New-York tribune., 1921-05-18
Eilelict Former
Queens Sheriff
For Bribe Plot
Nassau Grand Jurors Vote
Charges i'm Auto Theft
Case Against III. $. Harvey
on Testimony of Plans
Is a Rich Bank Director
Accused as Go-Befween i'm
Graft Conspiracy; Ar
rested alt Flushing Home

Herbert S. Harvey, formerly Sheriff
of Queens County. was indicted yes
terday at Mineola by the Nassau
County Grand Jury. 1t was said that
one indictment charges Harvey with
bribery and another with conspiracy.
Justice James C, Cropsey issued
bench warrant for the arrest of the
Queens politician.
He was arrested at his home in Main
Street, Flushing, last night by Captain
William A. Jones, formerly connected
with the New York Police Department,
and taken to the Nassau County Jail.
He will probably be arraigned to-day.
The indictment was based, it was
learned, on the testimony of Carman
Plant, former county detective of Mas
sau; Aubrey Petit, former superin-
tendent of county buildings; Matthew
j. ONeill, Sing Sing convict, and
William Hoffman. Plant and Petit,
who recently pleaded guilty to receiv-
ing stolen automobiles, are understood
to have given District Attorney Charles
+. Weeks the information that made it
possible to indict Harvey. O'Neill and
of selling stolen automobiles in Mas
saufcounty and were paying Plant S35
a week for protection"
AT one of the trials of Plant O'Neill
swore that he had approached Plant
and Petit regarding the graft arrange
y,,ar,t sheriff ryeu
Harvey, called as witness at both
Plant trials, denied he had had any re-
lations with O'Neill beyond purchasing
from him an automobile, which proved
+ to have been stolen machine.
Director in Two Banks
81 Harvey is in the trucking business
in Flushing, is director in two banks
and is said to be wealthy.
In his testimony about Harvey in the
Plant trial 0'Neill said:
.'I asked Mr.. Plant if Mr.. Harvey had
spoken to him at Freeport in 1919 in
regard to me and he said he had. I
went down there Flushing, where
Harvey lives that evening to see Mr..
Harvey After | saw him | went to
see Aubrey Petit.
"Then l saw Plant again and told
Z him that Sheriff Harvey had made ar
rangements to do business with him.
Plant said Yes, know about it. You
will meet man by the name of Petit
n told Plant that Harvey had made ar
3rangements for me to meet Petit in
Freeport. 1 was to pay Petit $35
week and he was to turn the money
s3over to Plant"
Fl "Was there anything said about what
sthis money was for?" asked District
Attorney Weeks, who was conducting
the examination
4 "Yes. To protect Hoffman, Solano
sand me in the sale of stolen cars in
Nassau County. As Instructed by Har.
svey. went to Freeport, met Petit and
made him my first payment"
& O'Neill testified he made three pay
ments to Petit and thought it was
too much, as times were hard.
Harvey said he would see Plant and
have the payments reduced TO SIS
week" o'Neill testified Harvey told
him.
Witness Changes Story
IS Another witness before the Nassau
grand jury yesterday was Mervin L.
Dickerson, of Lynbrook. When Dicker-
son recanted testimonoy he had given in
favor of Plant the former county de-
teetive decided TO plead guilty
Both Plant and Petit are to have
another session to-day in the office of
Dlstr1ct Attorney Wecks. AS it would
BE a simple matter for the prosecuting
official to bring both of them to trial
son number of additional charges, it
Us believed both will keep their prom
sJse to "tell all they know"
This promise, incidentally, is keeping
certain other Nassau County officials
.ion the edge of their chairs. The court
house at Mineola buaxed with excite
ment yesterday when the news was
grapevined from office to office that
an Indictment had been voted. At that
time it was not known that the indict-
ment was, against Harvey, the former
Queens Sheriff.
The peculiar system of selection for