New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-05-09
Woods Also Valves Immu-
nifty and Goes Before
Kings Grand Jury.
LITTLE LIKELIHOOD
OF INDICTMENTS
Mitchell Brings Entire 50 Ex.
hibits Says Body Now
Knows Great Deal More"

Mayor Mitchell and Police Commits
sioner Woods signed waivers of i'm
muuity yesterday and appeared before
the Kings County Grand Jury. which
is inouring into the police wire tap
ping in connection with the charities
Investigation.
The Mayor was in high spirits when
he entered the County Court House in
Brooklyn, and seemed 20 feel about
tho same when he emerged. He car
ricd bundle Of documents when he
went into the grand jury room and
the supply was greatly diminished
when he left. 1t was said that the
body was so impressed with what he
had to say and with what he had 20
show that they asked permission TO go
further into the documents. After
he had testified. all the Mayor would
say was: "The grand jury knows a
great deal more now than it did before
] testified"
Say Jury Got Fifty-four Exhibits.
Those who professed to have an ink
ling Of the star chamber affairs Of the
Kings County inquisitors thought
Mayor Mitchell laid before the jurors
the full ffty-four wire tapping ex-
hibits. covering conversations CLEANED
over the tapped wires of the Rev. d. C..
Potter. his son, Dean Potter, and
Father Farrell, rector of the Church
of ST. Peter and St. Paul, in Williams
burg.
II is understood also that few ques-
tons were asked the Mayor. His SEES
sion before the grand jury assumed
more the nature OF an address.
Until his appearance yesterday the
grand jury had heard only the Potter
Farrell side of the episode and the
facts relating to the mechanical process
Of tapping CLEANED frum telephone en-
ployes.
Mayor Mtcnel, il is said. was anA-
ious TO avail himself of the opportu-
nifty Of presenting mis- side Of the case
and according to one prophet, did it
to the queens taste" He IS SAID 10
have given a full explanation Of the
four reasons for police espionage upon
the three men Of Brooklyn.
Reasons for Espionage.
These are: A belief that an attempt
was being made TO induce the DoNer
nor TO revoke or recall the commls
mad hHpn TQd0c
20 discredit the body; that an ehorl
was afoot TO spirit away witnesses
from the jurisdiction Of the courts ana
the commission. ard that an attempt
was being made TO intmldate VII,
nesses regarding what they should ana
should not tell the commission.
Some conversation bearing dlrec'I%
upon the "spiriting away OF witnesses
is said to have been brought out IN
one exhibit of recorded telephone con-
The Mayor arrived at the court
house al 1880 a. M. and waited Ten
minutes until the grand jury had m
/ ished with Commissioner WOODS the
/ latter having been testltying Tor an
/ hour. The Mayor quit the grand jury
room at 30 p. m.
Mr. Woods. on leaving the court
house. merely SdlC. BdNt N'''i ."
hour full of facts, and you can present
some facts in that time.
May BE No Indictments.
Rumors were current after the TWO
had testified that there was little IKE
ljhood of any indictments being ioun a,
On the other hand, it is said mat
much of the eavesdropplng exhibits
had TO do with confidential or PROV
iered conversation between parishioner
and rector and that the spying upon
snch communication might not make a
favorable impression upon jury that
Is said 10 have ten or twelve Roman
Catholics in its complement. ..,
commissioner Kingsbury Will nave
his turn to-day. A request for ms ap-
n r,ss identical with that sent 70
he Wavor was forwarded to him yes,
terdav bv District Attorney Lewis u
contained a clause insisting that MS
consent to appear must be accompa-
lied bv a waiver OF immunity II Is
iitelv ina. william II. Hotchkisss, co9n-
IN Tor the city in the charities IN
ycstiration. will also appear To-Day