New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-05-17
Thompson Declares Police
Espionage Began When
Strong Was Mayor.
COMMITTEE TO SlFT
PRACTICE TO-DAY
$50 Requests to Listen In Made
in Last Two Years-Gillespie
Questioned About Funds.

The Thompson legislative committee
will to-day start a general inquiry into
telephone overlapping without touch
INC upon the specific controversy raised
in the charities investigation, accord
inc TO the announcement OF Senator
George +. Thompson yesterday. He
said his committee recognized it had
no right to interfere in the charities
INQUIRY. but that the question of tap
ming telephone wires came within his
committees scope, because the tele-
phone company was public service
Senator Thompson declared that
John L. Swayze. general counsel TO the
New York Telephone Company, mad
furnished information showing that S5U
requests had been made 10 the teie-
phone company by the police Tor per
mission TO tap wires IN the last Two
wears. once TO listen in on those OF a
city department. This was not the
Street Cleaning Department or the
Mayors office, Senator Thompson SAID
Most Of the overlapping by the police
was in suspicious cafes where criminals
were known 10 gather. For this reason
the names Of patrons, except upon IN
dividual complaint, probably would not
be made public, Senator Thompson said
He had learned that the practice be-
came a part of the system OF police
espionage as far back as 1895, when
William l.. Strong was Mayor, and had
been continued through succeeding ad-
ministrations. There had been cases
Of CONCEPTIONS tapping by private
agencies" the Senator said he had been
informed. With these cases the inves-
tigation will be most concerned.
T. A. Gillespie. head of the company
which had the contract for third-track-
ing the elevated lines, was recalled as
a witness yesterday. Frank Moss, coun-
sci 10 the committee, again tried 10
trace the Morgan influence in the sue
cess Of the Gillespie firm in obtaining
the contract.
Mr.. Gillespie stated that he borrowed
the greater part of the millions needed
on the contract from the Guaranty
Trust Company and deposited all the
money he received from the Inter
/ borough, with the exception of $4,000,
with that company.
Mr.. GILLESPIE was questioned ABOUT
/ the transfer Of money between the New
/ York and Pittsburgh Offices Of his
company while the elevated road was
/ under reconstruction. At previous hear
I ings the committee intimated that some
of the elusive 100000 yellow dog
| fund" might have contaminated some
of the transactions. The witness said
that while he was a willing witness
on all other matters, he did not wish
the Pittsburgh books of his firm TO be
dragged into the investigation.
Perley Morse, accountant, retained
by the committee, testified that alto
gether s1,415,721 had been sent to the
Pittsburgh Office, and some of IL trans
/ ferred back again. leaving a debit bal
ance in Pittsburgh of $4,000. Mr..
4 Moss said he would be satisfied If Mr..
| Gillespie told where this money came
! from, what il was for and why sent
| to Pittsburgh.
Counsel for the committee declared
+ he would show that joint legislative
committee appointed here did not re-
| quire a resolution, as was needed else.
/ where He let il be clearly understood
| that the committee would 90 ahead with
/ its investigation until July 1.