The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1913-05-28
THOS. B. FIELDER
IS DiCTAGRAPHED
Atlanta Attorney who Figured Promi-
nently i'm y. c. Dispensary Matters
has Trick Turned ON Him.

mas Irlck Iurned on Him.
! Atlanta, Ga, May 23.-The Mary
Phagan case took new and decidedly
interesting turn today While the
Fulton County grand jury was con.
sidering the evidence so far secured as
J to the murder of the pretty 14-year.
old factory girl, there We're develop.
ments tending to show the case has
become entangled in local political
fight involving the war that has beer
waged against Chief of Police Beavers
who recently identified himself with
the reform movement which wiped out
the segregated district in Atlanta. /;
is alleged the political opponents OF
Chef Beavers and his assistants in the
police department have endeavored to
make the investigation of the Phagan
case n factor in the fight against him
TO Entrap Col. Il. b. Fielder.
On the other hand, it is claimed the
local police have resented what they
regard as asperSions against them in
the efforts to bring outside detectives
to the city to solve the battling murder
mystery. 1t is also claimed they have
endeavored to entrap Col. Thomas b.
Fielder, local attorney, who recently
raised fund to bring q detective of
international reputation to Atlanta to
investigate the murder of the Phagan
girl. Col Fielder is widely known
throughout the South. He was the at
torney for Charles w. Morse, the New
York banker, when the latter obtained
his release from the Federal Peniten-
tiary here.
Conversation by Dictograph.
The Atlanta Journal printed late to-
day what purports to be a stenographic
record of conversation between Col.
Fielder and F. c. February, secretary
to N. A. Lanford, local Chief of detec-
tives, with third party present. The
conversation is alleged to have been
secureC by means of secret tele-
phonic device installed in local hotel
room at the direction of local detec-
tives. The device is the one made fa-
nous by the detective whom Col. Eel
der employed against Governor Cole
l.. Blease, of South Carolina, during a
controversy with that Executive. The
stenographic record in the local case
was made by George Nj. Gentry,
nephew of Col. w. T. Gentry, president
of the Southern Bell and Cumberlond
Telephone companies.
$1,000 for "Certain Papers"
The Journal further presented a
series of atiidavits from local detectives
and city employees, including Febru-
airy, which asserts that Col Fielder Of
fered them 1000 if they would place
in his hands certain papers in the
Phagan case which he declared the To-
cal police had manufactured, or
framed" and which he believed would
be sufficient "to drive Beavers and
Lanford from Office
One of the aflidavits in question was
made, the detectives said, by j. w.
Coleman, step-father of the Phagan
girl, who denied that he had ever en-
ployed Fielder to represent him in the
prosecution of the case. This affidavit
also declares that the afiant is
thoroughly satisfied with the great
work done by Chief of Police Beavers
and Chief OF Detectives Lanford," and
urges the citizens of Atlanta "to stand
behind the Atlanta police department" ="
Coleman an Employee of City.
Coleman is also a city employee, in
the sanitary department The detect
ives say the papers Cal. Fielder wanted
were in the safe of the chief of detect
ives. They declare they told the attor-
ney they might be prosecuted if they
distracted them, but say he replied
they could not be put in the peniten-
tiary so long as "hic friend, Hugh
Dorsey, was solicitor general" They
also declare that Fielder said he could
control" the Criminal Court Judge.
Mayor Woodward and Solicitor Dor
sey One of the anldavits asserts
Fielder saih he could get Governor
Joe" Brown, or Governor-elect
Jack Slaton to release any of the
men involved if an attempt were made
to Jail them.
Denounced as Frafters.
February and A. s. Colyar, an in
vestigator, in affldavits declare Fielder
denounced Chiefs Beavers and Lam
ford as "grafters" and said: II can