New-York tribune., 1921-02-04
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Resignation Surprises Swami
Judges Swami was amazed. As I've
reached for tha paper hoi excisesaly
said:
'.piease, Governor, don't saw that
Please let nase read this story
The story stated:
Assistant District Attorney Hast-
ings says thgA she members of the
automobile squad are ssine cops thut
IN cases he has handled he had 40
evidence that they were i'm collusion
with thieves and that since the Whit
man investigation resulted in the dis
Iarding of the osh squad, automobile
thieves have been running wildn
Judge Swami inamediately sent for
Mr. Hastings. He is q Tammany man
and his mother is the leader Of the
Democratic women of the 15rh Assem-
bly, District. Jacob Banton. chief as
s;stant 20 Mr. SWARM also was sum-
manea.
Mr.. Hastings denied the statement
attributed to him. Governor Whitman
said he knew the man who wrote the
story and had every confidence in him
Again Mr.. Hastings denied the inter
view.
s.Judge Swami. Mr. Whitman Is re-
ported to have said, stit is either a
matter of Mr.. Hastings or me leaving
your staff unless Mr.. Hastings makes a
public statement repusiiating the state
inents contained in thus story"
Removal of Swami Threatened
Mr.. Whitman, is said to have taken
up the next fifteen minutes in telling
MIR. Hastings what he thought of the
Assistant District Attorney. The ex-
Governor his voice raised to such a
pitch that portions of the talk could be
heards beyond MIR. SwaIasn's Office, is
then said to have demanded com
plete retraction under q t2,reat of not
only resigning, but of going to Albany
TO demand the removal of Swami
A few minutes later Mr.. Swami gave
out the following statement:
Harold Hastings, having his atten-
tfou called to a newspaper article, abb
solutely denies the sta tements at
tribnted to him. Says that he has
never stated that the members of the
automobile squad were fine cops; that
his only reference to collusiom was in
one particular case, and that he never
bag stated that the Whitman investi-
CATION resulted in the disbanding OF
the old squad, or that automobile
thieves nave been running wild since,
and he has never made any statements
whicr. could even be so Distorted
q called Mr.. Hastings before me and
Nc. Hastings denied in toto the state
ments attributed to him on the second
page c+ to-day's Herald. / think this
may be an opportune moment for me to
again reiterate my appreciation OF the
splendid work being done by Governor
Whitman in sunning down all leads
in regard to graft IN the Police De-
partment. Governor Whitman is here
at great sacrifice of his time, and at
my personal instance and request, and
anything that would tend in any way to
disturb his investigation would be de-
piored by me-"
Mr., Whitman's only comment was:
With four members of the automo-
bile squad under Indictment and the
investigation leading to other police
men, Mr.. Hastingsss statement is to
say the least extraordinary"
The row resulted in conference OF
all assistant district attorneys called
by Mr.. Swami. They were told that a
spirit of antagonism had been noted
on the part of certain members Of Mr.
Swann's staff to the Whitman investi-
gation and that that feeling would
have to be eliminated.
The District Attorney also issued an
order making it mandatory upon his
assistants to consult wign him or Mr.
Banton, his chief assistant, before
issuing any statement TO the press If
that statement had to deal with any
thing but a case upon which they
were engaged.
Assistant District Attorney James E.
Smith. one of the Whitman aids, con-
tinued his inquiry into the automobile
scandal, 1T developed yesterday, the
records in the District Attorneys Office
show. that during f920-when 5000 cars
were stolen and about $500 we're recev.
cred by the police-enly eighty-sever
cases were strong enough to cause
grand jury indictments.
Of the eighty-seven cases twelve
pleaded guilty and were sent to insti.
tutions for short terms, six received
suspended sentences, forty-two were
either discharged or their bail was re.
scinded pending trial--an indication
that the case is too weak to put before
a jury--and seventeen were convicted
of joy riding'.that is, taking out
their employers cars without permis.
sion.
Lack OF Evidence Charged
There is not one conviction Of 8
recognized automobile thief, 1t is be.
lieyed. that this record was the rasul,
OF policemen who received rewards
failing to furnish evidence necessary
to convict the thieves.
6 William Chilyers spent the day plug.
ging away at the alleged collusion be.
: tween the police and the bootleggine
industry. Despite the supposed Lack
FIRE started in the Hylan Organization
newspapers on Wednesday, it became
apparent. yesterday that Mr.. Whitman
was on the trail of real case when il
became known that the Federal au
thorities had summoned two police of
fcers for examination. Their names
were not disclosed and they were moi
held. They will appear again later
Both men are scheduled for a heart
to-heart talk with Mr.. Chilvers also.
Queens Grand Jury to Look
Into City Contract Charge,