Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-05-24
MAYOR IS LEFT TALKING
AS COMMITTEE RET|REs
Executive Session Only Way to Cir
cumvent Mitchell, Who Refuses
to BE Silenced.
HE CHARGES CONSPIRACY
Tells Wire-Tapping Investigators
Combination Is Working to Dis
credit Committee Appointed by
Whitman.

NEW YORK. y. Y, May 23.--Mayor
Thompson Legislative committee inves-
tigating police wire-tapping that there
was combination working to discredit
the committee appointed by Governor
Whitman to investigate Roman Catho-
lie charitable institutions in New York
City. The Mayor said the combination
contemplated spirtting persons away
from the jurisdiction of the committee
and "trumping up testimony"
The Mayors allegations were prompted
by the indictment in Kings County
earlier in the day of John A. Kings
bury. city commissioners OF charities
and William II. Hotchkiss. special coun-
sci for the charities department. for
their part in the tapping" Of tele-
phone wires. The chief witnesses
against them before the. grand jury
were Catholic clergymen.
MAYOR AND COMMISSIONER
MERIT "SENERE CONDEMNATION"
Mayor Mitchell and Police Commits
sioner Woods were witnesses before the
jury, hut were not indicted although
the presentnent OF the jury declared
they merited "a most severe condemra-
tion." If they approved overlapping
merely TO furnish counsel with intor-
nation in law case or 10 crafty
curiosity"
The Mayors determination not to
appear before the committee privately
brought him into direct and acrimoni-
Gus conflict with Chairman THOMPSON.
Finally. to circumvent the witness. who
refused 10 be silenced, the chairman
ordered his colleagues into executive
session. The committee retired. leav-
ing the Mayor still talking in the wit
ness chair
The meetings of the commission are
being held in the rooms of the Sinking
Fund Commission. in the Municipal
building. The Mayor Is chairman OF
this commission. Senator Thompson
ordered the room cleared. but the
Mayor invited reporters and others
present 10 remain as his guests" The
Senator pounded the table with his
Envel while MIR. Mitchell continued
talking in Il hish-pitched voice The
order for an executive session was
followed by clash between Chairman
Thompson and Frank Moss, counsel to
the committee.
We can't take up those conversa-
'ionS mere, shouted senator THOMPSON,
We can take them UP only in execu-
tive session"
WILL TAKE SUBJECTS TO
..PROPER AUTHORITIES,
The Mayor declared he would have
10 consider whether he would discuss
the conversations except in public He
ntimated that he would take the sub
ject before the proper authorities"
with view 10 the prosecution on four
charges of persons he declared were
involved In conspiracy to discredit
the charities department Of the city.
Senator Thompson issued his call for
an executive session, after Alfred j.
Talley, counsel for some OF the clergy
men involved. had offered strong oh
jections to the reading OF the conversa-
tions in the Mayors possession or any
part of them. The attorney asserted
tho alleged conversations were taken
down on slate In longhand by four
police officers and were presented to
the charities investigation committee,
which refused to receive them on the
ground II would be improper to have
them so on the record.