New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-07-26
Graft Prober
Asks I4uslx to
Quit Inquiry
Continued from page ono)


Quoted by you, interc;ty departments,
and especially the Police Department,
impels me to bring this to your atten-
ton. l trust that you will see fit to
take immediate action"
The fact is that Republican legis-
lators prominently identified with the
legislative investigating committee
have condemned Senator Lusk in their
conversations with newspaper men and
others for accepting the silver service.
List of Silver Gifts
Representatives Of two iewelrv
houses with local Offices in Maiden Lane
yesterday testified before Commissioner
Of Accounts Hirshfeld that the silver
ware consisted Of 1853 pieces-six hol-
low ware, cotfeepot, teapot, sugar
bowl, cream jug, waste bowl and tray,
and lat pieces of fiat ware, comprising
d dozen of each of the following: Table
knives, table forks, dessert knives.
dessert forks, soup spoons, salad forks,
tea spoons, butter spreaders, fruit
knives, oyster forks, coffee spoons,
orange spoons. There were three table
spoons. The only thing the detectives
seemingly overlooked were fish knives
anu pickle 1Ork.
At +; the close Of yesterdays session
fund, Commissioner Hirshfield said
that he had received information in
the last twenty-four hours which
leads him to believe that the money
raised to grease the Lusk bill through
the Legislature would exceed 100000.
He said that before the week was
over he would call Senator c. Ernest
Smith, of Staten Island, who originally
introduced the bill, which Senator Lusk
dropped the legislation.
IN addition to the jewelers., Hirsh-
field examined Detective James J.
Gegan, of the bomb squad, who, with
detective Cornelius J. Brown, present
ed the silverware to Mrs. Lusk. Gegan
testified that with him and Brown when
they proffered the chest of silver to
Mrs. Lusk was Mrs. Burns, the wife Of
Detective Edwin J. Burns, president of
the Detectives Endowment Association,
Presentation of Service
Gegan testified that the service was
presented to Mrs. Lusk at the MURRAY
Hill Hotel the morning after the de-
tectlves and some others, to the num-
Der of more than 1000, attended a din
ner given by the detectives in honor of
Senator Lusk. ~
Hirshfield asked Gegan why the sill
yer had not been presented to Senator
Lusk publicly at the dinner.
we endeavored to have that pres
entatlon made in public" replied
Gegan.. I'VE were unable to get the
man who made the mahogany chest to
have it ready in time"
III that is the case, how do YOU
account FIR tho haste x..L:.,
called his own committee together and
subp9naed you and Brown to tell YOUR
story before coming before me?"
Il have no knowledge what his idea
was"
Gegan said that the S1,131 paid for
the chest of silver came out of the
surplus of the detectives dinner to
Senator Lusk. There was a surplus of
about $4,000, for Gcgan testified there
were more than 1000 guests at the
dinner who paid SO each, and the hotel
charged but $4.75 per plate.
Gegan gave testimony at variance
with senator Lusk's story as to the
introduction of the bill. Lusk said
that he introduced it at the request of
Gegan and Brown. Gegan yesterday
said that he did not ask Senator Lusk
to take up the bill, but to help get
through the Harris bill.
Gegan's Meeting With Lusk
Gegan said he first saw Senator Lusk
on March 81 in connection with the
bill
II went into his office, accompanied
by Brown and other detectives, and
told him that he had been asked by the
Detectives Endowment Association to
see him and find out what chance the
Harris bill had of being passed."
Gegan said. 81 told him that there
had been another bill, known as the
Smith bill. Senator Lusk said he had
not known that either bill was up there,
but as long as there were two bills
affecting the same department we had
better get together and patch up the
bills and introduce one bill, because
there wasn't much chance of either
passing if two bills were introduced
at the same time.
He asked me to come back again |
that day. I didn't have an opportu- |
nifty and left Albany with Brown that
night. The next time | saw Senator
Lusk was the 4th or 5th of April. He
took us into the Senate Cities Com
mittee and we were asked several |
questions about the Harris bill which |
we answered and withdrew. Brown |
and l then left Albany. We came up |
again on the Sth."
You know. as a matter of fact, that I