Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1913-10-28
BANNONCASE DEFERRED
BLAND IS ACQUITTED
Baltimore Lawyer ExOnerated Of
Conspiracy Charge.
FAIT TELLS HIS STORY.
Relates Circumstances Of Money Given
for Protection at Resort on
Sloney Creek.

| ;After be had frequently been named
| in 1.-THE testimony of witnesses as
the man higner up, to whom money
must be paid for protection, r. How
ard Bland, one of general counsel for
the United States Fidelity and Guar
anty Company, took the stand in Grim
inal Courl, Part 2, in Baltimore, yes
terday afternoon, and cleared himself
of the charges against him.
The case was tried without jury
and Judge Dobler found the young
lawyer no guilty. He was charge d
with conspiring with others to obtain
| $500 as protection money from John
Fait, former resort-keeper of Anne
Arundel county. The cases against
Bannon and Stein probabIy-will be
taken up next week.
James P. Bannon, one time fac
tor in politics in this county, and
David Stein, who were also charged
in the Indictment, declared through
counsel at the beginning of the trial,
thst they were not prepared to go on
with the case. Edgar II. Cans, one
of counsel for Mr.. Bland, declared,
however, that his client would stand
trial without a jury. Judge Dobler
then began to hear the evidence in
the one case, but made Bannon and
Stein remain in the courtroom as wit
nesses. They were not called upon
to testify however.
At the conclusion of the testimony
of the defense, the courtroom was
startled when Assistant States At
torney Harry W. Nice volunteered to
take the stand and testify as to Mr..
Bland's character. Rev. DIR. Edwin
B. Niver, rector of Christ Protests
Episcopal Church, and others had al
ready been on the stand and spoke of
the high and unblemished character OF
the young attorney.
After the pre- liminary statement in
behalf of the State had been made by
Mr.. Nice, Mr.. Fait was called to the
witness stand. He said that Bannon
had prosecuted him in having him in
dicted for the illegal sale of liquor at
mis- res )rt in Stony Greek. He alleged
be had paid money tpr protection
which he never got and that after
meeting Stein in a saloon on Fayette
street last May, Stein declared it
could be arranged whereby Bannon
would give him protection.
A meeting was arranged in the
Carrollton Hotel and Fait, acting on
the advice of a friend went to the
local Office of the Burns Detective
Agency, where d. B. Shaw, who was
then its manager, advised him to OBJ
tain two rooms at the hostelry, and
dictaphone was placed in them by w.
B. Romans, Burns agent.
On the following morning, Romans
and Charles +. King, stencgrapher,
closeted themselves in the room where
the receiving end of the dictaphone
was located and a complete report
of the conversation between Bannon,
Stein and Pait was obtained. This
was presented at the trial yesterday,
but contained no evidence against Mr..
Bland. A man "higher-up" was
spoken of, but no names were men,
toned at that time.
Fait said he then left the hotel and
went to the Office of the Burns
agency where FIVE S100 bills were
marked with hit initials and thos, of
Romans. He said he then took them
to the Office of Mr.. Bland and that
the attorney told him he would have
to see Mr.. Bannon and VIII itever Ban
non did, would be perfectly satistac-
tory to him (Bland)
The home of Bannon was then
visited" said Felt. 81 took William
j. Becker with me as a prospective
purchaser of my place. Bannou
told us he was going to close all of
the other places along the Greek and
that mine would be the only one open.
offered him the money but he would
net take it and said Give il to Stein.
told him that Mr.. Bland had said
that whatever he would 90 would be
alright.
"Bannou did not want to take the
money, but later took long manila
enc lope from his pocket and told me
to put the money in it. ] did so and
he then told me to sell it. | did so
and he took it. / asked him If he
would not treat, and he replied that
he dld not get cent of the money,
but that it went TO man higher up.
i have to give this to Howard Bland.
be said.
81 then told Bannon if he would
not treat would, and we left the
house. As we got outside I raised
my hat, rs prearranged signal. and
Detective Werner crossed the street
and arrested Bannon.
Fait admitted on cross-examina-
tion that he was employed as a coll
lector for d. B. Shaw, who now con-
ducts detective agency of his own
and that he had Frequently been indict.
ed Tor violations of the liquor laws
and for having slot machines at his
place.
When asked by Mr.. Cans why he
believed Mr.. Bannon had so much
power to protect him. Fait said he
I ,ok i for granted that Bannon con-
trolled the States Attorney for Anne
Arundel county, and the Lords Dav
Alliance as well as others. He also
said he believed that if he had taken