The New York herald., 1921-05-17
PLANT REVELATIONS
STIR ALL NASSAU
County Office Holders I'm
easy as Hint of Indict-
ment Is Whispered.
WEEKS RECEIVES DATA
Former County Detective,
ReSenting DesertiOn, Bares
All He Knows.
VENIREMAN FINED $25
Justice Cropsey Censures
County Jury System and
the Sheriff.
RECEIVES DATA
yENIREMAN FINED S25

Inc various OincenoueTS OF Nassau
county who began to lose weight and
sleep last week when CarTnan Plant.
formerly county detective, pleaded
guilty TO an indictment charging him
with bribery and neglect of duty after
having been tried on the indictment
twice. passed into the acute stage Of
agitation yesterday when Plant went
before District Attorney Charles r.
Weeks and informed him fully con-
ccrning certain matters upon which
Mr.. Weeks has desired accurate data
for more than a year.
AS result of what Plant set forth
It Is expected that indictments will be
found to-day. and that certain county
officeholders who have imagined that
the wind OF investigation had blown
over them permanently will learn in
due time that they should have thought
OF Plant. It used to be the custom in
the county, when gambling and other
illegalities were functioning undis-
turbed, for those on the inside to take
Plant part way into their confidence.
but never all the way in. The reasons
for this were that Plant as merely
county detective had not reached full
blown county dignity, and that he is
naturally sociable person. with the
failing Of talking TOO much and to too
many.
Plant Resents Desertion.
1t was assumed by the strategists
that since he possessed only half-in-
formation he was not formidable. Plant
gave the answer to this himself yes
terday when he said to Mr.. Weeks:
These people seemed to think that if
they didn't tell me things I wouldn't
know them. How do people get that
way?"
Plant ceased to be county detective
last autumn when It developed that auto
mobile thieves had been operating in
the county and that he had not stood in
their way. He was indicted on charges
Of having received bribes to permit
the bandits to work and Of having been
concerned In the sale Of at least one
automobile which he knew to have been
stolen. When he was indicted there
was a vague notion that he never would
come to trial; that he would beat the
case somehow, or that on his trial day
the right witnesses would fail to ap-
pear against him. When he was tried
twice and his jury disagreed each time
II seemed manifest that the county sys-
tenn was working to admiration. Then
one Of the witnesses who had come for
ward for him on vital point confessed
suddenly that he had lied and Plant
~ III MI N eytYi1f ~ Ann thov
county official. Aubrey Petit. who was
superintendent Of public buildings, and
who himself was on trial in connection
with stolen automobiles. pleaded guilty
also.
They spent until yesterday in Jail and
then saw Mr.. Weeks. The Grand Jury
will hear this morning the vital part OF
what they have to say. and persons
whose names are likely to be named will
learn IN due course that one OF the NOV
ing reasons why Plant talked so much
yesterday was that he felt he had been
deserted by men who. according to
county comfy as he understands 1t,
should have come to the front for him
and didn't
Jury System Censured.
Supreme Court Justice James c. Crop
sey. who will receive tho indictments
which the Grand Jury will And to-day,
spoke his mind concerning the jury
system In the county yesterday, when
various veniremen who had been sum-
moned for duty failed to appear or came
late with excuses. One Of them. Edward
A. Morgan, OF Port Washington was
fined S25 because he was summoned to
appear on May 3 and didn't arrive until
Yesterday. When the court asked Nor
gan what had kept him away. Morgan
replied that he had called up a local
politician as coon as he received his
Jury notice. and the politician had told
him that he might erase the notice from
his mind as he, the politician, would
arrange things.
John Both. summoned for Grand Jury
duty. and John c. Wagner a trial tales
man. have been notified that they must
be in court to-day without fail. Justice
Cropsey was unable 10 find yesterday
that they had any excuse 1or being
away.
In going over jury lists yesterday he
sent for Sheriff Charles w. Smith. and
the Sheriff's first deputy appeared in
stead
where is the Sheriff." inquired the
Court II have sent for him three diff
ferent times. but he is never around.
Does he come here at all except on pay