Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

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