Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1914-12-10
POLICE HEADS Of
CHICAGO INDICTED
FOR SEER FRAUDS
Go-BetWeen "SqueaIs" About
Operations of ClairVoyant
Ring and Officials and
Charges Result.
TRUSTING PUBLIC MULCTED
Bertsche Says Detectives Tried
to Make Rosenthal of Him
Huge Graft Reveal
tions to Follow.

Chicago, Dec. Indictments We're
returned today naming two police Of
lcerS and a former detective involved
in the sensational graft confessions of
Barney Bertsche and the brothers
Frank and James Ryan. The defend
ants, charged witt conspiracy to OBJ
tain money by fraud and with bribery,
are Captain James j. Halpin. Lieut..
John Tobin and former Detective Wal
ter O'Brien.
OBrien was dismissed from the force
six months ago for alleged completely
in he protection of persons engaged in
the clairvoyant swindles conducted by
the Ryans.
Bertsche is said to have confessed
to States Attorney Hoyne, a month ago
duplicating the policemen indicted and
others not yet formally named in court
proceedings, and the Ryans.
Bertsche is said to have admitted
himself the go-between in the payment
of protection money to the police.
Why He "squeaIed."
Il paid my $500 and $500 a week to
Halpin just like rent, it was so regular
Bertsche is quoted as telling Hoyne. Il
never 'squealed' but when they lured me
down to the Rialto and tried to do me,
tried to make Rosenthal of me. l con-
Guided to talk"
" ~ t'sS liS u VI u StiS
fight, in which he exchanged shots
with Detectives Egan and Monaghan.
as a result of which five men, includ-
ing Bertsche and the detectives, were
sent to the hospital with bullet
wounds.
Tho money. which Bertsche alleges
he handled. is said. by Hoyne, to have
come mostly from the I2yans. who con
fesscd to having profited by swindling,
through c~lairvcyant parlors, to the ex-
tent of tens of thousands of dollars
/ annually for several years.
Bertsche. in his confession. is alleged
to have complained that although he
| paid protection moneN to Halpin reg
ularly the police We're voracious and
attempts We're made to force heavier
contributions from him.
Not Yet. Through.
According to HpNne. the three con-
f~essions reinforce each other at every
point. The prosecutor said that before
the case is concluded, other policemen
will be brought to trial. and the ratifi-
cations of the Expose followed in de-
tail through a mass of police corrup-
tioa, involving every form of vice and
crime. from pocket picking to safe
blowing and banS robbery.
Specifically, the indictments charge:
Halpin--Three bribery offenses and
three instances of participating in a
confidence game.
i ! 4 Y tl1dISeS Oh OJ)CTlJllG a
confidence game.
O'Rrien-Three charges of operating
a confidence game.
Another Indictment charging the
operation af confidence game was
voted against another detective.
All Deny Charges.
In the criminal court bonds for the
indicted men We're fixed as follows:
Halpin, 10000; Tobin, SIS 900;
O'Brien, $4,000.
Talking with reporters, the defen-
dants asserted that the confessions did
not contain a word Of truth.
After leaving the grand jury room
Bertsche told of an agreement he had
n&de With Capt. John j. Halpin. until
recently in charge OF the detective
bureau, and Lieut.. John Tobin, by
which Frank Ryan and his men were to
have a monopoly on the clairvoyant
business downtown. Bertsche's con-
~fession covers 120 typewriter pages
and involves many persons, whose
names have not vet come out in graft
connection.
HoNne today made public more of the
secret of Frank Ryan's two red morocco
bound books in which the records of
the clairvoyant trust were kept. The
common method of division of the
sroils. according to the book, was As
per cent for the swindler n in addi-
ton 40 per cent for the police. 10 per
cent for the owner and 5 per cent for
the "fixer.'
Revenues are recorded as receipts"
and pay OUTS The following figures
were given for four months in 1912:
Receipts
June oil. so
July 1885,. on
August ] to "a 6,o34. 80
AUGUST % to al z I25 on