New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-11-15
NET DRAWING CLOSER
ABOUT POLICE OFFICIALS
Whitman Expects indictments
Will Result from Wire
Tapping Disclosures.
MORE EVIDENCE P0URS IN
Val O'Farrell, Former Member
of Force, Offers Clients Full
Story of Graft Pay
ments for Immunity.

Further evidence was placed In the
hands Of District Attorney Whitman yes
terday which is expected to result IN IN
dictments being handed up by the grand
Jury next week against two high police
officials for their alleged acceptance OF
graft from the wire-tappers in return Tor
their protection" under which wire-tap-
ping became one OF the safest and most
lucrative professions" in New York.
According to the story told Mr.. whit
man by George McRae, one OF the Com
dorf coterie Of wire tappers, there was
former policeman and Headquarters de-
tective who passed the money along from
the confidence men TO two officials.
The higher of these two officials got
monthly stipend of $3.50 in return for
his protective influence, while an inferior
official in his own department got 10
per cent rake-off on all transactions
About To Ask for Indictment.
The District Attorney had been making
an investigation of this story for seVerai
weeks, and had brought things to such
q point that he was about to ask for an
Indictment against the former policeman
Wal" O'Farrell, likewise former pol
itician. but now head of a detective ageh-
cy Of his own, called upon Mr.. whitman
on Wednesday, however as the represent
tative of this man, and offered his client
full story of graft payments in return lot
Immunity. AS result the impending III
dictment was put off. with probable I'M
munity as the final outcome, II the IN
The second Of the go-betweens mao
conference with Mr.. whitman !eS'ei "a
and told story that corrooorateu ',o
information already in Mr. Whi'iiiai,
hands and greatly increased the prov
ability that indictments will result AC-
cording TO this informant. the amount
paid the lesser OF the two officials was
10 per cent, but even at that his pickhss
were greater than the $500 month re-
ceived by his superior.
The recipient Of the 10 per cent cofh-
mission" was supposed to have been IN
volved in the Becker scandal. and was
transferred from Headquarters as re-
suit of the exposures of the inner work
ings of the police system made al thdt
time. His superior, however, is sun a'
Headquarters
The willingness of the wire tappers 10
testify is said to be based on the fact
that they believe they were held up for
trihute without receiving the promised
protection, as all OF them have been ar
rested one or more times. II was sau
their exposures would shake the Depart
noent badly and cause even greater
co,nnotion along graft lines than dlo
the Becker case.
Surname silence reigned at Headquar-
ters Yesterday in regard to the matter
both Commissioner Waldo and Deputy
Commissioner Dougherty refused to dis
cuss the case. as did Dominick Riley the
recently retired captain whom Mr.. WHIT
man has subpnnaed TO appear before the
grand jury Tuesday.
Doueherty May Be Witness.
Considerable speculation was INDUCED
In Yesterday as 10 whether Commissioner
Dougherty will be called as witness, as
he has been specially aggressive against
the wire tappers since he went 10 Head
quarters. There is at Headquarters big
nile of records Of wire tapping cases of
which he had personal charge.
Among them was the arrest OF r. r.
Mcdonald. alias Charles Gondorf, who
with John Kay. alias Paper Collar Jo,'
and Charles Bradford. alias Dutch Alon-
20" was charged with swindling Simeon
NJ. Jones. OF Pittsburgh, out of $4,000.
Then Charles Gondorf. with his brother
Fred and J. a. Dowsey, was arrested
second time. charged with swndlng DIT
]. NJ. Powell and K. 6. Sudbury, OF VIII
mington S c.. out Of $4,000.
Charles Gondorf was arrested third
time. on the complaint Of Colonel T.. @.
Ptndleton Of Atlantic City, that he had
taken $50, 900 from him. Fred Gondori
was arrested twice more on charges OF
taking $4,000 from Edward b. Culver, OF
Sparta. Ga, and S64, 900 from Duncan $
Curry, of Winnipeg Manitoba
In none OF these cases have convictions
been obtained. the defendants either be-
ing discharged through the failure Of the
complainants TO identify them or TO APP
pear against them. or because they have
been released on bail. the trials being de-
layed through the failure for various rea-
sons 10 get the cases against them In
shape. The District Attorney intends In
his present inquiry to fix the responsible
fly for this failure.