The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1921-07-19
LUSK KNEW NOTHING
OF COPS SLUSH FUND
Senator Testifies He SpOn-
sOred Detective Bill to
Oblige the Boys
GOT. MINOR PRESENTS
Threatened to Drop Bill if
He Heard Any More
Talk OF Poodle.
APPEARS, BEFORE MEYER
Hirshfield Summons Senator
Walters and Enright in
His Investigation.
APPEARS, BEFORE MEYER

Clayton r. Lusk, majority leader of
the State Senate, testified last night
before the Meyer Investigating Com
mittee that he had no knowledge of a
e~--s- rar~ "a $4,000 which was
sent to Albany last spring to influence
the passage of bill creating perma-
nent detective bureau and did not per-
scnally receive any sum Of money"
In payment for his activities on be-
half of the measure
The Senator said he never met John
Kleist, the lobbyist to whom detec-
tives have testified they gave $4,000
to help <he passage Of the bill. He
might hs~e seen Kleist around the
Capitol cSzsdors, the Senator said, but
never tals~>d to him about the detec-
tives' measure. Kleist is wanted as
witness and is the only important per-
son connected with the slush fund
scandal who has not been found.
The Meyer committee which has been
at work for three months without hold
ing public sessions. arranged hastily yes
terday for a meeting of a subcommittee
to permit Senator Lusk to answer wit
nesses who have appeared before the
Commissioner of Accounts In the latter's
investigation of the slush fund. Senator
Meyer chairman of the committee, had
stated he would not touch the subject
until the Commissioner of Accounts had
finished.
Lusk Makes Flat Denial.
was any sum paid to you by any
one directly or indirectly in connection
with the passage OF this detectives bill?"
Leonard Wallstein, associate counsel OF
the Meyer committee, asked Senator
Lusk.
mot to my knowledge" the Senator
said He Is a member Of the, Meyer
committee.
you never were offered any consid-
Grafton for supporting this legislation
NO." the Senator answered. Then he
paused refiectively and said
~The detectives did give me some
present after the bill was passed. They
sent me a basket of flowers and two
boxes of cigars. Detectives Gegan and
Brown. who asked me to support the
bill for them. took my daughter on
trip to Coney Island. They also gave
me fountain pen and a folding bill
case
Empty" interrupted Mr. wallstein.
Yes. nothing in it. They also gave
Mrs. Lusk some silver"
The Senator took full responsibility
for the bill which bore his name and
which Mayor Hylan vetoed. He spon-
sored It, he testified. because Detective
Sereeants James j. Gegan. head of the
police bomb squad. and Cornelius ].
Brown had helped the Lusk committee
Investigate sedition and anarchy and he
wanted 'to do favor for the boys"
After Gegan and Brown visited him
at the capital. Lusk told how he went
to the Cities Committee of the Senate
and the Rules Committee Of the Assem-
bly, and rescued the measure. The bill.
had II become law. would have added at
least 100000 to the city's expenses
and cemented detectives into the bureau.
Lusk Threatened BoOdIers.
When he heard that two or three de-
tectives were i'm Albany talking about
raising money, Lusk testified, he told
Gegan and Brown that II there was any
talk of money he would throw over the
bill and have the boodlers arrested"
Detective Gegan corroborated Senator
Lusk on every point The Detectives
Endowment Association had no part In
raising slush fund, he testified
IT met Detectives Devaney and Conk-
ling behind the Assembly rail-" he said
"Devaney said he had stopped the bill
In the Assembly because he heard I had
said no money was needed to push Il
through and he wanted TO prove I was
a liar. / told Senator Lusk what I had
said. and he said to me: Jim, we don't
do business that way here you do not
need a postage stamp TO get that bill
through. and IL there is any more talk
about money I will go to the District
Attorney with IT,"
j. Henry Walters. formerly majority
leader OF the Senate Police Commits
sioner Enright and Irving OHara. the
Mayors brother-in-law. have been asked
to appear AT Commissioner Hirshfield's
hearing.
OF the eleven members Of the Meyer
committee six voted for the Lusk bill
end five against IT, Senator Meyer
voted against the bill
Edward f. McAuliffe. detectIve-ser-
geant. testifying before Hirshfield. verb
fled other witnesses regarding the rails
ing OF the fund. He has been n detec-
tive several years. He supposed. he
said. that the Assemblymen only drought
up bills" and that the Senate and
Board OF Aldermen had TO pass them.