The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1921-07-22
TRIAL FOR 2 MEMBERS
Conklin and Devanney to Be
Arraigned on Allegation
Of Misconduct.
KLEIST is STILL ELUSIVE
Bill Posting Company Off
cials Combat .Bunco Steerer'
Description.

The Police Detectives BeneNO4ent
Association at a special meeting last
night in the Police Club. Riverside
Drive and Eighty-sixth street. de-
clared war on D.lvid Hirshield, Com
missioner of Accounts. because of his
charges of police slush fund of S10.-
600 at Albany to influence the passage
of a bill creating a permanent de-
tectiye division. At the same time by
association decided to try on charges
of misconduct former Detectives
Thomas Co llllin and Bernard Devan-
ney, who were denoted July II by
Chief Inspector Lahey after the pub
LEGATION of Commissioner Hirshfields
charges
Only brief announcement of the
action was forthcoming after a meet
ing. which was made by Sidney r.
Lash, counsel for the association.
There was nothing in what Mr.. Lash
said that could be interpreted as an adj
mission that any of Commissioner
Hirshfeld's charges were correct. but
there was no explanation whatever of
the decision to try Conklin and Devan-
'ney. Former Detective Thomas Finn.
who was reduced to the grade of pa
trolman at the same time as Conkin and
Devanney. is no longer member Of the
association. Mr.. Lash explained. his dues
having lapsed last week
Resolutions w<re adopted unanimous
~" said Mr.. Lash, approving the
course of President Edwin J. Burns
and the other officers or the association
in connection with this investigation.
and We approved the investigation it.
self. We have nothing to hide. Our
books are open at all times to any one.
But so far as the association is con-
'cerned, it is felt that we have not re-
ceived fair trea tment from Mr. Hirsh-
field.
His Motives Attacked.
1T seems to us that Hirshfield is
willing to sacrifice the association to
put the Lusk and Meyer Investigations
in bad light. Hirshfield declares he
is holding public meetings. but the only
people present are reporters. Detec-
tives Brown and Gegan went down there
and were ready to testify. Why did he
not call these men? II Mr.. Hirshfield
wants a fight. wen fight to the last
ditch"
Mr.. Lash explained that the charges
against Devanney and Conklin would
be laid before the board OF directors
and formal trial would be held.
Testimony before the Meyer Legslat-
i've Committee yesterday by officials of
the Van Beuren Bill Posting Company.
was that instead of being the "bunco
steerer" described by Detective James J..
Gegan when testifying in behalf of Clay
ton r. Lusk. John E. Kleist, lobbyist, is
en- ordinary business man whose word
can be depended upon. Klest Is al
legged to have received the $4,000 lobby
fund from the New York Police Depart
ment. and the Van Beuren Bill Posting
Company is one of his clients The tes-
tnony was to the effect that Klest
actually was able. as he had told detect
ives. to control the course of bills in the
Legislature and even had done so once
IN opposition TO the interest of his
clients.
Process servers put in another day
CT fruitless search for Kleist, and a
furry of excitement at the possibility
CT ling him quickly subsidized when
Senator Schuyler NJ Meyer. chairman
of the legislative committee. denied a
report that the committee could lay
hands on him within twenty-four hours.
The nearest anybody came yesterday
20 locating Kleist, it appeared, was
when Ernest v. lie May, superintendent
before Hirshfeld that ne had seen
Kleist last Saturday at the Offices OF
the o. J. GUIDE Company. Fifty-seventh
street and Eleventh avenue. He had
tried since TO reach him by telephone,
but failed. he said.
HASN'T Seen Him I'm Three Weeks.
II had not seen him in three weeks. E"
Mr. lie May continued. HE told me
then he expected TO go back to WASH
ington on Sunday night. He said he
lad been in Washington and also In
cleveland and Philadelphia"
After that statement Commissioner
Hirshfield swore in Francis b. Trainor.
a process server, who has been trying
30 locate Kleist. and Trainor said he
thought II was a strange coincidence
that Kleist should have been in WASH
ington at the same time as Senator
].usk. who engineered through the Leg
;slature the bill which Kleist had failed
10 put across. Senator Lusk was not
IN New York yesterday and could not
be asked whether he saw Kleist He
bad testified before the Meyer COM
,nittee. however. that he did not know
Eleist
Mr.. lie May testified that Kleist' $
hame has been taken from the door OF
one OF the rooms in the Van Beuren
biiccs since the siush fund scandal got
froad. but that he Is still retained by
;tht company ut s35 week He added
'iat the Van Beuren concern Is only
a1e OF n number OF clients who retain
tim. Among his duties are looking after
legislation In Albany and filing billboard
pans with the New York Bureau OF
Buildings. he said
Questioned as 10 what sort OF man
l.lelst was. Mr. lie May said the fact
mat he had been employed by the Van
,'curen company for eight years showed
BE was man OF character and repu-
tation. II would describe Mr.. Kleist
ts a good fellow" no said.
do you consider him n man who will
terry out a bargain he makes with any
tne?"
yes. He has always so far as any
,rsactions he has had with mo o. my
company"
Disagrccs with Detectives.
When asked what he thought OF the
'hunco stoerer" description given him
~ Detectives Gegan and Cornelius u.
brown. Lo May said
THAT would not be my opinion Of
t.r. or anything like IT,"
Harry o. Reeves. 5 West 122d street
manager OF the service department Of
Tie Van Beuren Company. corroboratcd