New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-07-18
Luslx Ready
To Testify ON
Slush Fund
--------------------
tContlnued from page one)

the amount of money spent by the or
ganization in furthering the Lusk bill
riveting the detectives to their jobs
and increasing their salaries, have dis
appeared, according to Commissioner
Hirshfcld
Not only have the records which |
had been assured were in the minute
book of the organization disappeared"
said Commissioner Hirshfeld yester-
day. but the report OF the meeting OF
March %, at which the Detectives En-
dowment Association Endorsed the Lusk
bill, also are missing"
Commissioner Hirshfeld discovered
the records were missing when the
minute book of the association was
brought to his Office on Saturday by
Detective Phillip Hoerter, financial sec
rotary of the organization.
Hirshfield. however, promises to get
the facts and figures from the officers
of the organization, either in the shape
OF the missing records, or from their
testimony. Should he fail, he will move
Tor the immediate punishment of those
whom he regards as responsible for the
loss of these much wanted records.
The minute book itself was revela-
ton. 1T was loose leaf affair, such
as used by students. The pages were
not even numbered consecutvely, or
otherwise
Hlrshfeld at once ordered Detective
Hoerter to number each page and to
afflX his initials after the enumeration
IN each instance, SO that no one con-
nected with the organization >later could
say that the records showing the money
spent by the organization and what
| TRANSFERRED ct the meeting on March %
had been delivered to him.
Follows Erright Example
One of the detectives said they had
taken leaf from the book OF Police
commissioner Enright in keeping loose
leaf records, as that is the practice in
the Pollce department, the complaint
or "squeal book" as it is known in
police parlance, being kept with loose
| leaves.
Two officers of the Detective En-
dowment Association, its president.
Detective Edwin j. Burns, and Detec
tive Hoerter, will be examined TODAY
by the Commissioner of Accounts in an
effort to learn where the missing rec
ords are, and where the money raised
by the association went.
Burns, when on the stand on FRIDAY
persisted in saying that he could not
partlcularize as to how all the money
tor lobbying the Lusk bill through had
been spent. He admitted that he had
sleHeu all tne vouchers Tor all pay
ments made in connection with the
Dill, but pleaded that he had signed
so many other orders for payment that
he could not recall the items he was
questioned about.
Burns also declared under oath that
the Board of Directors first passed on
| the propriety of all bills rendered, and
that on their say SO, he approved the
vouchers and ordered their payment.
| He said that the association spent
about $1,000" to further the Lusk
bill.
Hirschheld has information regard
ing some of the sources Of the rumors
of huge slush fund which were cur
rent in Albany at the time the Lusk
PHI was up for passage in the Leg
circulated by members of the Police
Department, which, except for the de-
tectives, was unanimously opposed to
the bill
The belief of those who have been
watching the progress Of the slush
fund investigation is that it will be
shown that considerable more than s27,-
600 was raised by the detectives. One
detective under oath has testified that
each precinct where detectives We're 'a as.
signed was to obtain a note from some
reputable business man. He will be
recalled to explain further concerning
this alleged plan At the time he was
testifying about notes of $4,000 each
70 date Hirshfeld has traced but
$1,000 of the $4,000 which it has been
testified was raised. From Detective
Joseph Cooney, of the West Forty-sev-
enth Street police station, he learned
some additional details concerning the
meeting of the Detective Endowment
Association on March 25
"Two bills were discussed at the
meeting" said Cooney "There was a
bill put forward in the meeting by De-
tectives Devaney and Conkling and the
substance of that bill was to make per
manent every detective attached to the
detective division on March Is of this
year: Then there was another bill
which said that after January /, 1922
every man who had served in the de-
tectlve bureau for five years would be-
come a permanent detective. This bill
Kenny and Oswell"
Cooney said this meeting was held
March 20 or %. He said that at the
meeting the Devaney- Conkling bill.
making detectives permanent who were
in the bureau on March Is, received an
overwh Ginning vote.
At the April meeting, Cooney testi
fed, Burns told him.
senator Lusk is going to handle the
Smith bill and everything will be fine
and dandy and everything has to be
clean"
Devaney made speech at this meet
ing, according to the witness. in which
he said: amy expenses we incur we
can get back after the bill becomes a
! law"