the pardon
power still.
According to Stenographer Gentry s
report of the telephone devices record
Charles G. Jones participated in con-
ference with Colyar, Miles and FEBRUARY
Chief Beavers and Marion Jackson of
the Men and Religion Forward Move
meht. for their part in closing up the
restricted district.
Admits Being in Room.
Mayor Woodward this afternoon ad-
mitted having been in the hotel room
with FEBRUARY, Miles and Colyar. He
went there, he said. at the invitation Of
Miles, to examine affidavits. which he
said Colyar. claimed to. have and which
were alleged. to- charge. graft in the po-
lice department.
The whole BUSINESS Woodward de-
clared, amounted to hiring a detective.
Certainly | would vote to protect any
one who unearthed graft. Colyar and
his crowd wanted $1,000 for their infor-
nation I told them l had no $1,000 to
give but / felt sure If they could produce
the evidence that would bring about
convictions they would be paid for their
trouble"
The already widespread interest in the
murder of Mary Phagan, the pretty four
teen-year-old factory employe, whose
body was found in the basement of the
National pencil factory. April 20, was
deepened today by several developments.
Factory superintendent Indicted.
Leo NJ Frank. superintendent of the
factory today was indicted by the Full
ton county grand jury on charge of
numbering the Phagan girl. Frank was
held by the coroner's jury for investiga-
ton by the grand jury and has been a
prisoner in the tower since a few days
after the tragedy was discovered The
grand jury took no action in the case of
Newt Lee. the cOlOred Waterman at
the pencil factory, also held for in
vestigation in connection with the case.
Lees attorney. however, published a
statement in which he indicated that his
client will give testimony calculated to
prove the identity of the girls slayer.
Had Employe Write Letters.
Another interesting feature in connec-
ton with the efforts of the local police
department and special detectives to
solve the murder. was an affidavit made
by James COnley, a colored employee of
the pencil factory, who has been held by
the authorities as witness for the prose-
cution.
the day preceding the Phagan girls
murder, Frank called him into his Office
in the pencil factory and had him write
several notes, ITO get a sample of his
handwriting" Conley AYERS that he
wrote at Franks dictation and he be-
liexes the notes he wrote were the same