Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-05-24

to consider whether he would disclose the
conversations except in public. He init
mated that he would take the subject be-
fore the proper authorities" with a view
to the prosecution on four charges of per-
sons who he declared were involved in a
conspiracy to discredit the charities de-
partment of the city.
Senator Thompson issued his call for an
executive session after Alfred ]. Talley,
counsel for some of the clergymen involv-
ed. had offered strong objections to the
reading of the conversations in the may
or's possession or of any part Of them.
The attorney asserted that the alleged
conversations were taken down on slate
in longhand by four police officers, anc
were presented to the charities investi-
eating commission, which refused to re-
ceive them on the ground that it would
be improper to have them go on the rec-
ord.
"If tapping wires is crime Mr.. Tai
ley said, lit is an aggravation of tina,
crime to make the conversation public"
Previously, Mr.. Thompson had made
public letter received from John M.
Bowers, of counse! for the state board
of charities, against which Commission
er Kingsbury made charges requesting
that Mayor Mitchell be not allowed to
make public alleged evidence obtained
through wire tapping. He pointed out
that Commiss iOner Strong who conduct
ed the charities investigation ruled out
this so-called evidence on the ground
that it had been obtained in an illegal
way. He maintained that if the mayor
made public the conversations which
had been overheard he should be held
amenable to the laws of the State
When the mayor took the witness
chair, he said he would not leave it un-
til he had torn things wide open" He
declared that he had in his hands rec
ords of approximately 100 conversations
taken down by the police over a tapped
wire which indicated there is COM
bnation of persons who have been
working:
First to revoke the authority of the
Strong Committee by appealing to the
Governor:
Second, to discredit the committee;
Third. to attack and discredit Mr..
Hotchkiss;
Fourth, to spirit people away from
the jurisdiction of the committee and
Fifth, to coach witnesses to trump
up testimony"
Soon after the committee members left
the room the mayor evidently thought
better of his determination to continue
his reading of the conversations. He re-
iterated, however, his desire to tell the
public just what the police found by their
wire tapping activities. Senator Thomp-
son announced that the committee would
hold another session tomorrow. He did
not state what action would be taken In
regard to the mayors evidence. In be-
ginning his testimony Mayor Mitchell
characterized the charges against Mr.
kingsbury and Mr.. Hotchkiss as wholly
unjustitiable.'
He made the direct assertion that there
was IAN absolute conspiracy on the par,
of Potter. Ireland, Hebberd, the Rev
William B. Farrell land several priests
to obstruct justice and to coach witness
es as what to say and to keep others out
of the jurisdiction of the investigators.
The mayor said he authorized resort
to wire tapping when Mr. Hotchkss in
formed him there was reason to believe
perjury had been committed in connec-
ton with the charities investigation, and
that there was a conspiracy to get GER
tain witnesses out of the state as we'll as
to coach other witnesses on what to say
on the stand.
Monsignor John J. Duhn, chancellor of
the archdiocese of New York, issued a
statement tonight in which he declared
that the charges made by the mayor as
they related to Catholic clergymen and
Catholic institutions rest on no solid
foundation. The mayor, he said, has been
hand and glove with the interests that
threatened the existence of child-caring
institutions"