The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-03-19
ASSA|LS
CR|T|COF HIS
CHIEF
Head of U. S. Secret Service
Flags Record of HoIdridge
in Department.

(COntlnueQ from First PaSe.)
two years previously concerning
the "under-cover" informant and
the character of the information
that was then being sought.
at once concluded that Holdridge
was "stringing me" along. At the
his resignation Holdridge urged
me very strongly to reinstate. him
in charge of the Albany district,
and to increase his pay, which
refused to do, and told him he
could not work again in the AL
bany district.
This seemed to upset him very
much, as he claimed he wanted to
re.established his reputation in
that community.
Sent to Cleveland.
About this time 1 received a re-
quest from the United States at,
torney in the Cleveland district.
asking that an agent be sent
there to investigate the theft of
some bonds. l detailed Holdridge
on this case and 1 found that he
was violating the rules Of the
service by going from one place
to another without authority. In
the meantime, he was urging that
he be returned to Albany. 1 de-
clined to acceed to his requests
in this respect. 1 wrote T.. j.
Brennan, agent in charge at New
York, explaining fully to him the
situation concerning Holdridge
and advised him to have heart
to-heart talk with Holdridge and
inform him very explicitly what
would be expected of him If he
were to remain in the Govern
ment service. l also told Bren-
nan to observe his work carefully
and If he did not measure up
more fully to what was expected
OF him that we would have to de-
mand his resignation.
Holdridge, accordingly, was in
structed to report to Brennan,
which he did. He had been there
but a short time when one day
he suddenly appeared in Wash
ington, and when I asked him
why he had come, without au-
thority he bruskly informed me
that he had come to tender his
resignation, that he did not in
tend to be made a goat Of by
Muma. told him l did not care
anything about either Muma or
himself and that we would ac-
cept his resignation at once and
he could go as far as he liked in
his prosecution of Muma, that we
had no interest in the matter.
Never in the Film Probe.
Holdridge was not investigating
prize-fight films when l directed
him to make the investigation at
Cleveland, nor had he at any
time been making any investiga-
ton 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 i'm
pressed me with the Muma story.
AS a matter of fact the prize
fight films were promptly invests.
gated by our agents i'm every
State in the country where they
were shown, and arrests We're
promptly made and the matter
placed in the hands of the United
States attorneys. Finding from
the various reports received in
my office that there apparently
was some scheme afoot on the
part of the men showing the
films to go into various States
and pay a fine, acting under di-
rections from the Attorney Gen
20 1t
advised Agent Brennan in New
York by letter that there SEEM
ingly was a conspiracy on the
part of the men owning these
films to exhibit them and there
fore the Attorney General wanted
a thorough investigation made
with a view to prosecuting the
men for conspiracy. Agent Nav
AFRO was detailed on the case
and shortly thereafter the men
engaged in this conspiracy
stopped operation.
Holdridge sought to give the
impression on the witness stand
that Navarro was sent to Haiti
in order to stop his activities in
the investigation of the fight
films. The truth is that Navarro
did not go to Haiti for months
after he had finished his investi.
cation. The evidence we gath,
cred was turned over TO the
United States attorney at New
York, as we do in all such cases.
There was, no protection given
anyone, at any time, anywhere.
On the other hand, the matter of
fight films was vigorously pros.
ecuted throughout the country.
In fact, when the Dempsey-Gib-
bons fight was staged at Shelby,
Mont, the bureau sent men to
the scene of the battle to see that
the fight films were not struggled