Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-04-02
TWO VICTIMS Of
ALLEGED RING SAY
THEY WILL TESTIFY

The counciImanic investigation Of
the swindIlng operations of the
"bunco syndicate" ard the charges
made by Solicitor General John A
Boykn against certain officials OF
the detective department and vice
versa, will begin at 1880 Monday
nighr, April II. Councilman Walter
A. Sims, chairman of the committee
has notified all parties concerned tc
lappear at that time ready to proceed
with the investigation.
The ',efinite fixing of the date fol-
the opening of the councilmanic probe
came Thursday after Councilman
Sims had been advised by Judge j
K. Hines. counsel for Chief of De-
tectives a. Lamar Poole, that he
would be engaged in court in another
county next week and hence unable to
participate in the hearings if held at
that time. Solicitor General Boykin
already has appraised the chairman of
the committee that he could not pre-
sent his evidence until early next
week because of press of official bus
mess and the necessity of summoning
witnesses from distant parts OF the
country
! The hearings will be open to the
ublic and will be held in the coun-
Gil chamber at the city hall, each ses-
sion opening at 1880 p. m. and con-
tinuing daily until the investigation
completed.
The employment of counsel to as
sist Solicitor General John A. Boy
kin in his investigation of the oper-
| ations in Atlanta of the so-called
gambling syndicate" was consid-
cred Thur sday morning by the spe-
| cial committee named tuesday night
at the mass meeting Of citizens held
at the Piedmont hotel, when it was
decided to give the solicitor general
| material support in his cleanup"
| campaign. This special committee,
whic assembled In the offices of
Colonel w. l.. Peel, in the Peters
building, has been enlarged by the
addition of Jerome Jones, editor of
the Journal of Labor and prominent
in organized labor circles, and Mrs.
Alonzo Richardson, well-knowR At
lanta club woman. The raising Of
$4,000. fund to assist Mr.. Boykin has
committee and contributions will be
received by Alfred c. Newell, cnair-
man.
No definite action was taken by
Letting additional counsel, but at
morning at 10 o'clock in Colonel
Peer,s office, it is anticipated that
| selection will be made. The COM
mGittee also discussed the. solicita-
0O0-fund, but while 1t was announced
that several subscriptions already
had been received, no announcement
was, made as to the donors or the
total amount Of the gifts. Letters
ing financial co-operation VIII be
sent out broadcast over the city Fri:
day. the committee announced.
Another development Of Thursday
was the announcement from the SO.
the bunco men, residing in distant
parts of the country, have signified
their Willingness to appear as wit
nesses before the counc;imauic com
mittee which will conduct a formal
PROBE into the charges and counter
Boykin against officials of the detec-
tive department and vice versa. Sew
eral out-of-toWn witnesses have been
asked by the solicitor to testify ~
the. councllmanic hearing. revealing
their experience with the bunco men
and throwing light on the situation
disclosed by the grand iur. inyesti-
cation.
The grand jury still is engaged in
the examination Of witnesses testi-
lying as to the operation of the
camping and swindling syndicate
foil -
ice OFFICIALS to prevent swindling
Inc investigating body has been in
session all the week and it is indi-
Gated that several more days will
, pc consumed before the situation has
been fully probed.
r., 1T has developed that Judge J. K,
Hines. counsel for Chief of Detect
ives A. Lamar Poole, probably will
ask Councilman Walter A. Sims
chairman of the couacilmanic inves-
poena dnces tecum to the Western
Union Telegraph company for the
production at the hearing Of certain
kilograms alleged to have been sent
by "Jack-knife" O'Brien, said to be
one one Of the bunco men, to Floyd P.
In his tier describing the opera
tions of the bunco artists, Woodward
charges that O'Brien telegraphed
$1,000 from Jacksonville. Fla, and
IildL IIllS sum was turned over by
Woodward to Attorney !. o. Ewing
who was to secure official protection
for OBrien. The latter was under
indictment for swindling, according
to the Woodward letter.
Western Union records also will
be sought by the Solicitor-geaeri.l in
an effort to throw .:ght on the Wood
ward letter and the manner IN which
it fell into the hands of the Atlanta
police officials. A subpoena duces
tecun already has been served on
the telegraph company by Mr.
Boykin.
The solicitor general expresses sat
isfaction at the action of the citi-
zens' committee in pledging. him
their support and starting a $20,oOO
fund to meet the expense of conduct
ing a thorough probe into the charges
of connivance and incompetence on
the part of city officials, as we'll as
the operations Of the bunco men.
One man cannot win this fight,
said Mr.. Boykin, but with the sup
whole nest can be cleared ous and
the c;tys reputation saved. I am
more than gratified at the action
of the citizens in backing up what
I have been able to accomplish thus
far"
Mrs. woodward Speaks
Mrs. A. D. Woodward, of 795 North
Boule yard the mother of Floyd
Woodward, on Thursday gave out her
first statement since her son became
involved publicly in the bunco in
vestigation. She spoke, she said,
only in order to deny the statement
of Attorney Joseph o. Ewing that he
was her attorney and that this was
the reason he had access to Wood
wards safety deposit box in the At
lanta Trust company. Mrs. Wood
wards statement follows:
Ia
| J. o. Ewing says I've was given joint
access to a safety deposit box at the
Atlanta Trust company rented by
my son, Floyd Woodward, because
he represented me in a dispute about
la lease contract on the place which
was at one time renting at 239
East Pine street
..LNn had u undnrS q n q ING WI b