New-York tribune., 1921-02-03
Three Policemen Ready TO
! Confess irs auto Scandal

,tional grand jury to tell all they know
about the alleged graft exacted by the
.police for recovering stolen motor cars
Former Governor Charles S. Whit
man, special counsel to the grand jury,
was said last night, will not appear
before that body to-day, but he will
be prepared tomorrow, IL was learned,
70 ask for immunity for at least two
detective sergeants VINO are in pcs.
session of what is believed to be vaiua-
Bile information.
s'@ This development came fast on the
heels of the reported confession of
,5ohn S. Armstrong, who ms a detective
sergeant was prominent member of
5 the automobile squad. He is now under
suspension and had been sent back to
uniform duty.
4al Armstrong was committed to the
Tombs Monday by Judge Grain for con-
tempt of court for refusing to answer
6 questions. On Tuesday, after night
sin jail, he agreed to give the grand
terday he took up the entire session of
the jury.
Whitman Questions Fireman
Another angle of the stolen auto
mobile scandal developed yesterday,
when Fireman Stephen Lucas, attached
to Engine Company /, at Seventh Ave
nue and Twenty-ninth Street, now out
on $1,000 bail on charge of being inn
plicated in the theft OF three autos, ap-
peared under Subpoena to testify. He
was not called, but was questioned
Z closely by MI Whitman.
% Arthur M. King, one of the Whitman
aids assigned to the investigation Of
the evidence turned over to Mr.. Whit
imam by Meier Steinbrink, special coun-
sci to the Board of Estimates city con-
tract inquiry, admitted yesterday that
S 5Ais investigation led into Queens
County, and that he expected to break
q case within week, which, he said,
= would "stand New York on it's head"
ssas Ex-Magistrate Frederick ]. Groehl,
another of the Whitman assistants,
( clothed his activities yesterday in mys-
terry. He had before him a number of
witnesses whose names were carefully
s guarded. 1t became known, however,
.>%shat one of the men is now a prisoner
in the Tombs.
Stolen Gutomobiies have been used
by policemen, one of them q man of
high rank ir the department, it was
shown yesterday. This car particularly
was used by the official, it was said,
despite the fact that he knew it was
a stolen machine, throughout the sum-
mer and for mcst of the time vas
driven by policeman chauffeur.
Several Admit Taking Rewards"
Mr.. Whitman admitted that several
Witnesses have testified that they ar
1anged to receive cash rewards" for
the return of stolen cars in order de-
iberately to evade the department
regulation which provides for the pay
ient of 40 per cent Of any such gift
70 the fund maintained for the support
Of dependents of policemen killed in
tae performance of police duty.
Governor Whitman exhibited only
.s saassing interest when he was told that
tllree members of the automobile squad
Lad offered to follow the example of
Nrm strong and tell what they knew.
sShem he Immediately ruled that one of
the trio would have to be excluded
that no favor would be shown him.
The other two made appeals which,
/! / is said, Mr.. Whitman feels warrant
/ him going before the grand jury on
Friday to ask for immunity if their in
formation, which he will listen to to-
day, proves to be as valuable as in
i dicated.
h "Armstrong's testimony to-day was
entirely a grand jury proceeding" Mr..
II Whitman said last night. at is, there
/, %ore. matter which / cannot discuss"
Il Man Higher Up Involved
1. From what has developed to date,
4 would you say that the investigation
(, into the automobile scandal has gone
!, beyond the stage Of so-called reward
I payments?" he was asked.
Il "Yes, it has," the former Governor
! answered.
/. Are you prepared to say that high
/ official of the Police Department. know
ingly used a stolen automobile recent
/. ly?" the prosecutor was asked.
81 "That is our information at this
!. time" Mr. Whitman replied. but he
Ii parried all other questions which would
i lead to the identity of the official He
!, did admit, however, that the car in
\ question was used by the official all
/, last summer, and it is said that New
+ York policeman was used as chauffeur.
!, Fireman Lucas appeared in the Grim
/ inal Courts Building ic fun uniform to
! answer the subpoena issued by Mr.
Il Whitman. On January 10 he was held
h ia $4,000 bail after being indicted on
/ three charges of grand larceny grow
/ ing out of the theft of three automo-
I biles
H The case had nothing to do with the
/ present investigation. 1t was handled
+ before the regular grand jury by AS
f sistant District Attorney Hastings. The
!! arrest was made by Detective Sergeants
I, Armstrong and Andrews. According to
/ Mr.. Hastings, Lucas implicated Lee
fl Metzger, Long Island butcher. He also
II was arrested.
Ii Facts Being Withheld, Belief
II When Mr.. Whitman's attention was