The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1913-11-15
WIRE TAPPERS
GIVE WHITMAN
NEWS OF GRAFT
District Attorney Says Many
Thousands of Dollars Had
Been Obtained by Corrupt
Methods, in Which Police
Are Alleged to TIave
Shared. {
BY ASSOCIATED PRESS.

New York, Nov. 14.-District Attor-
new Whitman confirmed today the re-
port that he had obtained from a gang
of wireless wire tappers confessions
involving the payment of graft for
police protection to a civilian in high
authority at police headquarters. d po-
lice inspector and at least two lieu
tenants. Many hundreds of thousands
of dollars, Mr. Whitman said, had been
obtained by the sWindIers under police
protection.
Ten per cent of this sum and
fixed retainer of $1,000 month, ac-
cording to. the confessions, had been
divided among the police officials in
volved.
George MCRae, confessor- chief OF
the gang of five who have barred their
records, is authority for the statement
that Chicago woman, whose identity
is known to the district attorney, was
deeced out of 100000 during several
months by the gang in this city and
that the police received 10 per cent of
this sum. McRae's confession Mr..
Whitman said, had been corrOborated
in many essential details by the other
wire tappers, all of whom are under
indictment for grand larceny.
Still more startling revelations are
expected today in the confession of
two other wire tappers who have indi-
Gated their Willingness TO tell the dis
triCt attorney all they know about
money being paid for police protection.
According to the story told by Nc
Rae and his confederates, the police
We're notified by the gang in advance
whenever a deal was on. Giving names
and dates, McRae told the district at
torney that the police would station
a man outside the building to which
the victim was taken and that after
the wire tapperS had got his money,
payment of the 10 per cent commits
sion was made Immediately to the po-
lice representative waiting outside.
This, McRae charged, was taken to the
Office of a police inspector and either
retained entirely by him, or divided
with his superiors. In addition, the
wire tappers, McRae said, paid a man
at police headquarters a monthly re-
tainer of s., 500.
McRae confessed to the district at
torney more than n month ago, but
no announcement was made until to-
day.
In the meantime Assistant District
Attorney Groehl has devoted most of
his entire time to investigating the
story. Froehl confirmed portions of
MCRae's confession in Chicago. Nearly |
a dozen swindlers connected with the
gang have confessed.
McRae's confession and the result
ant revelations are the outgrowLh of
an accidental meeting in Los Angeles
last September between McRae and
a representative of the district attor-
ney's Office, who was in that city On
another case The district attorneys
representative brought McRae with
him to Chicago and there they were
met by Mr.. Groehl.
Before coming to this city McRae
had made a partial confession.
The alleged working arrangements
between the police and the sWindIers,
McRae said first was made more than
eighteen months ago, or about six
months before the murder Of Herman
Rosenthal resulted in disclosures of |
police graft. During the investigation |
after Rosenthafs death, the swindIers |
became scared and many eft the city |
Later on working arrangement, Nc |
Rae said, was revived.