The Monmouth inquirer., 1925-08-27
Three Women and a Man
Held For Conspiracy

Following an astounding series Of
Developments three woman and o
man was arrested and lodged in jail IN
Freehold, Saturday. The woman were
charged with conspiracy to ruin the rep
utation of Max Phillips, millionaire
collar and shirt man ifacturer, the man
with carrying a gum.
The persons involved include an
alleged countess, supposedly Rus
sian. a woman detective, and by
inference OF Mr.. Phillips, who has in
timated to detectives that business ri
valrv is at the bottom Of the affair, a
New York banker and a law err.
The denoument of the strange
drama came last Friday night in a
mansion owned by Phillips, Eaton
town. In preparation for a dinner which
Mr.. Phillips had arranged for two OF the
women, dictaphones had been strung
through the house and detectives lis
tened in the cellar.
Then, when they had heard enough
forgtheir purpose. the detectives rushed
from their hiding places and arrested
the women. They took them to a hotel
in Seabright and there partly because
he, it is alleged, interfered with the
officers, the man IN the case was arrest
ed, The oman detective was taken
into custody later in Jersey City.
Max Phillips figured just a few days
ago in connection with the arrest OF
Mrs. Margaret Campbell M ortlock, a
| s~piritualist. Phillips is interested in
spiritualism and it figures IN the
present case. He is very rich.
The women in the case are Miss Bea-
trice johnson Countess DEFY Bourky,
of Russia, " and Hatty Hager, the de-
tective. The man arrested IS Harry
Berg, who, according to one report, is
really the husband of the countess. The
women were held IN $4,000 bail on the
charge of conspiracy by Justice OF the
Peace Henry ii lin of Red Bank. Berg
was held in 5000 on the charge Of
carrying a concealed weapon.
The exact charge against the wom-
en-. as set forth in the papers is.
Conspiracy to lin the reputation
Of Max Phillips bv getting him into q
| compromising situation and inducing
him to violate the Mann act"
After the arrests County Detective
] Rue made the statement that the whole
] affair resulted from business rivalry but
declined to go into details. Phillips
himself said: &c
1.-THE plot to ruin my character and
get me on a yacht was conceived In a
/ house In New York. and at this confer
ence was a lawyer, a banker, Miss Bea-
trice Johnson and another woman. /
have been Swallowed since June 1.
Seven or eli bit detectives are in Red
Bank and Eatontown now to watch my
! movements. My place has been snr-
4 rounded by detectives. They stand afar
using field glasses; they follow me
| when l walk or motor from the house.
According to the information | have,
those who seek my downfall-the big
tones now in the background-have al
ready spent $27, 900 in their efforts to
trap me-"
That is the background Of the devel-
opmenIs, according to the information
THAT Phillips has given the New Jersey
5police. AS he tells the rest of the story,
this is what happened.
About August 2 Mrs. johnson first
appeared in the scene, driving over to
/ the beautiful Phillips home with Thorn
as Fields, whom Phillips knew slightly.
Phillips says:
During her brief visit the woman
! approached me on the subject of Spirit
! ualism and made various representa-
! tons as to her interest IN mediums and
I their work in New York City"
1t seems that even the name of Mrs.
/ Mortlock who later was to figure in an
! entirely different sort Of a story in
] Manhattan, was mentioned by Miss
| johnson who came to the estate that
i afternoon. and made herself very much
| at home, watching the polo game.
Testimony showed there were seve al
other meetings, and then Miss John
son brought forward the Countess"
it is said, who at once took q great lik-
ing to Mr.. Phillips, and developments
became so obvious, even to him, that
he charged Miss johnson with being a
detective, which she Indignantly de-
MED.
It was at the suggestion Of the count
detectives. to whom he told the first
part Of the story, that Phillips arrang
! ed what was to be a reconciliation din
ner at his beautiful home for Friday
night, There the two woman went
and there hiding in cellar the detectives
listened to what all had to say and ar
rested the women. 1t was charged they
heard some ~conversati MS between the
women when Phillips was not present
The women were taken to the hotel
at Se~abright, so that they might get
some clothe.. Then Berg appeared
and it is alleged, tried to prevent them
entering the room where the women
were. His arrest followed. The detec-
tives say the women have G Messed the
plot in part, and it was because of state
ments they made that they were decoyed
over to New Jersey and arrested.
The women and detective Berg were
released on bail