New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-05-23
Detective, as Witness N
Charities Head, Says \.
Suggested Plan
Objected to Publieit
Declares He Opposed Mayoy
Proposal to Reveal VIVA,
Was Overheard

William J. Burns announced a "A.
witness stand yesterday that il N. :.
his suggestion that the telephone vim,
Of DR.. Daniel c. Potter. the Rev. yin
lam B. Farrell and others were t.,,..
by the police during the charlie, n.
vestiga,ion OF last year
Burns made this admission Will. a.
pearing as witness for William Y
Hotchkiss, former state chairman Of u,
Progressive Party, and John A. Kim
bury, Charities Commissioner, in u,
Criminal Branch of the Supreme Ceur
Brooklyn. Both Mr.. Hotchkis A.,
Commissioner Kingsbury are on n,
for wire tapping.
While under examination by Mart,
w. Littleton, counsel for the defer,
ants. the detective told OF the mee,irr
at which the subject Of wire tappi,f
was first preached. This occurred. y
said. in March OF 1915, when the Char.
ties Commissioner and Mr.. Hotehkr
called him into consultation upon a,
charities investigation. II was then, \,
said. that he proposed that the pclio
"listcn in" on the wires Of those urGs
suspicion in the case.
Mayor Mitchell Present
He also told OF another meeting a.
which the two defendants. Nays,
Mitchell and he were present, viiet
took place shortly thereafter at b.
Hotel Manhattan. This was he'd, ks
said, to discuss the reports turned u
by the wire tappers.
ave discussed the advisabili!y .,
making these public" the detective tes-
tilted. land | advised against il. nil
the tapping of telephone wires had re-
suited in the conviction Of murderer
and other criminals and that TO revsa
what had been heard would only rstas;
the work of the police"
What did Mayor Mitchell ssyr Y,
Littleton asked.
The Mayor" replied the witness
said he was for taking the public ra
his confidence and making public a.
that had been heard by the police vhls
listening in He said it was bis dut!
to let the public know the whole ma.
ter"
Mr.. Burns said that among the tsls.
phone talks overheard by the police,
which were discussed at the Ho.e! Nan.
haitian meeting, were those indicating
that Monsignor John J. Dunn, Chan
cellor of the Archdiocese Of New York
had left 500 in a sealed envelope fo'
DIR. Potter so that ne could leave the
city and escape from the process servers
of the State Charity Investigation com
mittee.
Hears Conspiracy Charge
Mr.. Burns, under further questioning
Of Mr.. Littleton, told Of meeting W.
Hotchkiss and Mr.. Kingsbury througi
his family physician, who was also us
musician OF Mr.. Kingsbury. ne nfH
/ The time as after the middle OF MANI
1916.
81 had never seen either man oei's,
said Mr.. Burns. They told me s1s'
Thomas w. Hebberd, former 'omns
sioner Of Charities, had been on "a
stand before the committee ana ~
committed perjury. They told me tner
was a conspiracy afoot among esnsH
men 10 destroy Mr.. Kingsbury. 4,
They asked me to take charge u ~
case. told them that crime %
been committed, and that II was hVs
matter for my agency, but for the p r.
lice Department. told them the y !
lice Department could do better .of'
as they could listen in on the teisp''h
wires Of suspected men.
Suggested W,fetapping
"What did they say when you y,
gested the wiretapping" asked NJ ~
Teton. 81 a..
"They expressed surprise ano ~. y.
they did not know the ponce Gov
do it,"