Evening star., 1928-04-29
BURNS RETRACTS
COUNTER-CHARGE
Lamb, Justice Department
Official, Falsely AsSaiIed
in Jury Tampering.

Complete retraction of his charges,
made shortly after the Fall-Sinclair
mistrial last November. to the effect
that Horace r. Lamb, special assistant
to the Attorney General, had tampereo
with the jury In that case, has been
made by William j. Burns, former chief
of the Bureau of Investigation OF the
Department OF Justice, and founder of
the detective agency bearing his own
name. in a letter 10 Mr. Lamb. which
the latter made public yesterday after
noon.
Made 10 Newspaper Men.
During the grand jury investigation
OF the Government charges that the
jury had been tainpered with by Burn
detectives. employed by the defense,
the senior Burns, on November Z, IN tht
corridor Of the court house. declared to
newspaper men that the Burns agent
had obtained evidence that Govern.
ment agent" had tampered with juror
Norman l.. Giascock. He then referred
to an affidavit by William " Long, who
it developed later, was William Me-
Mull!n.
This AFFIDAVIT said that an automobile
owned by Mr.. Lamb had followed Juror
Glascock from his place of business on
October % TO his home and thence to
Hoover Field, where the occupant of the
Lamb automobile talked with the Juror
for 20 minutes.
McMuIlin later testified the affidavit
was absolutely false" and that the
manager OF the detail, c. G. Ruddy. had
given him the information contained I'm
the affidavit and told him TO write it.
Ruddy branded this testimony as a its
sue Of lies"
Letter Sent to Lamb.
Burns letter to Lamb. under date of
April 10, follows.
i desire In this letter TO make fun
and complete retraction OF the charges
which made against you last Novefn-
Der To the effect that you, as the rep
fesentative OF the United States Gov
ernment. had tampered or communi-
Gated with members OF the jury during
the criminal trial Of the Fall-Sinclalr
case.
This statement was based upon the
report OF an operative, William y. Long,
afterwards aScertained To be William ]
McMuliin, dated October % last, and
also on an affidavit made by Long and
based on said report.
Both In his report and affidavit.
Long. alias McMullin, gave the number
OF your automobile ana stated that the
occupant OF 1t had a private talk with
a juror at the Potomac Flying Field on
October ~. frankly state TO you
that believed, at the time OF my state
ment on the subject. that you or some
one using your car was the individual
VINO talked privately with the juror at
the hying field. and hence / thought
that a Government agent had tampcr-
ed or attempted 70 tamper with a Juror
Afterwards. and upon thorough in
VeStlgation. ! became convinced that
the report and affidavit of Long. alias
McMuiiin, at that time In the employ
OF the Burns Detective Agency, was abb
solutely false and that neither you nor
any person acting under your direction
OF using your automobile with your per-
mission had anything whatever 70 do
with the Fall-SinelaiF trial or the sur
veilance OF any OF the jurors engaged
III hearing the testimony In that case.
Il sincerely regret that made state
fr1ents 10 the representatives OF the
press on November 7. 1927. at the ,ourt
mouse OF the Supreme Court OF the Dis
trict OF Columbia In which / imputed
wrong doing on your part, and wish
10 Withdraw them entirely"
Lamb said yesterday afternoon that
tne charges made by Burns and broad
cast by the press had caused him no
end OF annoyance. He said his friends
All over the world wrote in, inclosing
clippings from newspapers carrying the
charge, and 10 this day he receives an
occasional echo Of the sensational
period Immediately after the Fall-3ln-
clair mistrial
Among the letters he received was a
pathetic note from woman In south
eTn Australia. who inclosed a clipping
from small Australian newspaper and
asked If he we're her "long-lost, beloved
brother The brother. Horace Il Lamb
she said. Was last reported 70 her as
having been killed IN France, but she
steadfastiy has refused % believe the
report Not being the long-lost brother
Mt. Lamb 80 informed her by mail
Burns drew i5-day sentence n the
tamperiDg charge His appeal Is nov
pending