New-York tribune., 1916-07-25
Admits in wire Tap"
Case He Feared Potter
Was a Suspect.
DID NOT VERIFY
PAMPHLET RECORD
Unofficial Reports Used in At
tacks on Mayor and Kings
bury, He Says.

Two important admissions were made
by Monsignor J. ]. Dunn under cross
examination by Martin w. Littleton.
counsel for Deputy Charities Commits
sioner Doherty, complainant in the
Mayors wire tapping investigation,
yesterday. Recanting his former testi-
mony, Monsignor Dunn declared that he
suspected DR.. Daniel c. Potter was
wanted as witness in the Strong
charities investigation, when he ad-
vised the latter by telephone to "slip"
out of town for couple OF days.
The other admission on which Mr..
Littleton laid great stress was that in
the pamphlets containing alleged libels
against the Mayor, Charities Commits
sioner Kingsbury and others, Monsig-
nor Dunn based his attacks on news
PAPER articles and not on the official
record of the Strong commission.
Before the appearance of the Moree
pamphlets" said Monsignor Dunn on
redirect examination by Frank Moss, II
took no position in the controversy.
The author of these pamphlets, the
press agent of Commissioner Kings
bury, had simply collected sensational
and untruthful newspaper clippings
calculated TO show shocking mismRn-
agement and graft in our charitable in
stitutions. Our town people were dunn
founded by these newspaper attacks,
and IL was to counteract their effect
that | authorized the various pamphlets
which we circulated as widely as we
could"
Didn't Consult Record.
Reading various excerpts from pub
lie Scandal" one of the pamphlets, Mr..
Littleton repeatedly wrung from Mon
signor Dunn the admission that the
witness had not based his allegations
on the Strong commission record, but
had relied on Father Farrells version
of the testimony and on what he had
read in newspapers.
The afternoon session was enlivened
by tilt between Mr.. Littleton and
Mr.. Moss. It grew out of the discovery
that the copies of the 'phonograms'
used at the hearing before Justice
Greenbaum differ considerably from
the originals read by the Mayor into
the record of the Thompson committee.
II can't understand this at ALL said
Mr.. Moss. 81 can vouch for the accu-
racy of the stenographer employed by
the committee"
81 should very much like to know
whether Mr.. Littleton could produce
those original phonograms read by the
Mayor" interpolated Alfred j. Talley,
counsel for DR.. Potter and Father Far
rell.
II am tired of listening to imputa-
t;ons against the honesty of the
angrily on Mr.. alley. Mr.. Moss jumped
ur and shouted that Mr.. Littleton was
accusing the defence Of attacking the
Mayor~just to suit his own purposes.
Court Interferes In Vain.
Justice Greenbaum vainly tried
TO quiet the two. both of whom per-
sisted in talking at once
Mr.. Moss had the last word, saying
that the Police Commissioner produced
two copies of the phonograms, one used
by the Mayor and the other by the pres
ent investigation. II was fnally agreed
that Assistant District Attorney En-
bree produce the originals from the
Mayor.
More life was injected into the other
wise drowsy session when DR.. Potter
took the stand toward the close OF the
afternoon. Armed with copies of all
the phonograms in which he is reported
as conversing, he was asked by Mr..
Talley what he had TO say about them.
"They are presented here as the con-
versations between educated gentle
men. but they drop us down into the
very sewers along with the rats. They
are garbled and jumbled and" At
this roint the witness was severely ad-
monished by Justice Greenbaum not
TO characterize the phonograms.
"They are the language Of ignorant
persons thrust into our mouths and we
resent it," hotly declared the witness,
despite further admonition.
DR.. Potter said he had been Bap-
tist minister for 33 years and chief OF
the bureau Of charities under Control
lers Grout, Metz and Prendergast.
Going over the phonograms DR.. Pot
ter picked out conversations which he
declared were true or untrue. For the
most part he admitted the accuracy
Of those which did not connect him
with the conspiracy charge. lie denied
many.
After going through the 12O phono-
grams on direct examination today he
will be cross examined by Mr. Little
ton. Father Farrell and Mr.. Hebberd
will be called tomorrow or later this
week.