Atlanta Georgian. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, May 24, 1913, Image 3

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THE ATLANTA GEORGIAN AND NEWS, SATURDAY, MAY 24, 1913. DICTOGRAPH TALKS IN L. 1 • * ‘ (Continued from Pace Ona.) The conversation took place on Wednesday afternoon in Colyar’s room—the same room where Felder was trapped, and was taken down by George M. Gentry, a nephew of the president of the Southern Bell Telephone Company. Here is a copy of the rcord: The following statement* were overheard by me, by using a dicto graph located In room 82 of the Williams House No. 2, 34-36 North For syth Street, Atlanta, Ga.; said dictograph being connected with room No. 31 of the said hotel, and I saw Mr. E, O. Miles, whom I am per sonally acquainted with; Mr. G. C. February, whom I have known for several years, and Mr. A. S. Colyar, with whom 1 have only been ac quainted for a short time, enter room No. 31 of said hotel at about 4 o'clock on the afternoon of May 21, 1913. On account of Mr. February having locked the door to room No. 32. 1 was delayed In getting in, after having witnessed the three parties above mentioned enter room No. 31 of said hotel. In the emergency, ! used the key to my front door, which, with a little difficulty, opened tbs door. After closing the door and going to the instrument, I was unable to hear what was being said very distinctly on account of the win dows of the said room being open. This necessitated another delay to close them, and after returning to my instrument I was able to hear the following Several dashes indicate that the voice just at that point be came Inaudible: Colyar—I can tell you some things. I am executive secretary (noise made sound indistinct). Miles—Now, just wait a minute. I know (here noise made hearing indistinct).-. I have got several cases (sound indistinct). Colyar—(Question incoherent). Miles—I am satisfied you ought, but you know when they go into it they are going to put up a howl. Colyar—(Conversation too low to catch.) Mile*—The Mayor will give us absolute assurance that he will pro tect us. Colyar—Will you bring the Mayor up here—right now? Miles—I think I can bring the Mayor up here right away. The evi dence la in the (sound indistinct). Colyar—It looks like a frame-jp on Felder, and they couldn’t detect (sound Indistinct). Colyar—You are not a Jew, are you? Miles—No, I am not, I spell my name M-l-l-e-s. Colyar—These sons of a gun down here can frame up anything on Decatur Street. I told Felder I would get the goods and go outside of the county and I would meet you and him at East Lake. Miles—There Is no occasion for your leaving town. Colyar But I mean afterwards. I am afraid to stay here. February—If the Mayor and Felder will stay behind us like they said they would. Colyar—I would like to have the Mayor's Miles—But right now he may be busy. Felder can get— Mr. Fel der is a good— Now, It will take about ten minutes, In any case, but he may be busy. I will bring him 1 f he can possibly get here. (In a few minutes Miles returned.) Miles—He was up to the City Hall. He will be over In a few min- utes, he said. • Colyar—Where is your residence, Mr. Miles? Miles—In Decatur. I used to live in Smyrna. (Conversation here became inaudible for a short time on account of •craping of feet upon the floor, chairs, etc., which drowned the sounds through the instrument.) Miles—If you will excuse me, I will take off my coat. It is very warm. Colyar and February—Certainly. Colyar—Step downstairs and get the pitcher and bring It up here fu'l of ice water. (Mr. February was evidently the one addressed, as some one went out and the conversation continued between Mr. Miles and Mr. Colyar.) Miles—We will have that fixed If we have got the goods on these detectives their sphere of work will be over. It will fake three or four days- M AYOR JAMES 0. WOODWARD, of Atlanta, who has been trapped by the dictograph in his hunt for police graft evidence. His conversation with others was taken in A ,S. Colyar’s room at the Williams House on the afternoon of May 21. Colyar—Well, what do you think of this Phagan murder? Mile*—I think it is the most damnable They telephoned Craig, The Constitution man to come and go with them. Colyar—Do you believe Frank murdered that girl? Miles—I never have believed It. It looks a great deal more like he did than It did before from the affidavits. Also there is going to be pretty strong evidence that the girl was not raped. (Conversation became very indistinct for a few minutes.) Miles—I think the whole thing was handled badly. In my mind I am satisfied. They had an extra on the street at 6:30. They should never have allowed all the persons they did on the premises. Just after the murder there were only a few scents and tracks, and the man who did the murder could have easily been tracked, as no one else had been there but the negro and his tracks could have been very easily eliminated. , , Colyar—Yes; that is right. It looks to me like they would have known better. Miles—They should have looked for foot prints and finger prints. Instead of that they had over 500 finger prints (Conversation inter rupted by knock at door.) A moment or so later Mayor Woodward entered the room. Miles. Colyar and February (almost simultaneously)—Well, how are you Mr. Mayor. " (After the general cbnversation of all had subsided I was able to distinguish Mr. Miles' voice.) Miles I really don’t know it well enough this is the first conference I have had. Colyar—Well, Tom Felder told me that the Mayor wanted some evi dence on these fellows down here at the city hall, Decatur Street, and the station house, and hire’s a man that works down there. He got disgusted doing three men's work. He can get the evidence for you, but he wants no one to know it. There are some terrible framers down . there. He is afraid they will throw him in Jail, after they find it out. Woodward—How can they throw him In jail? eolyar They can get a charge against anybody and throw him in jail. You don't know them like some other people do. Woodward—What is the nature of the evidence he can get? Colyar Well, if he was to get the evidence that Mr. Felder wants, It would do the work, which I understand is what you want. Woodward—AH I want to—(voice too low and Indistinct). Co l yar They would throw him out of his job and put him in Jail. Woodward—I don't see how they could do it. Miles—I don’t—unless there are no sane people In the city any more. Colyar—Well, you know they said they were going to close up the red light—(voice too low.) Woodward—Well, they have got nothing to fear. £ olyar j W ent up to your office to see you, and I found it was harder work to get in your office than when I was a newspaper reporter. Woodward Well, my secretary came in and I told him to tell them I would see you Just as soon as I possibly could. Colyar—But he said you couldn't see me until to-morrow. ' Woodward—The reason I said that was because he said you said v,ou were in a hurry, and I said tell him to- come back to-morrow.' If vou could have waited there a few minutes you would have had no trouble. You said you were In a hurry and had some business to at tend to, but I could not tell the other people to get out of the office. Colyar—There wasn't anybody else In the office. Woodward—Well, the secretary or somebody was. Oh, I had to sign up a lot of checks that had to go in before the bark closed Colyar—I have always heard you were a plain old politician. Woodward—It Is just my natural way. ■“Colyar Well, this is the man that can give the evidence down at headquarters that you want, but he Is afraid to. Woodward—There is nothing to he afraid of. folyar You don't know what police persecution is. They can prove ttjat black is white and water will run up stream, and they can get a Jury: that will— Miles—I take this view of it. It will only be—with the police force Jones Attacks Beavers and F Charges Police Crookedness The following conversation occurred In room No. 31, at Williams House No. 2, 34-.'16 N. Forsyth Street, Atlanta, Ga., Wednesday evening, between 8 and 9 o'clock, between C. C. Jones, E. O. Miles and A. S. Colyar: Colyar—It has been very warm to-day, hasn’t it? Miles—Yes, it has. I asked Mr. Felder if you mentioned Mr. Jones’ name to him and he said no. Colyar—He told me Monday night that Mr. Jones was a friend of his and he thought it an outrage the way they had done him. Miles—You know I asked you this afternoon why you wanted to see Mr. Jones. Colyar—If you don’t want to talk, that's all right. Jones—In what way? Colyar—Tom told me they did you pretty dirty down here at the station house. Jones—Yes. They closed up the houses I had. I had a lot of prop erty. Colyar—He told me they framed up on you. Jones—There is no doubt but what it was a frame-up. Colyar—Tom told me he would like to see the gang out of business. Jones—The record now is (voice very indistinct just then). They never grafted me. Wouldn't be any use for me to give them any money. Miles—You told me you wanted to see Jones. It Is not a question of lack of confidence, as what I told you was true as far as I know, but if he knows anything at all about it, I don’t know Just what it is. Jones—I don’t know anything. I Just told them to go aheail and build them houses and move them across the street- Even some of them went and paid for them. Three or four days before they closed the houses, the Chief of the city of Atlanta that It would never do to close this district and I was surprised one morning by a telephone message from someone at No. 18, that the Chief had given five or six days notice to get out, I don’t remember which, and I never even went to the trouble to go out to this man to ask him what he meant, as I could not figure it out to save my life what he meant. That Is all that 1 know of. I found out what he was doing. I understand that Jackson was holding conversation with him anywhere from one to three times a day. Colyar—Who is Jackson? Jones—Jackson is the man that owns the biggest house in Atlanta now. and the Chief was there and wanted to know what to be—until they won’t be in position to get anyone Into trouble. Colyar—They tell me they got a majority In the force. Miles—No, sir; I don’t— Woodward—Dozier. I— Colyar—How many votes will It take to remove him? Woodward—A majority. Colyar—How many are oq the board? Woodward—Twelve. Colyar—You have a vote in case of a tie? Woodward—I have a vote anyhow. Miles—He Is a member ex-officlo. Woodward—I. vote all the time. Miles—February wants to know if we can promise him protection. I think we can safely do it in a matter of right, like this. W ood ward—Y es. Miles—He has the graft list and knows who's on the list, who is to be protected and who Is not to be protected. It looks to me like we have the same thing down there that they had in New York, only on a smaller scale, because Atlanta is a smaller town. Colyar—Did you tell Tom Felder that you authorized Felder that if he got the proof for you you would see that he got paid for It? Woodward—I told Felder that on matters of this kind (voice here Indistinct) and he has a good deal to say, and I told him that I am satisfied that certain parties would be willing to pay the money for him, and if he got the evidence that would convict those people it would be paid, and It will be. There is no question about that. Colyar—He said he would give him a thousand dollars for the evi dence. Miles—Felder said to me that February said that was the price. February—Felder said that he would pay It to us, but he would have to see the papers. He said he would give me one thousand dollars. Miles—He didn't say that anybody had authorized him to do it. He just said he would get it up. Woodward—I don't know whether he had reference (voice too low). As to whether he could raise the money or not; but if he did, he knows that I have not authorized him to do anything of that kind. Miles—-What would be the nature of those documents? Colyar—It Is an affidavit from two people—both signed it—acknowl edging threats, etc., graft and general corruption. Like you said a while ago. Miles—There is no trouble to show the graft? February—(Reply inaudible). Miles—(Voice too low at first) a place like the Walton Inn has never been closed. February—I don't know just about that one. Miles—Now, my information is that the woman who runs it Is a sis ter-in-law of an official in the Police Department. A woman gave me that information and said that she was operating under protection, and there certainly is a half dozen hacks around there at 1 o'clock at night, automobiles, and couples going in and out. Woodward—There will be no trouble about getting the money. Miles—Yes, but * * * They might get the Council In their favor at some later date. * • • Of course, somebody would have to advance it now. Woodward—Yes, I know it. Miles—Isn't there another stenographer that works down there? February—Yes; there Is a man down there In Chief of Police's of fice. He works at night. He goes on about 4. Miles—If they want anything after you go off, they get him to do it? February—(Reply Indistinct.) Miles—You keep all the records of that department? February—Yes; for Lanford. (Traffic noise interfered with sound.) Colyar—only two men can get the evidence, February and Chief Lan- Continuod on Page 4, Column 1, he had done about the license of the hotel, and the Chief . The people owe him $5<X> a month ekeh. I understand he opened. Colyar—Who is John Eagan? Jones—He is one of them Jackson crowd. • Colyar—They certainly must have some kind of a pull. Jones—They got something. I don’t know what it is. Colyar—What does Jackson do? Jones—Jackson runs them religious bulletins. I know them to be the fact, for he owns this place and on one occasion after he told some one I made a remark to a man that was very close to him, I told him that he had better close his own mouth. TO BE EXACT, HE OWNS THE EMPIRE HOTEL. The man that was running the hotel had an engagement to Introduce me to this man. John Dawson told me that he had just had the hotel for three or four months, and that he had cleaned the hotel out, and I looked at him and said, “Yest, you cleaned it out, no doubt of that, but run it different from what other people run it. The man went to one room and the woman to the other, with a door opening between it." So I will be frank with you, if I had any thing that would convict Mr. Beavers I would tell it on the public streets. I think he is everything In the world but a man. I will be frank with you about that. If he takes my dollar and then goes to the other fellow and takes his dollar, he would tell me to go to hell, but, of course, I used to be a gambler; I run the Rex, and everybody knows it. I wouldn’t trust Beavers as far as 1 could throw Colyar—I want to talk to you about Jones—Well, we can make It. I will show you something Colyar—Well, we can make It. I will show you something. Jones—I don't think it is going to As far as my own knowl edge is concerned. I have never been able to—well, I haven't tried to. Well, as I haven't slept much lately I think I will go. Well, 1 will see you to-morrow Miles—Well, 1 am much obliged to you for coming in. Jones—I will try and ge there between 10 and 11. Will that suit you? I am glad to have met you. Good-night. Colyar—Have you seen Felder since you saw me? Miles—Yes. Colyar—What did he say about going out of town? f , Miles—He will go. Colyar—Well we will get the papers. Miles—I told him that was reasonable. Colyar—Then I will get the papers at 2:30 to-morrow. What time will you get in in the morning? Miles—I will get In at 8:30 to-morrow, and I have an appointment. Colyar—-I think It Is best to go out there. Miles—I have no doubt. It can’t possibly use our side Colyar—Call me up at 2401, Atlanta 'phone, at the hotel, at 1 o’clock. I won't have anything to do with the transfer of them In Fulton Coun ty. As long as he—- Miles—Yes, it makes a great deal more—. He can bull — a Morse out. I think he owes him most of It. Colyar—What was his fee? v Miles—A hundred thousand dollar*. ’ I Colyar—How much did he get? Miles—Oh! Absolutely— Colyar—How long have you known Felder? Miles—I have known him 25 year*, personally. Colyar—(Question Incoherent). Miles—Did you hear him commit himself? Colyar—(Answer Incoherent). Now listen here, this boy needs pro tection. Will you do all In your power to see that he gets protection? Will you promise not to use It any way as to Jeopardize his pqsition In any way? Miles—• * • And I believe he would, because I have seen him tried. I have been through all hla campaigns with him, and I have never known him to go bark on his word. I can't convince my mind that the young man won’t balk. He is liable to lose his nerve. He seems nervous and afraid. Colyar—No. he won’t balk; he la Just timid. Miles—In dealing wtth a rattlesnake I never think about (dictograph not clear) Do you? Colyar—No. Miles—I presume every man has his own code of honor, and mine is If the right Is figured in the wrong that the right needn't hurt you. 1 don't mean to call him a rattlesnake as I don’t know anything against him. But that respect I had in mind the general corruption In that depart ment down there. Colyar—He goes down there and gets the papers and brings them out there and they are the papers that you and Felder want and they would know that nobody could get them but Lanford, and him and Lan ford would say that he didn't get them and they would know February got them and would fire him right away. Now, how is the Mayor going to puth im back? Miles—If they are the documents of the nature he understands they are, there will be another Chief In hts office. They would put him back for the very reason it would Insure a straight administration of the next Chief. Colyar—Will you call me In the morning at 10 o’clock? Miles—I will call you at 10 o’clock. Colyar—We will make Tom spend his money now. Miles—Yes. You don't want to gtve the Mayor any list of these things. Colyar—I thought you wanted the papers. Miles—I don't want them. Colyar—Tom doea He tan tell about the papers whether they are what he wants. Miles—We agree with the Mayor that we get this list. Colyar—I am willing to copy it. Colyar—Tom said that the papers— Miles—Between you and Tom. we have nothing to do with It. If you are going to sell them to him, we will drop out of it. You say you will see the Mayor? Colyar—I will see him to-morrow. Miles—Good-night. Colyar—Good-night. FELDER TRAP. COLUMBIA, S. C., May 24.—When asked for a comment upon the Fel der dictograph story. Governor Blease dictated the following: I do not see that It Is necessary for me to give out any interview or to have anything to say. It is not inside of my State and I do not suppose anybody that knows Tom Felder would be surprised if he is guilty, or If this Is a scheme worked up by him to get a little cheap notoriety and advertise ment. However, I presume that the members of the Atlanta Bat will immediately furnish certificates of character for their darling Tommy and show that he is above suspicion and a gentleman of the highest character, with an un blemished reputation as a man and attorney, and if a court of Georgia should order his arrest that his friends will forthwith call out the militia and have him released, as they know of his character and reputation and will not for a moment allow Tommy to be interfered with. I am sat isfied that poor little misled Joe Brown has had his pardon clerk already fixing up a release for his innocent darling in case of any conviction. And, as a matter of course, the gutter snipes who went over to Augusta from South Carolina will hurry to offer their services to go on sweet Tommy’s bond, and also to appear In the courts, along with Seaboard Bill and his friend, J. F. Lyon, who have heretofore been his bosom friends in his de fense—all save Chairman Car tel* who, I suppose, will be too busy 'moseying” to leave his own State just now. Consequently all will be well. Birds of a feather flock together, j and of course if the lead buzzard rings his bell the congregation will assemble. Denouncing A. S. Colyar as an "eagle-beaked crook,” W. C. Tobie. the Burns detective who is here mak ing an Investigation of the Phagan case, declared on Saturday that the charges of bribery and double-dealing brought against Felder were a frame- up concocted by the Pinkerton De tective Agency and the Atlanta Po lice Department, with these three ends in view: To discredit the Rurns Agency. To drive the Burns Agency from the State of Georgia. To discredit Colonel Felder be cause he employed Burns men. Tobie charges also that Colyar was used as the "capper” in the frame-up. He declares that Colyar tried to in duce him to be a party to a fake frame-up on the Police Department and the Pinkertons, and that Colyar invited him to attend tne conference at the Williams House No. 2 between Colonel Felder, G. C. February and Colyar. He declares that Colyar told him he had affidavits that proved crookedness and graft in the Police Department and that he heard Colyar. on last Sunday, offer to sell the evi dence to Colonel Felder for a stipu lated sum. He declares also that Col yar said he wanted to get even with the police because they had arrested j him once. Tobie’s Complete Statement. Mr. Tobie’s complete statement, in which he outlines the position of the Burns Agency in the squabble, fol lows: "The charges against Colonel Fel der are a frame-up hetwen the Pin kerton Detective Agency, the Atlanta police department and Colyar to dis credit the Burns agency and drive us 1 out of Georgia, and to discredit Col- ! onel Felder because he employed the i Burns people to work on the Phagan j case. In my mind there is no doubt that Colyar is in the employ of the | Pinkertons and the police department. His actions when he tried to inveigle me into the deal proves it. "I was in Colonel Felder’s office last j Sunday night when Colyar made his proposition to sell out the police de partment, and when he framed the __ ___ conference In the Williams House. He HllPPlG I nTPAlPTlQ Tfl told Colonel Felder and myself that he I -Ll U.C1 uw -L ill CwbCIlu uU had affidavits that Beavers and Lan- A ^ _ T\ i ^4- ~ 4- ~ ™ "L -I ford were getting rich by protecting ASSUDIG JJlCtcitOrSlliP resorts, and that there was a world A of near-beer graft in the police de- , ~~ ~ _ partment. Felder agreed to attend < MEXICO CITY, May -4. Provi- the conference, but I didn’t like the j sional President Huerta has threat- tooks of_ things and refused to^ have to dissolve Congress and assume I dictatorship over the legislative branch of the government unless the anything to do with it. I advised Col onel Felder to keep away from Col yar. Called at Tobie’s Room. "On Monday morning Colyar called on me in my room at the Piedmont Hotel. The eagle-beaked crook sleuth ed in like a fly cop out of a story book, and was very mysterious. He j saw to it that there were no exits | open, that there was no likelihood of our being overheard, and then old eagle-beak began throwing out hints. He said he felt it his duty to warn me of the difficulties I would en counter, and the things I would have to overcome if I tried to work out the Phagan case. He said the police de partment was Jealous and sore that the Bums men had begun work on the case. He declared that the Pinker tons were Just as sore as the city police, and that both of them were framing on me and Colonel Felder. "Old eagle-beak Colyar cursed the police department for everything he could think of. He called them more vile names than I have ever heard be fore in my life. He said he had been put in jail by the Atlanta police once, and that now was his chance to get even. He said he had affidavits that proved that Beavers and Lanford were grafters, and that the whole po lice force was rotten to the core. He wanted to read extracts from these affidavits, and I told him I didn’t care what he had, and what is more I wouldn’t believe he had anything worth while if he swore it on a stack of Bibles a mile high. Asked to Attend Conference. "He tried to inveigle me into a frameup against the police, and want ed me to dig Into the doings of the police department. He asked me to attend the conference at the Williams House, when he said he would show a bunch of evidence that would prove everything he had claimed. "I shut him off short and told him I wouldn't have anything to do with him, or with any other eagle-beaked crook like him. I told him to get out. "I told Colyar that I didn’t care a hang about the Atlanta police depart ment, or about anything it does. 1 don’t care whether Atlanta has a po lice department or not. I have no grudge, private or otherwise, to work off on the police department. If there is graft in the police department here, it is none of my business, and I don’t care if they run a resort and a joint on every corner. I am here to work on the Phagan case, and I’ll continue to work on it to the best of my abil ity so long as the necessary money is forthcoming. The Burns Agency is not a charitable institution and re quires fees to handle a case. I am not in Atlanta to Investigate the po lice department or anything else but the Phagan case. Here for Phagan Case Only. "If, when we are through with the Phagan case, anyone wants to hire the Burns agency to investigate the Police Department, we’ll do it, and get whatever evidence there may be. But now I’m here for the Phagan mystery and nothing else, and haven’t time to listen to the ravings of an eagle-beaked crook who Is trying :o play both ends against the middle." Mr. Tobie declared also that he has never been discharged from the Pin kerton agency. "Colyar lied like the crook he is when he said that," declared the Burns man. "I quit the Pinkerton agency to start an agency of my own with Cap tain Tellison. We handled the work for Burns, and when Burns opened a branch in Kansas City I was made manager. deputies opposed to the $100,000,000 foreign loan cease filibustering against it. This clash between the executive and legislative branch of the govern ment has been expected for some time. If the opposition is successful and the loan is not secured, a crisis will follow. , Daniels 'Afraid' to Umpire Ball Game WASHINGTON, May 24.—As soon as Josephus Daniels, Secretary of the Navy, announced that he was going to West Point to attend the Army-Navy baseball game on May 31. he was In vited to be one of the two umpires. “No, thank you; it's a bit too risky,” declared Mr. Daniels. "I've gone up In aeroplanes and down to the bottom of the sea In a submarine, but I am not a brave enough man to attempt the Job as arbitrator in a college baseball game. The job is too haz ardous and too dangerous." What Is in a Name? Gets Boy $2,000,000 SEATTI.E, May 24.—Through the action of the Superior Court here, Henry Francis Shoemaker, aged five, regained his name, and hts father, Henry W. Shoemaker, of Altoona, Pa.,has promised that the boy shall in herit $2,000,000. The boy's mother, for merly Mr. Shoemaker's wife, gave the boy the name of Perry. Mr. Shoe maker wanted him to have the name given him before he and his wife sep arated. Cemetery Sexton Dies Amid Tombs COLUMBUS. GA., May 24.—T. D. Bartlett, sexton of Rtverdale Ceme tery, Columbus, was found' dead In Ihe cemetery last night. A coroner’s Jury rendered a verdict that death was due to natural causes. Bartlett was 57 years of age and was well known as a lodge man. JEROME JONES TO SPEAK. CHATTANOOGA, TENN„ May 24. Jerome Jones, editor of the Atlanta Journal of Labor, will address mem bers of all local unions at the Cen tral Labor Hall Sunday afternoon. White City Fark Now Open lave Iou sore tiiuns or A prominent dentist, after years of experience, has found a home rem edy that will cure Riggs' disease, bleeding, inflamed and spongy gums, and tighten loose teeth by rinsing the mouth. Probably you have not enjoyed eat ing for some time. Get a bottle of STYP-STRING-ANT and that dis ease of the gums and teeth will be cured; therefore, aiding digestion. 50c bottle at all druggists, or par cel post. 56c in stamps. DeLamater- I.awrence Drug Company, wholesale i distributors. The next Bell Telephone ; directory goes to press j May 31. Now is the time | | to subscribe in order to get your name in the new | book. If you wish to make i changes or corrections in your listings, write to the ;manager, Southern Bell; : Telephone and Telegraph ! Company.