- 17 minutes ago
June 10, 1913
Assistant Solicitor E. A. Stephens virtually admitted this afternoon that Police Commissioner W. P. Fain had been indicted. There was a division of the vote, it was said, but the majority was for indictment.
With blank bills of indictment against Attorney Thomas B. Felder and Police Commissioner W. P. Fain under consideration, the vice probe by the Fulton County Grand Jury took a sensational turn Tuesday.
Two witnesses told of disorder and rowdyism in a house at 40 East Harris Street, in which the Police Commissioner was said to have been involved.
The disorder, they said, occurred first just after the Christmas holidays, and when a call officer went to investigate, the Police Commissioner escaped arrest by getting in telephone communication with the department.
The witnesses said a reputation of the orgies occurred in April, with Commissioner Fain as a participant, and that although the disorder was of an aggravated form, the Commissioner again escaped arrest.
Felder Witness Missing.
When the Grand Jury began consideration of the charge against Colonel Felder for carrying concealed weapons, one witness gave the attorney a clean bill of health and the other and most important one could not be found.
Circumstances on which the bill of indictment was predicated transpired about a week ago in the Grand Jury waiting room, when hot words passed between Colonel Felder and Newport Lanford, chief of detectives.
Trouble between the attorney and the detective was averted by the timely interference of friends. Later the charge was advanced that Colonel Felder attempted to draw a weapon, and this morning the Grand Jury began consideration of a blanket indictment to that effect.
Dr. Horace Grant, who stepped between Felder and Lanford and ended the threatened fray, was sought as the principal witness, but when the Grand Jury wanted him to-day he was not there. A most rigid search of all places where he could likely be found proved fruitless.
Says He Saw No Weapon.
Henry Bellingrath, the one witness examined by the Grand Jury in the Felder case, said he saw no weapon either before, during or after the altercation between Felder and Lanford. He then was asked if some of Colonel Felder's friends had not retired with him to an ante room and relieved him of a pistol, and he replied in the negative.
Since Dr. Horace Grant can not be found, and the only other witness gives Colonel Felder a clean bill, it looks as if no indictment against the attorney will be returned.
The Grand Jury then plunged into the vice problem. Carl Hutcheson, a legal attache of Colonel Felder's office, who attacked the competency of Chief of Police Beavers, was the first witness. He was first questioned about the house at 95 Spring Street.
The Grand Jury was trying to obtain new evidence in the case Mrs. N. P. Powell, who was given a four months' sentence. Police Chief Beavers charged the courts for many months blocked his closing of the place.
Assistant Solicitor E. A. Stephens virtually admitted this afternoon that Police Commissioner W. P. Fain had been indicted. There was a division of the vote, it was said, but the majority was for indictment.
With blank bills of indictment against Attorney Thomas B. Felder and Police Commissioner W. P. Fain under consideration, the vice probe by the Fulton County Grand Jury took a sensational turn Tuesday.
Two witnesses told of disorder and rowdyism in a house at 40 East Harris Street, in which the Police Commissioner was said to have been involved.
The disorder, they said, occurred first just after the Christmas holidays, and when a call officer went to investigate, the Police Commissioner escaped arrest by getting in telephone communication with the department.
The witnesses said a reputation of the orgies occurred in April, with Commissioner Fain as a participant, and that although the disorder was of an aggravated form, the Commissioner again escaped arrest.
Felder Witness Missing.
When the Grand Jury began consideration of the charge against Colonel Felder for carrying concealed weapons, one witness gave the attorney a clean bill of health and the other and most important one could not be found.
Circumstances on which the bill of indictment was predicated transpired about a week ago in the Grand Jury waiting room, when hot words passed between Colonel Felder and Newport Lanford, chief of detectives.
Trouble between the attorney and the detective was averted by the timely interference of friends. Later the charge was advanced that Colonel Felder attempted to draw a weapon, and this morning the Grand Jury began consideration of a blanket indictment to that effect.
Dr. Horace Grant, who stepped between Felder and Lanford and ended the threatened fray, was sought as the principal witness, but when the Grand Jury wanted him to-day he was not there. A most rigid search of all places where he could likely be found proved fruitless.
Says He Saw No Weapon.
Henry Bellingrath, the one witness examined by the Grand Jury in the Felder case, said he saw no weapon either before, during or after the altercation between Felder and Lanford. He then was asked if some of Colonel Felder's friends had not retired with him to an ante room and relieved him of a pistol, and he replied in the negative.
Since Dr. Horace Grant can not be found, and the only other witness gives Colonel Felder a clean bill, it looks as if no indictment against the attorney will be returned.
The Grand Jury then plunged into the vice problem. Carl Hutcheson, a legal attache of Colonel Felder's office, who attacked the competency of Chief of Police Beavers, was the first witness. He was first questioned about the house at 95 Spring Street.
The Grand Jury was trying to obtain new evidence in the case Mrs. N. P. Powell, who was given a four months' sentence. Police Chief Beavers charged the courts for many months blocked his closing of the place.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Indictment of Felder and Fane asked, the Atlanta Georgian, June 10, 1913.
00:05Assistant Solicitor E.A. Stevens virtually admitted this afternoon that Police Commissioner W.P. Fane had been indicted.
00:12There was a division of the vote, it was said, but the majority was for indictment.
00:16With blank bills of indictment against Attorney Thomas B. Felder and Police Commissioner W.P. Fane under consideration,
00:23the vice probe by the Fulton County Grand Jury took a sensational turn Tuesday.
00:28Two witnesses told of disorder and rowdyism in a house at 40 East Harris Street,
00:33in which the police commissioner was said to have been involved.
00:36The disorder, they said, occurred first just after the Christmas holidays,
00:40and when a call officer went to investigate, the police commissioner escaped arrest by getting in telephone communication with the
00:46department.
00:47The witnesses said a reputation of the orgies occurred in April, with Commissioner Fane as a participant,
00:52and that although the disorder was of an aggravated form, the commissioner again escaped arrest.
01:00When the grand jury began consideration of the charge against Colonel Felder for carrying concealed weapons,
01:06one witness gave the attorney a clean bill of health, and the other, and most important one, could not be
01:11found.
01:12Circumstances on which the bill of indictment was predicated transpired about a week ago in the grand jury waiting room
01:18when hot words passed between Colonel Felder and Newport-Lanford chief of detectives.
01:23Trouble between the attorney and the detective was averted by the timely interference of friends.
01:28Later the charge was advanced that Colonel Felder attempted to draw a weapon,
01:32and this morning the grand jury began consideration of a blanket indictment to that effect.
01:38Dr. Horace Grant, who stepped between Felder and Lanford and ended the threatened fray,
01:42was sought as the principal witness, but when the grand jury wanted him to-day, he was not there.
01:47A most rigid search of all places where he could likely be found proved fruitless, says he saw no weapon.
01:54Henry Bellingrath, the one witness examined by the grand jury in the Felder case,
01:58said he saw no weapon either before, during, or after the altercation between Felder and Lanford.
02:03He then was asked if some of Colonel Felder's friends had not retired with him to an ante-room
02:08and relieved him of a pistol, and he replied in the negative.
02:12Since Dr. Horace Grant cannot be found, and the only other witness gives Colonel Felder a clean bill,
02:17it looks as if no indictment against the attorney will be returned.
02:21The grand jury then plunged into the vice problem.
02:24Carl Hutchison, a legal attaché of Colonel Felder's office,
02:28who attacked the competency of Chief of Police Beavers, was the first witness.
02:33He was first questioned about the house at 95 Spring Street.
02:36The grand jury was trying to obtain new evidence in the case Mrs. N.P. Powell,
02:40who was given a four-month sentence.
02:43Police Chief Beavers charged the courts for many months, blocked his closing of the place.
02:47No specific accusation.
02:49It also was understood that Hutchison gave no evidence against any particular party,
02:54but that he gave much general information and furnished the grand jury a list of witnesses who,
02:59he said, could aid in making cases against specific individuals.
03:03The two witnesses testifying in the case of Police Commissioner Fane were J.A. Skaggs,
03:08an agent of the Southern Express Company, and Alan Young, a real estate man.
03:13Both told similar stories to the grand jury.
03:15Just after the Christmas holidays, Skaggs and Young said they complained to the Police Commission of a fight
03:21and general disorder in the house at 40 East Harris Street,
03:25charging Police Commissioner Fane with being a principal.
03:28While the disorder was in progress, they testified.
03:30Continued on page 2, column 5.
03:33Indictment of William Fane is asked.
03:35Police Commissioner accused of misdemeanor for alleged occurrence and resort.
03:39Continued from page 1.
03:41Call Officer W.F. Anderson went to the Harris Street address,
03:44but Commissioner Fane telephoned to the police station and fixed matters up,
03:47so that no arrest followed.
03:49Assistant Chief E.L. Jett and Police Captain W.M. Mayo were on the desk.
03:53With these facts before them, so Skaggs and Young told the grand jury,
03:58the police commissioners promised such things would not happen again
04:01if they would refrain from making a case against Fane.
04:04In April, however, Skaggs and Young testified today.
04:08Disorder in a more aggravated form occurred at the same address,
04:11with Fane as a principal, and a police call officer was sent to investigate.
04:15He found Fane and a woman alone in the house,
04:18the woman being drunk and badly beaten up,
04:21but again no arrests were made.
04:23Assistant Chief E.L. Jett and Captain W.M. Mayo,
04:26who were in charge at headquarters each time Fane was said to have been at the Harris Street address,
04:30were the next witnesses called.
04:32A blank bill of indictment charging Colonel T.B. Felder with a misdemeanor
04:36in the carrying of concealed weapons
04:38was presented to the grand jury when it met Tuesday morning in the thrower building.
04:42The indictment is another chapter in the sensational Felder-Lanford controversy,
04:47which had its beginning in the publication of the details of a dictograph plot
04:51to obtain bribery evidence against Colonel Felder.
04:54A personal clash between Chief of Detectives Lanford and Colonel Felder
04:58during the grand jury hearing gave rise to the present action.
05:02Criminations and recriminations were flying back and forth
05:05when the two men leaped from their chairs in an ante-room and started toward one another.
05:09Felder's hand is said to have reached toward his hip pocket.
05:12Dr. Horace Grant, who stepped between the angry men,
05:15has been subpoenaed as the principal witness,
05:18and it is understood that he will testify he saw the weapon exposed
05:21when Felder reached toward his pocket, the vice probe.
05:25That the vice probe will be conducted with unabated vigor by the grand jury
05:29was indicated by the drawing of a blank bill of indictment against Mrs. N.P. Powell,
05:34convicted last week as the proprietor of a disorderly house and sentenced to twelve months in jail.
05:40Many witnesses were on hand to testify against Mrs. Powell,
05:43and it is understood that many others will be named for indictment by the grand jury
05:47before the session is concluded.
05:49It is the intention of the grand jury to make the most thorough and sweeping sort of an investigation
05:54of the reports of widespread immorality in the city.
05:58Exception was taken to the statement of Chief Beavers
06:01that he was prevented from closing of the most notorious resort in the city
06:04through an injunction of the superior court.
06:07It will be the purpose of the grand jury to show that the courts are not interfering
06:11in the closing of the immoral resorts.
06:14Fain also accused.
06:15Another blank indictment in the wholesale vice probe was drawn against W.F. Fain,
06:20a member of the police commission,
06:22the tale of whose alleged conduct in an Ivy Street resort startled the grand jury last week.
06:27Fain was charged with a misdemeanor in the bill,
06:29and it is understood that the alleged occurrence in this resort was the basis.
06:34J.A. Skaggs of the Southern Express Company and Alan Young,
06:37a real estate agent, were subpoenaed as witnesses.
06:40Fain's case was on the clender after that of Colonel Felder.
06:44All witnesses re-summoned.
06:45Practically every witness who had testified was summoned again late Monday afternoon.
06:50Although neither foreman L.H. Beck nor solicitor Hugh M. Dorsey would discuss the meeting,
06:55witnesses themselves were certain the jury had reached an eleventh-hour decision
06:59to make an exhaustive investigation of alleged vice conditions.
07:03Chief of Police James L. Beavers, as Collier, Jr.,
07:07and Colonel Thomas B. Felder were the only witnesses not subpoenaed.
07:11Carl Hutchison, the young attorney who furnished the jury with a list of alleged
07:15houses in our midst,
07:17and who agitated a more thorough probe when the jury announced last week
07:21its investigation had been concluded, was one of the first to receive a summons.
07:26Alan Young, real estate man, who was called before the jury to tell of an alleged fight
07:31in a disorderly house in which a man high up in police circles was said to have figure,
07:36was summoned to appear before the jury Wednesday.
07:39While a deputy was in his office with the subpoena,
07:42the solicitor's office telephoned him to appear before the jury Tuesday and again Wednesday.
07:46J. E. Skaggs, agent for the Southern Express Company,
07:50Chief of Detectives Lanford, Assistant Chief of Police, Ewell L. Jett,
07:55three other police officers and several women whose names have been handed
07:58Foreman L. H. Beck as being willing to tell of the existence of alleged disorderly houses,
08:03were other witnesses summoned.
08:05One of the witnesses summoned was said to be Mrs. N. P. Powell,
08:09a pretty young woman who recently was sentenced to four months' imprisonment
08:12for running a disorderly house at 95 Spring Street.
08:15When sentence was pronounced, she expressed a willingness to testify before the grand jury.
08:20Her name was furnished the foreman in a letter urging him to have her come before the body.
08:25Whether the foreman intends to make a further and more exhaustive probe of conditions in Atlanta
08:30with a view to making a comprehensive presentment,
08:32or the solicitor summoned the witnesses with a view of setting indictments,
08:36could not be learned.
08:38Former Burns man called.
08:39A new figure in the Felder-Collier-Lanford dictograph controversy,
08:43whose name had never been mentioned,
08:45was summoned on Tuesday morning to appear before the Fulton County Grand Jury.
08:49He is G. C. Carson, formerly a Burns detective and now in the employ of an Atlanta law firm.
08:54According to statements he made Tuesday afternoon,
08:57he will tell the Grand Jury that he was present at an interview between Thomas B. Felder and G. C.
09:02February
09:02shortly after the publication of the alleged dictograph records,
09:05in which February told Colonel Felder that the dictograph affair was a frame-up
09:10and promised to come to Felder's office and make an affidavit to that effect.
09:14Carson, who says he is an intimate friend of February,
09:17declares that the latter never went to Felder's office.
09:20Carson declares also that if asked to do so by the Grand Jury,
09:24he can shed more light on the vice situation.
09:26He claims to know of the existence of gambling houses in Atlanta
09:30and claims he has visited them in company with city detectives
09:33and that he has seen detectives in the places drinking with women.
09:37Hotels asked to aid vice war.
09:40Recorder Broyles has called on small hotel keepers
09:42to aid chief beavers in suppressing vice in Atlanta.
09:45In a statement from the bench, he said cooperation of hotel proprietors
09:49would result not only in accomplishing great good,
09:51but would deprive Carl Hutchison and that Philadelphia preacher
09:54of so much to talk about.
09:56Carl Hutchison recently attracted attention
09:58by charging the chief with failure to suppress vice,
10:02later testifying before the Grand Jury
10:03where he was supposed to have divulged a list of immoral houses.
10:07The Philadelphia preacher is the Reverend Zane Batten,
10:10who was reported having declared 19 women accosted him
10:13in one night in Atlanta,
10:15but who afterwards said it was two friends of his
10:17who had been solicited.
10:18Recorder Broyles' observations from the bench
10:21were made late Monday afternoon in the trial of J.T. Mangum,
10:24manager of the Albion Hotel,
10:27charged with running a disorderly house.
10:29He was bound over under $1.250 bond.
10:32Two couples arrested in the hotel were fined $15.75 each.
10:37Recorder Broyles said,
10:38you hotel proprietors, particularly the small ones,
10:41could aid us in cleaning up Atlanta if you only would.
10:44If the hotel proprietors would do their part,
10:46it would be of the greatest assistance to Chief Beavers
10:49in his great work of keeping Atlanta clean.
10:50We'll be right back to him.
10:52We'll be right back to him.
10:52We'll be right back to him.
10:52We'll be right back to him.
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