Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-09-25
WON'T PERMIT
MURDER CHIEFS
TO BE SHIELDED
Temporary Secrecy En-
forced by Taulane After
Burkhart's Confession
MORE ARRESTS COMING

so,rour Mork Assistant District Attor-
nov Of Bronx Borough, said today that II
,hs Philadelphia police department or the
pistrict Attorneys office OF that city at
..n,nts TO withhold the names or facts about
eve nsn higher up" said to be mentioned
a. the confession of william Burkhart, alias
avbitey.' who Is one OF the four alleged
,urren arrested here for the Fifth Ward
eisction assault, the Bronx District Attor-
,ey would make the names public.
This statement was made by Mr.. Mork
ster Joseph A. Taulane. Assistant District
A,,ornev of Philadelphia, had requested
tba New York officials not to make public
the confession OF Burkhart.
"Our Office and the local detectives under
.be command of Captain Wines. worked
hard To get this confession from Burlthart
and aHerward extended the Philadelphia
oencials the courtesy Of taking back a copy
NJ his confession to District Attorney Ro-
tan At his request we have promised to
remain silent about the detail Of Burkharts
statement but only with the understanding
trat MIR. Rotan will give out the facts which
he thinks will not hinder their activities"
said Mr. Mork.
81 will promise you that we will block
any attempt to hush up this scandal. We
know nearly as much about this case as
the Philadelphia authorities do
WIRES TAPPED IN NEW YORK
Mr.. Mork declared today that his office
believes wires leading into the Bronx Court
House building have been tapped" by men
wishing to serve certain interests Of Phila-
delphia. He also named a high New York
citv official who, he believes, is cooperating
with certain parties in Philadelphia In at
tempting to defeat the investigation into the
Fifth Ward murder.
When Mr.. Taulane was asked last night
for the names of the "highcr-ups said to
have been named by Burkhart. he bluutlv
stated that he declined to answer that qucs-
tion. - have nothing to say about this
confession" he said. Come to Philadelphia
and see District Attorney ,Rotan."
TAULANE FORCES RETICENCE
ID to this time, the Bronx District At
torneys and the detectives Of that district
gave out information about the gunmcn
under arrest there as soon as they received
It. But the arrival Of Assistant District
Attorney Taulane at the Bronx County
fail was soon followed by retcenCe on
the part of the Bronx officials. Mr.. Morll
and Captain of Detectives Andrew Wines
admitted that they were asked by Mr.
Taulane not to discuss the confession with
newspapermen Even the Philadelphia de-
tectives including William Callahan,
Charles Fischer and Joseph McClain dis
trict attorneys detective, were forbidden
to talk although they built up the case
around Burkhart.
That the confession is of the utmost
Importance is borne out by the fact that
II took more than two hours to dictate
e. At the end OF that time, Captain
Wines sent detachments Of detectives in au-
tomobes to search for persons mentioned
by Burkhart. Tauane rushed TO the long
distance phone and got in touch with Mr.
Rotan.
Arrests by the New York detectives are
expected hourly. District Attorney Rotan
has already announced that arrests are
near in Philadelphia.
THUGS ASKED EXTENSION
Detective William Callahan attended the
hearing OF RugGiero Falcone, Michael Den
nehy, straight Louis Brunnelli and Burk-
hart, in the Bronx police court on the
plea OF the four defendants, Magistrate
koenig held them without bail for fur
ther hearing Saturday They asked for
this extension of time in order to produce
witnesses who would prove an albi for
them.
II was later learned that after the hear
ing Taulane lodged warrants against all
four defendants, charging them with ag-
gravated assault and battery on James A.
Carey and John H. Maurer and conspiracy
to commit murder These warrants were
issued on aIdavits made by Detective Cal
lahan, head of the murder squad. Mr.. Tau
lane said that they would be served on the
defendants Saturday.
Before the hearing held Mamie Lay
ton a negress, employed as a chambermaid
In Benny's Hotel on North Ninth street, Sc
lected Facone and Burkhart from among
thirty men who were lined up in front of
her. Thomas +. Leo, a vice squad police
man who was with George A. Eppley when
the latter was killed also identified Falcone
Benjamin Cutler proprietor of the hotel
for some reason failed to identify any OF
the prisoners, although the chambermaid
said that they were among the twelve men
who were stopping at the hotel.
BURKHART BREAKS DOWN
The positive identification made by Mamie
Layton caused the New York police to take
Burkhart 10 the District Attorneys office
10 be questioned. At first he refused to
TAX, but after severe grilling announced
mat lie would talk IL IL was kept out of
the newspapers. He said that he feared the
vengeance of those who were implicated
with him. He admitted that he was one
OF the twelve men who went to Philadelphia
on Tuesday, the day before election, fol
he purpose OF playing rough house, He
SAID that they returned TO New York Wed
nesday. Here he stopped talking and could
: hot be moved to speak further until the
arrival of his aged mother and his sis
Ter They urged him to tell the truth, anC
ne then made a further statement
After it was all over, he pleaded will
Mr. Mork to drop the charges against him
promising that he would join the army anC
never return to New York. When Mr.
Mork refused to listen TO this plan, III
turned to Detectives Callahan and Clark
the Bronx detectives who aided Fischer il
capturing the four gunmen They alst
shook their heads.
burkhart burst into tears and cried II
mis- mothers arms, Falcone was alsC
brought up from the cell but he failed t,
add anything Of worth to the confession
ne had already made. Captain Wines sait
mat District Attorney Francis Martin haC
gone to Philadelphia to confer with Mr.
kotan, and TO find out what the polio,
knew about the case. He intimated tina
MT Martin took with him valuable informa
uon which he offered TO the Philadelphia
authorities.