Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-07-14
Coakley Denies
Pact with Tufts to
Bleed Movie Men

| Boston, July 13-Daniel H. Coakley
! who was appealed TO by some New
York motion picture n,n in their eff
forts TO keep out Of the courts and
out If the newspaper lime light at
ter a lively midnight dinner al Mish
awum Manor in 1871. agreed to han
die the case for 500 900 and take d
gamblers chance of obtaining his fee
out Of what remained after settlement
of all claims he testified today
There remained after the claims had
been settled releases obtained and
expenses paid. between SCI 900 and
49,, 600 Mr.. Coakly said. In addition
celved $13, 900
Coakley is charged by Attorney
General j. Weston Allen with being a
-conspirator with District Attorney
Nathan \. Tufts in d scheme 10y
which money is alleged to have been
eNtorted from the motion picture men
under threat of prosecution on ac-
count Of events at the dinner He
appeared as witness before the su-
pruine court where Allen had insti-
tuted proceedings for Tufts removal
Coakley testified that he never had
had an agreement with Tufts that
the matter of the Mishawum Manor
dinner would no be presented to the
grand jury If he get rid OF the people
complaining who were understood to
be relatives of some of the women at
the dinner. He was satisfied he said
that no evidence would be presented
II there was none to present and he
worked to eliminate any evidence
there might he. He never told Tufts.
he said. how much his clients paid
or how much he received himself.
Tht witness said he regarded the
women at Mishawum Manor as i'm
moral and he never believed that anv
Of them had a legitimate claim out
Of the affair, but added that his lob
was TO see that no suits We're
brought" Il worked to that end: but
when | paid ! believed they were all
bad claims, al phoney and dishon-
est" ne said
Coaklry asserted he did not know
Brownie" KENNEDY, the keeper of the
Manor, that she had made no claim
in thisc ase and that no money had
been paid her.
He testified that soon after he came
INTO the case he took Hiram Abrams
Waiter Gren and Harry Ashen tn
Cambridge and introduced them IN
District Attorney Tufts so that he
might see that they were decent re-
spectacle business men of high
standing" They had been to Mish-
awum Manor at party which he had
heard Tufts was investigating
Coakley said he believed the district
attorney should see the men before
taking any action.
Iufts said his information from the
ponce was that it was a bad nary >,
according TO Coakley, and that he did
not think in small town like Mo-
burn. tenderloin practices that r,;o,bt
90 IN big city should be tolerated
lufts, he said, told him that unless
he (Coakley) heard from him the case
would not be presented 10 the grand
jury before the following month
Coaklex having asked an opportunity
to show that his clients had done
nothing wrong.
coakiey said he dropped out of the
case after he had failed TO receive
check from Abrams for a $4,000
retainer fee which he had asked
Later he was induced to re-enter tba
case and he himself suggested 500
ooo as sum which would cover all
Expenses ne said. OF this amount
sSo'ooo was paid over to him. The
balance was retained to pay other at