New Britain herald., 1916-05-26
TRAPPED By OWN EAGERNESS
bStS, Knowing Wires Were Tapped, Held "Phony" Talks

Few York, May 26.-Three Cath olic 8sts- denied under oath before the 8mpson legislative committee yes- Hay that a conspiracy exists among Jain Catholic clergy and laymen 5 z,he city to injure the city admin Shtion and defeat the ends of jus
 as Mayor Mitchell has charged in committees investigation of the &ping of telephone wires by the po- 8 They were Mgr. John J. Dunn, ncellor of the archdiocese of New Blk; Father William B. Farrell, and liner Joseph P. Dineen, secretary Bishop Hayes. #he three priests were named by Mor Mitchell as having taken part
 Conversations over telephone wires #ch had been tapped by police of # ls All three emphatically denied & most of these conversations had fhrred at all, that they had been
 med" by the police, although one wo of the conversations were ad- % ed in whole. and a few in part. 10th Mgr. Dunn and Father Farrell Etiveiy denied that an offer in good E n had been made to pay money Pr. Daniel c. Potter to remain out # the jurisdiction of the state while
 Strong committees investigation < he charities department was un-
 way. Dr.. Potter also denied that had received any money.
 Bait for the Police.
 gr. Dunn did admit that he had
 led about giving Dr. Potter "one
 dred," but he said it occurred to
 on the inspiration of the mo- 8t to mention this sum when he
 ected that his telephone wire was #g tapped as 8 bait to lure on
 oIice He said he did not men Il the word dollars" and that the Ibe rose to the bait as might
 Ery fish. Mgr. Dunn, in his tes- Xlny. bitterly assailed Mayor Nit
 saying at one point:
 He has attacked ruthlessly the
 \ of our sisterhoods and dragged
 tdead from the grave in his ber-
 Ter rage in an attempt to justify
 3gnoble conduct.
 H HAther Dineen likewise lashed the For, saying: t.@ --
 \ publicly brand him as one. who Expressing the truth when it ! hs his purpose"
 G his testimony Mgr. Dunn caused &Ar by asserting that the attacks &8the Catholic institutions were hpted by the Standard Oil, the 7 Foundation, and the Charity #t had only one aim,' he said, N that. was the secularization Of Icharitable institutions. It was Attempt to take God out of the As. of our little ones, and that is N8thing we will not stand" ".,. &e suggestion was made at the Hing that Police Commissioner E 8ds had not dealt fairly with the anittee in reporting that only three 8hone wires had been tapped
 of Father Farrell, Dr. Potter, Hhis son, Dean Potter.
 #Afred J. Tal1ey, counsel to the &Hsed priests, said he had 9 strong #cion that a tap had also been
 bn the private wire of Mgr. Dunn. M was indicated, he said, by tho fact H Father Dineen admitted a tele-
 lie conversation with Mgr. Dunn, #h the police record had down as HNk a conversation between Father
 en and Dr. Potter. The commit
 nay summon Commissioner Woods
 ask him about this point.
 8 Conference With Whitman.
 conference which Senator Thomp- chairman of committee, had dur
 the day with Governor Whitman
 10 a report that the governor in
 led to appoint a special commit
 o take up the. wiretapping ques-
 Neither the governor nor Sen Thompson would say anything t it.
 hyor Mitchell admitted that he <H not yet decided on what steps EouId take to bring criminal pro- #ings against the men he accused aid he would probably wait until
 Thompson committee had finished all the witnesses in the case. The
 or denied that there was any ihood of a compromise or con- ton in the matter.