New-York tribune., 1916-07-22
Offer of S100 to Potter a
Decoy to Listeners,
Says Mgr. Dunn.
MITCHEL'S CHARGES
CALLED FAILURE
Conversation of Doctor with
Drummond Shown as Mere
Request for Cigarettes.

"The District Attorney has failed 20
establish a prima fscie case against
Monsignor Dunn and the Rev. Father
Farrell on the Mayors charges Of con-
spiracy and we will dispose Of every
insinuation made against them by the
Mayor next week" said Alfred J. Tai
ley, counsel for the clergymen, az the
close Of the prosecutions case yester-
day.
Most of the session was consumed In
reading into the record the testimony
of Monsignor Dunn and Father Farrell
before the Strong and Thompson COM
mittee Investigations. One "phono-
gram" recorded by Detective John Ken
mel quoted Monsignor Dunn as Offering
to give DR.. Daniel c. Potter, OF Brook
lyn, 500 II he would slip out Of town.
and remain away until the storm had
blown over in the Strong investigation.
A Decoy. Says Dunn.
Monsignor Dunn, testifying before
the Thompson committee, declared he
had suspected his telephone wire was
being tapped, and he mentioned the
sl00 as decoy.
at came TO me like an inspiration"
were his words read into the record
yesterday. IL said, DO you want
hundredT I threw it ou. as bait and
they grabbed at 1t like fish. knew
they would fall for that. Then when
appeared to testify | was asked il |
ever put 500 in an envelope for DR..
Potter. When | met DR.. Potter later
he asked me what meant by speaking
about money. ! never gave him cent
Walter Drummond, son of the late
Michael J. Drummond, former Chsri-
ties Commissioner. was the first wit
ness yesterday. He has an office at
81 Chambers Street. where DR.. Potter
has his Office. The police say they
tapped in on DR.. Potters conversations
over his house telephone with Mr..
Drummond. The latter denied many
of these records. One OF them, on
March 25 in particular, aroused the
curiosity of the sleuths because, they
said Dr.. Potter asked Mr.. Drummond
to go into his (Potter's) Office and send
some boxes" over to him.
Plea for Cigarettes.
Mr. Drummond explained it all yes
terday by saying that DR.. Potter had
asked him 70 get some boxes of cigar
cites which he had left in his Office
and send them over 70 him. DR.. Potter
at the time was trying 70 avoid process
servers, who were trying to subpoena
him TO testify before Commissioner
Strong. Drummond said the police
listeners left out the word cigarette
entirely from the conversation. DR..
Potter, by the way, is an inyeterate
smoker.
1t is believed that all four Of the
defendants - Monsignor Dunn, Father
Farrell. DR.. Potter and Robert W Heb
berd. former secretary 70 the State
Board of Charities will take the stand
when the defence opens next week. In
that case il is very likely that they
will be cross-examined by Martin W.
Littleton, counsel FOR William j. Do
herty. second Deputy Charities Com
missioner, who signed the Mayors ior-
NAL complaint against them. Mr. Lit
tleton is also counsel for Charities
Commissioner John A. Kingsbury and
his counsel, william II. Hotehkiss' VINO
were indicted in Brooklyn Tor tapping
the wires Of the defendants. lie mas
been an interested auditor at all the
sessions while the prosecution was pre-
senting its case.