The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-05-24
Developments Show Case
Entangled in Atlanta Poll
tical Fight, Involving
the Chief of Police
FRICTION BETWEEN
THE CITY POLICE AND
DETECTIVES ON CASE
Alleged That Political Enemies of
Chief Beavers Are Using Case
as Factor Against Him--Col.
Thomas B. Fielder Is
Involved

Atlanta, May 23-The Mary Phagan
case took new and decidedly inter-
esting turn today While the Fulton
county grand jury was considering the
evidence so far secured as to the mur-
der of the pretty little 14-year-old fac
tory girl, there were developments
tending to show the case has become en-
tangled in local political fight in
volving the war that has been waged
against Chief of Police Beavers, who
recently Identified himself with the re-
form movement which wiped out the
segregated district in Atlanta.
1t Is alleged the political opponents
of Chief Beavers and his assistants In
the police department have endeavored
to make the Investigation of the Pha-
gan case a factor In the fight against
him. 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 3
Fielder, a local attorney, who recent
ly raised fund to bring a detective
of interns tlcnaL reputation to Atlanta
TO Investigate the murder of the Pha=
gan girl Colonel Fielder is widely
known throughout the south. He was
the attorney for Charles w. Morse, the
New York banker, when the latter OBJ
tained his release from the federal PEN
itentiary here.
Conversation Reported
The Atlanta journal printed late to-
day what purports to be a stenographic
record of a conversation between Col
onel Fielder and G. c. February. secre-
tary to n. A. Lanford local chief of
detectives. with third party present.
The conversation is alleged TO have
been secured by means of a secret
telephonc device insSalled in local
hotel room at the direction of local
detectives. The device is the one made
famous by the detective whom Colonel
Fielder himself employed against Gov.
Cole Blease of South Carolina during
a controversy with that executive which
nearly resulted in a duel between the
two hot tempered southerners. The
was made by George Nj. Gentry. nephew
of Col w. r. Gentry, president of the
Southern Bell and Cumberland Tele-
phone companies.
The Journal further presented Sc
ries OF affidavits from local detectives
and city employees, including February,
which assert that Colonel Fielder Of
fered them $1,000 if they would place
in his hands certain papers in the Pha-
gan case which he declared the local
police had manufactured or framed p
and which he believed would be suf-
ficient ito drive Beavers and Lanford
from .affice."
Employment Denied
One of the affidavits in question was
made the detectives said. by J. W.
Coleman, stepfather of the Phagan girl
who denied that he had ever employed
Fielder to represent him in the prose-
cution of the case. This affidavit also
declares that the 'affiant is thoroughly
satisfied with the great work done by
Chief of Police Beavers and Chief of
Detectives I.anford.' and urges the cit
liens of Atlanta ITO stand behind the
Atlanta police department"
Coleinan Is also city employe, in
the sanitary department. The detec-
tives say the papers Colonel Fielder
wanted were in the safe of the chief
0N detectives. They declared they told
the attorney they might be prosecuted
If they abstracted them but say he re-
piled they could not be put in the pen
itcntiary so long as his 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 affidavits asserts
Fielder said he could get Gov. Joe"
Brown or Gov-elect Jack" Slaton to
release the men involved If an ATTEMPT
were made to Jail them.
February and A. S. Colyer, an investi-
gator. in affidavits declare Fielder de-
nounced Chiefs Beaver and Lanford
as ''grafters' and said:
II can call mass meeting tomor-
row afternoon and have 10000 of the
best citizens in this town meet at Five
Points tomorrow night and go to the
station house and hang Beavers and
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