The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-03-17

Wheeler. why don't you bring it
out?"
well. it takes a lot of evidence
to convince some people" inter
jected Ashurst.
ut certainly does" Wheeler added.
When the Questioning was re-
stunned, Holdridge said that Muma
had been advised by Daugherty.
"He got good legal advice" Moses
observed.
THAT legal advice should not be
given to help thieves" Ashurst.
shouted. sand that's what the
Attorney General has DONE
Lets go on with this question
ing" Wheeler said.
Let me make myself clear"
Ashurst replied, II shall make any
observation at any time just as 1t
occurs to me. / shall not be bound
by any other persons opinions.
shall speak for myself when and
as I choose"
He was loudly applauded by the
audience.
He Had Hard Task.
"Why didn't you report this case
to the Attorney General?"
well, it was the first time in
history l ever heard of when an
agent faced the task of going to
the chief of the department and
telling him the evidence showed he
was a crook" said Holdridge.
"You didn't have the temerity to
tell Burns and Daugherty they
were crooks?" asked Ashurst.
NO, not then"
Would you now"
Yes"
do you believe it,"
IT do" said Holdridge hotly.
HOldridge said he asked Burns
for an interview because this evi.
, dence involves you and the Attor-
ney General
IT met Burns the next morning
in the Shoreham hotel" said Hold
ridge. II told Burns what evil
dence / had obtained from Muma.
When 1 got to the. point in my
story where Muma had told me
about his visit to Burns, Burns
stopped me and said, Yes, l saw
him. He's a nice boy
II said that Muma got the idea
he was not going to be prosecuted
and Burns said I should go back
and tell Muma that if he didn't
stop he Burns) would put him in
| Atlanta"
This interview was on May 8,
1922, Holdridge said.
Burns ordered me to return to
Albany to run down a lottery king
I had arrested the year before.
l0&1 7 ~~P3ra
from Burns to come to Washington
| at once.
Mclean Didn't Appear.
"He called me into his private
office and said Ne had a very i'm
portant assignment for me in
Cleveland"
DO you want to know what 1t
was?"
YES" replied Wheeler.
"a robbery case out there that
happened two years previous"
The crowd broke into prolonged
laughter.
"On June 6, I returned to Wash.
ington from Cleveland and Burns
called me into his office.
II listened to a TRADE for five
minutes because / had come back
although my work there had been
cleaned up.
Finally Burns Gained down and
said he wanted me to go to
Toledo on another robbery case. "
Holdridge said Burns then started
a discussion of the fight films land
asked me to come back to his office
at o'clock to meet Edward B.
Mclean"
Burns said he wanted me to
tell Mclean what had learned
from Jap Muma," said Holdridge.
1.-THE conference wasn't held, how
ever, because Mclean couldn't get
there"
I'm the last of June, went to
Washington from Toledo and saw
the. director" said Holdridge. HE
mentioned Muma and 1 said, He
was rather indiscreet, wasn't hep
and the director replied. 'Indiscreet?
Well, should say he was"
Did Burns say why Muna was
indiscreet?"
mo"
After this, Holdridge said he was
sent to various cities on Special
! cases "but I wanted to get back
to Albany as agent in charge"
Finally, Holdridge testified, he
came to Washington on October
81, and handed Burns his resigna
| ton"
why was that?"
II was generally disgusted."
pYou quit at your own volition?'
II sure did"
AT whom were you disgusted?"
Burns "Damns" People.
AT Burns particularly. was
disguised with being chased around
the country and at the departments
attitude toward the film cases."
What was that attitude?"
They didn't want to prosecute"
Burns said he was tired of having
his men ordered around" Hold
ridge added. "He told me, I'm
God damned tired of having people
tell me how to run this depart
ment. You can do what you want
with Jap Muma or anybody else.
l told him though l was finished. 4"
Holdridge said Burns became ex.
cited and "sv'Ore around vigorously. !"
why did you quit when you