Evening star., 1924-03-19
HOLDRIDGE CHARGES
ARE DENIED BY BURNS
Declares Agent Was Never Put on
Inquiry on Fight
Pictures.
TELLS OF PROSECUTION
Once Asked for Holdridge's Res
ignation, Chief Says.

William J. Burns, director of the
bureau of Investigation, Department
of Justice, today issued the follow
ing statement in reference to the tes-
timony of Gerald O. Holdridge, for
mer special agent of the bureau. be-
fore the Senate committee investi-
eating the Department of Justices:
"Holdridge endeavored to give the
impression that he was making an
investigation in the fight film matter,
as directed by me, when he suddenly
was called off the case and detailed
10 another investigation, as he stated,
which was two years old. The facts
attending the service of Holdridge as
an agent of the bureau are as fol-
lows:
Arrested in Inn.
81 received an anonymous news
paper clipping giving an account OF
d disgraceful affray that occurred at
the Sunset Inn, near Troy, n. l., IN
which it was stated that Special
Agent Spellacy and several others
Agent Holdridge, Special Agent Spei-
lacy and several others hao WIS.,
tied this inn, consumed Il iot oi ~,
= was presented. as L now recolcct the
facts fioldridge declined to pay,
flashed his badge and declared ne was
u special agent OF the bureau OF iu-
vestigation. The proprietor OF the lLl al
called the police, and when they arrived
Itoldridge being intoxicated, drew
his revolver and threatened TO shoot.
lie was disarmed and placed under
arrest and locked up. 49,
"Holdridge had not reported the
matter to the bureau, as was ms uuts i,
until | communicated with him, ana
asked for an explanation OF MS CON
duct dispatched an agent lrosi
New York to make Il thorough inVeS-
tgation of the matter, and as a result
of this investigation We asked Ior
uoldrdige's resignation
Pleaded for Retention.
.Instead of complying with the re-
quest for his resignation. Hoiurluse
sought all sorts OF political ana so
cial influence, and his Whe ,Wrote :; d
most pitiful letter, sending with II
Il photograph of herself and her chill
lren, pleading for her husbands re-
tention in the service. Hoidrldge
himself called on men and wept like
- child pleading that he would be
diSgraced.
AT that time he said nothing
whatever concerning his knowledge
of Jap Muma and the prize fight
films, but he did tell me OF u number
of important matters that he had un-
der investigation in the Albany dlS-
trict, and stated that he had an 'un-
der-cover man who was giving him
very important information concern
Ing lotteries and narcotics
SLater / received communication
/ believe il was long-diStance tele-
phone meSsage-from Holdridge, in
forming me that he had a very i'm
portant matter he would like to dis
cuss with me; that he could not talk
over the telephone. and suggested he
would like to come to Washington.
'ro this l consented. Holdridge did
come to Washington, and for the first
time told me OF a talk he had with
Muma, in which Muma mentioned the
name of the Attorney Conceal. | ask
ed if he could get Muma to sub
stantiate what he said Muma had
told him. and he said he could. Also.
he explained that he could obtain i'm
portant information from his under
cover man. and L then withdrew
my request for his resignation and
sent him back for information he
said he could obtain.
.StrinEins- Him. Burns Belief.
after some time 1 received from
Holdridge Il number of reports that
had been secured by him two years
previously concerning the under
cover informant and the character
of the information that was then be-
ing sought.
was 'stringing me- along. AT the time
] withdrew the request for his resig-
nation, Holdridge urged me very
strongly to reinstate him in charge
of the Albany district, and to increase
his pay, which 1 refused to do, and
told him he could not work again in
the Albany district. This seemed to
upset him very much, as he claimed
he wanted to re-establiSh his reputa-
ton in that community. About this
time, / received a request from the
United States attorney in she Cleve-
land district. asking that an agent be
sent there to investigate the theft of
some bonds. 1 detailed Holdridge on
This case, and l found that he was
Violating the rules Of the service by
;soing from one place to another
Il" was urging that he be returned to
Albany. = declined to accede to his
l"Iuests in this respect. | wrote r. j.
brennan, agent in charge, at New
York, explaining fully to him the sit
uation concerning Holdridge and ad-
,ised him to have 4 heart-to heart
talk with Holdridge and inform him
cry explicitly what would be ex-
rccted of him if he were to remain in
he government service. I also told
Brennan to observe his work care
fully, and if he did not measure up
.iore fully to what was expected OF
his resignation.
Accepted His Resignation.
..Holdridge, accordingly, was in
Structed to report to Brennan, which
ne did He had been there but short
time when one day he suddenly ap-
reared in Washington, and when l
:. sked him why he had come, without
authority. he brusquely informed me
hat he had come to tender his resig-
ration, that he did not intend to be
1nade a goat of my Muma. ! told
him 1 did not care anything about
either Muma or himself, and that we
would accept his resignation at once
and he could go as far as he liked in
1iis prosecution of Muma. that we had
no interest in the matter.
"Holdridge: was not investigating
prize fight films when I directed him
to make the investigation at Cleve-
land, nor had he at any time been
making any investigation of prize
fight films, but he had learned this
story he told me concerning Muma
from ex-Special Agent Spellacy. 1t
was apparent to me that Holdridge
was under the impression that he had
impressed me with the Muma story.
As a matter of fact, the prize fight
1ilms were promptly investigated by
our agents in every state in the coun-
try where they were shown, and ar
rests were promptly made and the