Evening star., 1940-05-23
Wire-Tap Probers
10 Hear Detective
Agency Head
Vanderbilt and Pew
Paid Him for Work,
Senators Told

The Senate committee investigating
overlapping was prepared today to
hear Frank B. BielasH, operator OF
q New York detective agency, who,
1t was testified yesterday, received
nearly $4,000 for his services In
Pennsylvania and Rhode Island last
year; 1t was expected also that ad-
ditional light on the Rhode Island
situation would be furnished to-
morrow by Gov. william H. Wander
bilt, who is said to have employed
the detective.
Testimony on the payments was
given by United States Attorney j.
Howard McGrath of Rhode Island
and Horace Weller, counsel for Gov.
Vanderbilt.
Mr.. McGrath said that Of the
total, t5.953 was paid by Joseph M.
Pew, jr., president Of the Sun Oil
Co. OF Philadelphia, q Pennsylvania
Republican leader.
He submitted what he said were
Photographic copies of six checks
signed by Mr.. Pew and made pay
able to the Seaboard Bureau of Pub
lic Relations, operated by Mr..
Bielaski.
Paid by Governor.
Mr.. McGrath declared Mr.. Bielaski
had received $10,597 for his Rhode
Island activities, In addition to
$1,000 In cash which Mr.. Weller
said he had paid Mr.. Bielaski at
Gov. Vanderbilt's direction.
Mr.. McGrath said Federal Bureau
OF Investigation agents had traced
q $500 payment by the Governor to
Mr.. Bielaski and that In addition
Mr.. Bielaski received a payment of
$1,697 through Matthew Goring,
former assistant attorney general of
Rhode Island, and $1,000 sent direct
to the Seaboard by the Mechanics
National Bank Of Providence
Mr.. Weller testified earlier that
Gov. Vanderbilt personally paid all
costs for the employment of the
agency.
Mr. Bielaski, it was reported in
earlier testimony, had been hired to
investigate vote frauds in Rhode
Island during the course of which
the telephone lines of the States
Attorney General, Louis v. Jack
vony. were tapped as well as those
Of Mayor Thomas P. Mccoy, Paw
tucket, Democrat.
Disclosed Last Month.
The Rhode Island wire-tapping
first was disclosed here last month,
when Attorney General jackson said
that officials of the New England
State had been guilty of "reprehen-
sible" conduct, but that the depart
ment could not, in good conscience,
prosecute because the incidents oc-
CURED before December IL when
the Supreme Court outlawed intra-
state wire-tapping.
United States Attorney McGrath
then charged that Gov. Vanderbilt
had been responsible, and the Gov
ernor, defending his actions, de-
clared the Federal ofacial "has
dragged an honest skeleton out OF
the closet, ...,a,a,.,. ..,..t -- =,
Editor Called Ringlesder.
Charles j. Brown, vice president
Of the Moreland Electric Co., New
York, testified yesterday he rad
placed the "taps" In Rhode Island
and saidsMr. BielasE also had hired
him to place listening devices ir
Philadelphia and New York ho-
tells to overhear conversations OF
"big Philadelphia politicians"
Mayor Mccoy took the stand tc
declare that Gov. Vanderbilt had
been "a willing dupe in aiding
and abetting" wire-tapping activi-
ties in Rhode Island.
He told the committee the Re.
publican chief executive was mot
alone responsible for the hirine
Of the agents"
Then he said Sevellon Brown, ed.
itor Of the Providence Journal ane
Bulletin, was "the ringleader, tn.
arch-conspirator in the wire-tap.
ping activities" in that State.