New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-05-26
Tells Thompson His
Offer Was Bait to
Phone -TapperS.
HITSROCKEFELLER
AND SAGE FUNDS
prelate Accuses Them of
Being in Move TO Secular
ize Religious Societies.

The four Roman CathoIc prlesVs
mentioned in the telephone conversa-
tions read by Mayor Mitchell on
Wednesday to prove that there was
conspiracy among a certain group
within the Catholic Church and a
few non-Catholics to interfere with
government and pervert justice and
70 commit other crimes, took the
stand before the Thompson commit
,ee Yesterday and denied all the May
or's charges.
In addition to the priests, who
we're Nonsignor John J. Dunn, Chan
cslor of the Archdiocese of New
York; Father Joseph P. Dineen, sec
retarv to Bishop Hayes; Father
William B. Farrell, rector Of the
Church OF SIS. Peter and Paul, of
BROOKLYN. and the Rev. DR.. James J.
Higgins supervisor of Catholic
Charities of the Long Island Dio-
cese. Dr.. Daniel c. Potter, Baptist
minister, also appeared to deny the
charges made against him by the
Mayor
Almost every one of the thirty-hve
conversations testified to by the
Mayor were branded by the priests
and DR.. Potter as manufactured.
Monsignor Dunn admitted he talked
70 DR.. Potter about "a hundred" =" I'M
plving. as he explained, dollars, in or
der to satisfy himself that the wires
we're being tapped. He said that he
received proof Of it the next day
following the telephone conversation
when he was asked by the Strong
committee why he had placed 500 in
a sealed envelope for DR.. Potter.
Blames Mayor and Standard Oil.
Monsicnor Dunn denied that at any
time there existed a conspiracy among
certain priests to wreck the Mitchell ad-
ministration. and came back with a
counter charge against the Mayor, who,
he said, was the head Of the only con
spracy-one whose object was "to take
God out Of the heart of the little ones"
intrusted to the care of Catholic,
Protestant and Jewish institutions.
Behind the Mayor in this alleged con-
spiracy, Monsignor Dunn charged, were
The millions Of the Standard Oil Com
rsny and the Sage Foundation, and all
the power Of the charity trust.
And the story the priests told, to-
gether with the story Of the Mayor,
took ones memory far from New York
City, with its skyscrapers and subways,
back 70 q time when the ages-old ques-
ton Of Church and State was fought
with two-handed swords and bucklers.
The first light touch given the three
days proceedings was afforded by
rather Dineen, who looked more like
college fullback than a cleric Still in
ne twenties, the secretary to Bishop
Hayes would not take the case seri-
ously, and kept the crowd in roars with
lis wit.
Dineen Amuses Crowd.
Il was largely the same crowd that
hissed and laughed at the Mayor the
DAY before. Yesterday it laughed with
'ae priests and applauded the telling
points Of their testimony.
The examination of the priests was a
Ili'le more friendly than that of the
Mayor Frank Moss, counsel to the
committee, who grilled the Mayor when
ne finished his direct testimony, did lit
lie interrogating yesterday. lie left
Practically the entire examination to
Alfred J. Talley, counsel to Father Far
rell.
While the priests were putting in
their side Of the case the rumor spread
that Mayor Mitchell. who is a Roman
catholic, and his co-religionists would
patch up their quarrel. which, to quote
WIN NNNht OF ~ was a AhoNNNA -
inter Sc diferunt" When word Of
'his was brought 20 the Mayor he said:
- The rumor is untrue. The Police
department does not compromise with
,,nose suspected Of crime. There Will
oe criminal prosecutions Of some Of the
Prests and their associates, but just
now, when or where has not yet been
oetermined"
Mayor Stands Firm.
Al the close of yesterdays session
'he reporters called on the Mayor and
asked him II he had any statement 10
make He said he had none. When
toid that the priests not only char
eeterized most Of the conversations as
manufactured, but branded others as
distorted, the Mayor said:
When did you ever find man &C
eHsed Of a crime who would admit the
eharges preferred against him ?"
One reporter called his attention to
~ Continued on page I. column