New-York tribune., 1920-04-13
Croker Charges
Son Uses Methods
OF ''Underworld''
Wire Taper Perched on
Palm Tree Taking Notes
as Detective Viliied Wife
to Neighbors, He Says
Special Dispatch 70 The Tr;bun.


PALM BEACH, Fla. April 12-Rich-
ard Croker announced tonight that he
had evidence of what he termed under
world methods that were used by his
children in an endeavor to prove him
incompetent and discredit his second
wife. Wiretappers and q private de-
tective had been used against him and
Mrs. Croker, he said.
There were two Of the wire -tappers,
he declared, one of them an expcrt
lineman from New York, and thew had
listened in on telegraph messages
transmitted by telephone to Croker's
estate, the Wigwam, during the visit
there OF his New York attorney, Harold
Nathan. Mr.. Croker asserted that the
llneman had perched for six hours in
the top OF palm tree copying messages
that might be useful in connection with
the suit instituted against the former
Tamnany chieftain.
Dealing with the Underworld"
Between this evidence and that we
have of the private detective" said Mr..
croker. people can see what we are
up against. We seem to be dealing
with the underworld"
The evidence concerning the private
detective, said to be w. f. Cahill of
Hackensack, N. j., is in the form. of
aIfldavits made by +. NJ. Delavan and
Mrs. f. NJ. Delaan jr., of this place
they say that Cahill came to them for
lnIormation about the Croker house
hold, ana said that he was employed
~ Richard Croker jr. Cahill is said in
the atrdavlts to have referred to Mrs
Croker nc hot fl,if \
woman,' and to have outlined his pur
pose as follows. indicating that his sur
Velllance of the Crokers began June d.
lily, on their trip to Ireland, within
few hours of the institution of his
sons suit:
.! have reason to know that Mr..
Croker is feeble minded. | noticed on
the ship when buying anything he
would drop his change and Mrs. Croke,
would pick it up for him. She sends
large sums OF money to her father and
morher and other relatives in Okla
homa'. but we do not want to dig up
anything in her past. They had am
other detective here from the Burns
agency, he didn't get much, so thew
sent NE down."
Mr. Croker saw to-day newspaper
editorial which revived an old quota
tlon attributed to him while on the
witness stand during an investigatjon
INTO alleged graft in New York, to the
effect that he was "out for his pocket
book every time"
"Out for My Pocket
"Never said that" was Mr.. Croker's
comment. Papers all over the coun-
try said said it, but I didn't. l said,
IN answer to a question, that was out
for my pocket, the same as every man,
They are all trying to take away prop
erty from each other-somc honestly,
some dishonesty. The public never
knew what that investigation was
about. Platt wanted us to plant a
Judge and we wouldn't do it. He
planned the investigation as a revenge.
They couldn't show anything wrong,
and on top of it we went out and won
the election with big lead
Attorneys in the Croker case gave
out statement to-day saying that the
dispute conferred about the sale of y
warehouse in East Seventy-ninth
Street, New York
Mr.. Croker declared yesterday that
he had paid the bill for his daughters
divorce, and that it amounted to $50
900.