Newspaper Page Text
NEW PHAGAN
SENSATION
C01YAR CHARGES PLOT TO ASSASSINATE
EXTRA
The Atlanta Georgian
Read for Profit---GEORGIAN WAhT ADS---Use for Results
South Georgia
VOL. XI. NO. 251.
ATLANTA, <!A., SATURDAY, MAY 24. 191:',. 2 CENTS EVERYWHERE p ^°
W. J. Burns Showing How the Famous Dictograph Operates
Burns showing, how a dictograph can be concealed in a wall. The arrow points to the dictograph.
a
OVOKE A QUARREL WITH GIF
EM 15
A plot to assassinate Chief of Police J. L. Beavers is the amazing charge made by A. S. Col-
yar, Jr., the man who conceived and accomplished the alleged dictographing of Colonel T. B.
Felder in connection with the $1,000 bribery accusations placed against the attorney.
This sensational disclosure came to light Saturday morning. The charge was laid before
Chief of Detectives Newport hail fori I by Oolvar. lie declared that he would produce a man who
would make an affidavit to the effect that an attempt was made to employ him to "get’’ Chief
Beavers and also Chief I .an ford. Colyar declared that this man would swear that if it became
necessary that he had been instructed to "provoke a quarrel with Chief Beavers and shoot him to
death.” This man, Colyar avowed, wonlu swear that he had been promised immunity from pun
ishment for his deed.
This report created an intense sensation in police circles, anil produced one of the greatest
sensations of the Phagan mystery.
The name of this mysterious man has not been furnished detectives, but Colyar promised to
take him Friday night to the office of Chief Lanford in the police station, where the affidavit was
to be made. Up to a late hour Saturday morning, however, neither he nor Colyar had put in an
appearance.
According to IF# story told b vColyar. this man is not a resident of Atlanta, but has been here
several days. He is an old friend of Colyar. Hi' said this man would swear positively that the
murder plot proposition was made to him shortly after his arrival here, and that he would give
the name of the man who engineered the deal. _ . . . ....
declared Saturday that he was
lured into the room in the Wil
liams House No. 2, where At
torney T. B. Felder was dicto-
graphed and he would be glad
if the detectives would give out
for publication what the instru
ment recorded him as saying on
that visit.
“G. C. February, secretary to De
tective Chief Newport Lahford, and
A. S. Colyar, that long-haired mys
terious investigator, talked to me
about evidence they had proving that
Chief of Police* Heavers and Chief
Lanford were protecting disorderly
houses and blind tigers. They talked
of protecting February's job and the
need of $1,000 to pull off the affair.
Told Them to Get Proof.
"My reply was .if February could
show up any crooks in the police de
partment 1 did not think the people
of Atlanta would stand for him losing
his job. I told them to produce the
evidence. If it was worth anything
I told them I did not think there
would he any trouble about a just
reward, but that I did not have any
$1.00 0to give them.
"The Phagan case was not mention
ed.
Charles C Jones, owr-r of some of
the closed "houses in our midst.'' alsj
said he Was persuaded to visit the
mysterious room of Colyar, No. 31.
"When he spoke about money te
show up Beavers, and I told him I
was not interested, the interview end
ed,” said Jones.
Mayor Woodward said the first he
knew of Colyar was one day last
week. Colyar called at the City Hall
and told the Mayor's secretary. .Frank
Hammond, he had some important
evidence to submit to the Mayor.
When he was delayed in getting Into
the office, he grew impatient and de
clared that it was more trouble to
see the Mayor of Atlanta than thti I
President of the United States.
Felder Tells of Evidence.
"Monday,” said Mayor Woodward, |
“Colonel Felder came to my office. He
told me that in working on the Pha-
gan case he had unearthed some
startling evidence of corruption in the
Police Department.
“ ‘Give me the evidence.’ I said to
him. and I will see that it is given
proper attention and investigation.’ ”
"He explained that it would take
funds to employ a detective to get
the evidence together, as the man he
had employed was confined to the
Phagan case.
"My reply was that if the evidence
was sufficient to convict, I did not
think there would be the least trouble
about getting up the money. His re
ply was that it was in documentary
form.
"Just as he was about to leave,
Charlie Jones came In. As I remem
ber, Colonel Felder left immediately.
Jones had been up to the meeting of
Council Monday afternoon, I under
stood. and dropped by just for a min
ute.”
Mayor’s Next Experience.
Mayor Woodward said his next ex
perience with the alleged plotters et.
al. was on Wednesday afternoon when
February and K. O. Miles, a private
detective, came to his office in the
Empire Building
"It was a little after 3 o’clock,” said
t he Mayor. "They told me they coulu
show up Beavers and Lanford with
unquestionable proof. I was reluctant
to go. but they insisted, so I told them
Continued on Page 2, Column 8.
ELDERS U IS 10 GEI IMF
BO 001 OF OFFICE
ford by saying that the detective de- I tery. but has been making every ef-
partment has not been seeking to find fort to save the guilty man from the
the real criminal in the Phagan mys- I consequences of his terrible crime.
Felder Charges Police
Plot to Shield Slayer
Chief of Detectives Newport A. Lan
ford said Saturday that the whole
sinister significance of the charges
brought against Colonel Thomas B.
Felder lay In the fact that the forces
of evil in the city had been steudily
laboring for the downfall of himself
and Chief Beavers ever since fhe cit\
was cleaned up and the disreputable
resorts put out of business.
He declared that since that time
spies and agents of "the interests”
that were most harmed had been on
the trail of himself and Chief Heav
ers trying to "get something on them”
w*hich would result in their disgrace
and dismissal from office.
The theft of affidavits and other pa
pers from his safe, he declared, was
only a part of the de^p plot to 'dis
credit the heads of the police and the
detective departments. I
Every accusation that Jis made by
Lanford, Colonel Felder hiis denied to
The Georgian, and has replied to Lan-
Colonel Thomas B. Felder entered
into an explicit and detailed denial to
The Georgian of all the charges of
attempted bribery contained in the
affidavits signed by C. C. Febuary,
secretary to Chief of Detectives Lan
ford, and A. S. Colyar, a private de
tective with a spectacular career.
Colonel Felder declared the alleged
dictograph record of conversation he
is alleged to have had with Colyar
and Febuary in Williams House No.
2 a "frame-up” and a fabrication.
The report that he had offered $1,-
000 for the Coleman affidavit in the
Phagan case and affidavits said to in
dicate graft in the Police Department
he branded as absolutely false
The whole plot had been concocted,
he said, to discredit himself and W. J.
Burr.s and drive them from^the Pha-
V
gan case so the guilty person might
be protected.
“Every move made by the police in
the Phagan case has been for the pro
tection of the real criminal,” said
Colonel Felder. “The police have kept
an innocent negro there in a cell for
three weeks in the hope that they
can crush a confession out of him and
let the Veal culprit go free.
“Guilty Person Protected.”
“If the desire were not to protect
the, guilty person, why should they
desire to eliminate Burns and myself?
Burns has a reputation for landing
every criminal he goes after. He has
a reputation for being absolutely mer
ciless in the manner he hunts down
his man. It is as certain as anything
can be in the detection of criminals
that he will be successful, once ha
h