Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-11-30
BRIBERY CHARGED
IN GAMBLING PROBE;
POWERS WIFE HELD
Solicitor Boykin Says Men
Higher Up" Made Offer to
States WitneSs-Woman
Claims Innocence

When the case OF APE POWERS,
charged with vagrancy and larceny
after trust, was called in the superior
court Monday morning, two sensa-
tional developments came in the
probe of gambling and swindling in
Atlanta being conducted by Solicitor
John A. Boykin:
First, the arrest of Powers wife
and her declaration that her husband,
instead of being a ring-leader in the
"wire-tapping syndicate. was vic
tim of the syndicate and himself was
fleeced out of thousands of dollars;
Second, the assertion of Solicitor
Boykin that Powers friends, men
higher up in the gambling world,
are trying to crush the case against
him and have gone so far as to offer
to H. c. Holley, principal witness
against Powers, a bride of $1,000,
the amount of money Holley claims
Powers and his associates swindled
from him.
Powers trial was postponed I'M
til Tuesday, His attorneys argued
they hadn't thad time to prepare. 1t
was in the course of his objections
to the postponement that Solicitor
Boykin made his charge of attempt
ed bribery. Judge HUMPHREYS in
formed the solicitor that if he can
show the grand jury the brides were
offered in Fulton county, indictments
would be returned against the "high-
er ups" Though granting the post
|
Humphries declared the case would
be the first on the calendar and
no further continuance could be per-
mitted.
Mrs. Powers Arrested
Mrs Powers had come to the
courthouse to attend the trial. She
was arrested by City Detectives
Jones and Whatley, who acted on
orders of Chief Poole, who in turn
acted on the request Of Solicitor Boy
kin. She was taken to police sta
| ton, with the blanket charge OF
| suspicion" against her.
Il have no evidence yet to connect
the woman with the gambling syn
dicate,' said Solicitor Boykin. Il am
simply having her held so 1 can
question her"
The detectives, according to Chief
| downtown hotel several days ago, in
formed Solicitor Boykin of their DIS
| covery and, at his request, arrested
her.
| Mrs. Powers, a good-looking bru-
nette of twenty-nine, with dark h an
nose, told her story to newspaper
men in the matron's ward at the .po-
lice station She had been crying,
she said, but after accepting a cl-
garette from a reporter and taking
several puffs, she announced she felt
better.
Her dress was blue silk, her hat
was blue silk, she wore a stylish
tan coat, tan slippers and wooden
stockings in the mode. No jewelry
adorned her save a plain gold wed
ding ring, but she carried a SILK
umbrella Of deepest crimson with a
horn handle also of crimson.
II have been married to Mr.. POW
ers about a year." she said. He was
in the stocks and bonds business in
New York, but few weeks ago ne
decided to sell out and move to
Houston, Tex, his native home. He
left New York with big sum OF
money! don't know how pucn, Tor
I don't mix with his business affairs,
but some thousands Of dollars. l
was to join him in Atlanta, where
he stopped off on his way to Texas.
well, I got here a few days later
and what did L find?-Abe in Jall
charged with swindling and his
name all over the papers. l talked
to him over the telephone and L
wrote to him, and he wrote back
telling me all about it.
Left Him Only So
"He hadn't swindled anybodY-but
they sure had trimmed him. He al
WAYS was something of a gambler,
liked to play poker and all that. This
gang of wire-tappers took every cent
he had except 81 they found on him
when he was arrested.
$50 1 didn't know what to DO. L
tried to get a room in two or three
hotels, but as soon as they saw the
name Abe Powers, they wouldn't let
me stay there. Finally T. registered
at the Wilmot as Miss P. J. Monette.
That's my maiden name. L was
Canadian girl"
Mrs. Powers refused to give the
name of her. father and mother who
she said were living in Canada, or
their address. She declared they'd
get the Atlanta papers and she
wasn't going to cause them any sor'
row.
continued. 81 pawned diamond ring
I had-it was my engagement ring.
And I tried to get work. But |
never did work in my life and 7
couldn't find a job anywhere.
That's all, I guess. No, you
can't take my picture-Tm not 60
ing to have my father and mother
find me on the front page for being
in Jail"
While Mrs. Powers was telling her
(Continued on Page 2. Column A.