The New York herald., 1921-07-15
Three DETECTIVES
DENOTED AS RESULT
OF SLUSH FUND QUIZ
Inspector Lahey Transfers
Trio to Street Duty for
Lobby Work.
$4,000 is INVOLVED
Testimony Shows $4,000 of
Sum Passed Hands at
Albany in Spring.
KLIEST HANDLED MONEY
Conkling, Devanncy and Finn
Suffer-Receiver Of Cash
Is Not Disclosed.
KLIEST HANDLED MONEY

William j. Lahey, Chief Police In
spector, ordered yesterday the demo-
ton and transfer to street uniform
duty of three detective sergeants af-
ter AN investigation made by David
Hirshfield, Commissioner of Accounts,
had established that slush fund Of
$4,000 was raised last spring by a
lobby to influence the passage. of the
bill creating a permanent detective di-
vision.
OF that fund, it has been proved
that $4,000 passed hands in Albany
three days before the bill was intro
duced second time and after it was
supposed to be smothered in COM
mittee. The balance of $4,000, in the
form of certified check, was re-
turned.
The money was loaned to the 1e-
tectives by Charles S. Shotwell, a mer-
chandise broker of 522 Fifth avenue
who lives at 10 West Seventieth street
He has suits pending against three
indorsers of notes. He was led to loan
the money as an act of friendship for
the detectives.
According to the testimony. the money
was obtained by the detectives at con-
ference held in the West Sixty-eighth
street station attended by Mr.. Shotwell.
Edwin J. Burns, president of the Detec-
tives Endowment Association. and De-
tectives Bernard Devanney. Thomas J.
Ccnkling and one or two other detectives
Witnesses have testified that the $4,000
IN cash and $4,000 check were turned
over to John B. Kliest, known to them
as lobbyist. although not known as a
registered lobbyist
Money Not Returned.
1t is yet to be shown who got the
monay. 1t was sent to Albany. the wit
nesses state. during the few days that
the bill was before the Legislature dur
Ing the closing days of the session. The
agreement was that IL the bill was not
passed and signed by the Governor and
Mayor the money would be returned
The Mayor vetoed the measure, but the
$4,000 was not returned.
The meeting In the police station was
on March 90 The money was given by
Shotwell on April and taken to Albany
or the day following. Senator Clayton
r. Lusk, majority leader of the Senate.
reintroduced the bill on April and II
passed few days later. Senator Lusk
at that time told the detectives he would
help them on the express promise that
no fund be raised to influence passage
of the bill. There Is nothing to show
that penny of the slush fund went to
any member of the Legislature.
The three detectives denoted are
Thomas Conkling. who is sent to the
Beach street station to do patrol duty
Bernard Devanney. who will patrol the
streets in the Poplar street precinct In
Brooklyn. and Thomas Finn. who was
sent to the Charles street station. Conk-
ling and Devanney were first grade act
ing detective sergeants and their salaries
are reduced from $4,000 to $2,2s0 a
year. Finn was second grade detective
and his salary Is not cut.
Jack" kliest. as he is known in Al
bany, Is connected with a big advertis-
ing agency. At his office yesterday It
was stated he was out of town for a
few days. He has been summoned as
witness before the Commissioners of
Accounts.
Two Bills introduced.
Two detective bills were presented to
the Legislature last session. The first
was known as the Smith-Judson bill and
provided for creating a permanent detec-
tive agency. The Detectives Endowment
Association opposed the measure, and II
was sidetracked In committee The Sec
ond was the Lusk bill. They were SUBJ
stantially the same excepting that the
first required one years service in the
bureau to assure permanency and the
second three years.
Mr.. Shotwell testified before the Com
missioner OF Accounts that at the meet
ing in the Sixty-eighth street sta
ton house he was informed that the
money must be raised at once to be
given a lobbyist who would handle the
bill He raised $4,000 and was given
a sixty day note by Thomas Conklins.
secured by three demand notes as coll
lateral The notes. the witness said,
were given by Charles III. Badenberger
OF 406 West Thirty-seventh street; Ed
ward Devlin of 40s West Fffty-second
street and Diedrich Neimeyer OF 1885
Broadway. Action Is now pending to re-
cover on two OF the collateral notes.
Each note was for s2.5oo, making $1,000
security for the $4,000 loan.
The $4,000 certified check which was
sent TO Albany with the cash and later
returned was. given by Neimeyer, who
formerly conducted cafe In broadway
and lives In Yonkers. At his examina-
tion Shotwell said
I'VE found the endowment associa-
tlon had no credit basis and the detec-
tives said they must have the money
quickly. I was approached first by
Finn"
Did Finn tell you what he wanted
the money for?"
"It was to pay lobbyist fee for
Introducing the dstectives' bill"
Ibid they tell you who was TO have
the money!
"a man named Kliest was to handle
the money. Conkling and Finn ex-
planned the money was not to be paid
TO the lobbyist unless the bill was
passed and signed, and that 1t was 10 be
held i'm joint account III the bill did
not pass the money was TO be returned
But IL IL did ths plan was that members