New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-04-20
Police Say Conversations
Were First Written on
Slate, Then Copied.
FORMED BASIS FOR
INQUIRY QUESTIONS
"Blunder, but Legal Says
Swami of Wire Spying-Mes"
sage introduced at Hearing.

eryations, before the SlIOhS ON@'4
investigating committee yesterday.
What did come out, through sieve OF
lawyers objections, made it appear that
a policeman is likely and licensed -
10 sit in as a third party to any tele-
phonic conversation in or between the
FIVE bOroughs. ,.L
Those mysterious questions when
have been asked by William II. Hotch-
kiss. as attorney for the city Depart,
ment Of Charities, yesterdays coIo
shows, were based on gleanings result,
ing from police esvesdropplng. hso
tho questions gone unchaIenged' ,he
Police Department might not have be.
come involved in the public aspects, OF
the investigation. As II was MI
Hotchkiss brought five policemen,
Headquarters specialists ia wiretap-
ping, to testify.
az find in the record a ruling by
YOU" he told Commissioner Charles II.
Strong. that part Of my examination
of Mr.. Hebberd and other witnesses
suggesting the terms of conversations
over the telephone will be stricken out
unless legal foundation is laid by
legal evidence.
Admits Police Tapping.
Until to-day it has not been in my
power TO produce the witnesses ana
establish the basis for the questions
referred to. As the hearing proceeded
prior 10 March Is. 10 seemed that GER
tain of the witnesses had destined
falsely as 70 material facts.
"For these reasons, as | am IN
formed. certain officers OF the Police
Department secured permission 70 lis.
ten 10 the telephone conversation OF
certain persons who then had been or
since then have been witnesses in TINS
zone of the wires listened on was
that Of DR.. d. c. Potter, Of Brooklyn,
beginning March Is. Meanwhile a
strenuous effort was made to serve Or.
Potter and make him a witness IN TINS
proceeding. This failed, and IT ap-
peared from the conversations on his
wire that he was about TO leave the
state and that, therefore, the compile
ton Of the proof as to the offences
specified might be jeopardized.
"The police officers also, beginning
March 25. 1916. listened on two wires
which they had reason to believe would
be used the same way that DR.. Potter's
wire had been used. These were the
wires of Dean Potter. son Of DR.. Pot
ter. and of Father Farrell. Such wires
were listened on for a few days only.
Sergeant Takes Stand.
Mr.. Hotchkiss concluded mis- formal
statement BY denying there had been
any eavesdropping on the telephone OF
Monsicnor Mooney, Monsignor Dunn,
Father Higgins or Cardinal Farley
lie also called attention 10 the fact
that Mayor Mitchell had said the police
investiation followed an allegation BY
the Commissioner Of Charities that a
crime-lying either in the circulation
of pamphlets attacking the investiga-
tion or the presumptive subornation
Of perjury had been committed.
When George c. Yunge, a police ser
geant commanding the long cared tele-
phone-tapping squad at Headquarters
was called TO the stand, emphatic OBJ
lection was registered by William V
Bowers. Of counsel for the State Board
OF Charities.
These objections we're continued
throughout the proceedings without
apparent result. until Commissioner
Strong decided to adjourn the hesrlno
until 10 O'Clock this morning. But by
that time the testimony OF Sergeant
Yunge had been added 70 the record
and one Of the sergeants subordinate
had been permitted 10 identify A tran
script of telephone conversation be-
tween the home of Dr. Potter and the
Irving Hotel. in New York, where
Robert W Hebbcrd, resigned secretary
Of the State Board Of Charities, live.
when in the city.
Questions by Mr. Bowers concerning
the general police practice OF tappina
telephone wires were not answered by
no no.
cfc case. Yunge said that converse
tions overheard were noted on a slate
then transferred 20 paper in longhanc
and later typewriter for the files.
Two Copies Made.
Two Of the typewriter copies were
made. They went al first 10 Commits
sioner Woods. and afterward one wen
TO Deputy Commissioner Soul, subse
ouently in charge OF the investigation
BY Yunge and his squad. Those under
Yunge Patrolmen James A. Watson
Patrick !. Siavin, John Kinnel and Emi
Blaha were in the room, waiting e
take tho stand.
"My orders came from COMMISSIONS
Woods" Yungc testified. "The evening
Of March II, 1916, he told me 20 lister
IN on Flatbush 948 (the telephone o
Or. Potter. ! didn't begin listening
until next day"
Mr. Hotchkiss. who had a sheaf o
transcripts % conversations over thu
tapped telephones ready 20 introduce
asked that he be permitted 70 pu
Yunge's whole squad on the stand a
the same time This was the sigma
for fresh objections By Mr. Bowers
, Transcript Identified.
As a result, Detective Blaha tool
The stand lie identified one OF th'
typewriter Transcripts introduced %
evidence. Il was dated March IS, 1916
1910 p m. FlatbUsh 9fS, Blaha said
called Gramercy G2G4, and the CONVEX
sstiOn vas:
Ces@ Hello fsomsns ,oic,l
~ Hofsi IvMsf
=" NJ nss,>r1. pr,...
.,.s , n,,lo mans 'oletl.
es.i Bslo. Dr.. Po'',r. what. new
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Further objections BY Mr. Bower
sasssd the commissioner 20 Adjour
the hearing.