- 2 days ago
Wednesday, June 11, 1913
In New Sworn Statement Gentry Declares He Came to Realize He Was Dealing with "Bunch of Crooks"—Charges Lanford and Beavers Names Were Inserted.
That the dictograph conversations in which it was plotted to trap Colonel Thomas B. Felder, Mayor Woodward and C. C. Jones were padded and altered in meaning is the sensational charge brought back to Atlanta in an affidavit sworn to by George M. Gentry, who fled to Washington after the conversations, in their alleged garbled form, had been offered for publication by A. S. Colyar, Jr., and printed.
Gentry's charges appear to substantiate in a large measure, if not entirely, the repeated statements of Colonel Felder and Mayor Woodward that an attempt had been made to make them the victims of a conspiracy.
Gentry said in making his affidavit: "I came to the realization that I had been dealing with a bunch of crooks, and decided that the best thing for me was to tell the whole story."
Cleared, Says Felder.
Colonel Felder said that he regarded the affidavit of Gentry as a complete invidication of himself. He declared that he [sic] explanation contained in the sworn statement of Gentry on the face of it showed hat [sic] Colyar and Chief of Detectives Lanford had been in a miserable conspiracy to ruin his (Felder's) reputation by seeking to prove him guilty of attempted bribery.
Mayor Woodward said that the affidavit bore out his previous statements that he never had mentioned the names of Chief Beavers or Chief Lanford in his conversation in room 33 of Williams House No. 2, where the trap was sprung.
"The whole thing was a frame-up. I was suspicious the moment I entered the room. I knew that something was wrong, and I was on my guard. In spite of that, they twisted and turned my statements around, as the original notes taken by young Gentry will show."
Chief Lanford said he did not believe Gentry had signed the new affidavit.
Colonel Felder said:
A Dirty Plot.
"Gentry's affidavit is a complete vindication. It bears out my statement that the whole thing was a frame-up on the part of Newport Lanford and his hirelings. Everyone agrees with me now that I was the innocent victim of a dirty, contemptible plot.
"The notebook is not in the hands of Gentry's brother. It was at the time he left Atlanta, but it is now in a safe deposit vault and I have the key.
"I have given Mayor Woodward a copy of the affidavit, and I expect he will ask the Grand Jury to look into the matter.
Incident Closed.
"So far as I am personally concerned, the incident is closed with this vindication, Gentry will return to Atlanta within the next week or ten days, and he may have something additional to say
"As to the Grand Jury scouring the country for witnesses to find out whether I was carrying a concealed weapon on the day Lanford attempted to assault me, the matter could have been facilitated by them calling on me. I am a truthful man and would have told them.
In New Sworn Statement Gentry Declares He Came to Realize He Was Dealing with "Bunch of Crooks"—Charges Lanford and Beavers Names Were Inserted.
That the dictograph conversations in which it was plotted to trap Colonel Thomas B. Felder, Mayor Woodward and C. C. Jones were padded and altered in meaning is the sensational charge brought back to Atlanta in an affidavit sworn to by George M. Gentry, who fled to Washington after the conversations, in their alleged garbled form, had been offered for publication by A. S. Colyar, Jr., and printed.
Gentry's charges appear to substantiate in a large measure, if not entirely, the repeated statements of Colonel Felder and Mayor Woodward that an attempt had been made to make them the victims of a conspiracy.
Gentry said in making his affidavit: "I came to the realization that I had been dealing with a bunch of crooks, and decided that the best thing for me was to tell the whole story."
Cleared, Says Felder.
Colonel Felder said that he regarded the affidavit of Gentry as a complete invidication of himself. He declared that he [sic] explanation contained in the sworn statement of Gentry on the face of it showed hat [sic] Colyar and Chief of Detectives Lanford had been in a miserable conspiracy to ruin his (Felder's) reputation by seeking to prove him guilty of attempted bribery.
Mayor Woodward said that the affidavit bore out his previous statements that he never had mentioned the names of Chief Beavers or Chief Lanford in his conversation in room 33 of Williams House No. 2, where the trap was sprung.
"The whole thing was a frame-up. I was suspicious the moment I entered the room. I knew that something was wrong, and I was on my guard. In spite of that, they twisted and turned my statements around, as the original notes taken by young Gentry will show."
Chief Lanford said he did not believe Gentry had signed the new affidavit.
Colonel Felder said:
A Dirty Plot.
"Gentry's affidavit is a complete vindication. It bears out my statement that the whole thing was a frame-up on the part of Newport Lanford and his hirelings. Everyone agrees with me now that I was the innocent victim of a dirty, contemptible plot.
"The notebook is not in the hands of Gentry's brother. It was at the time he left Atlanta, but it is now in a safe deposit vault and I have the key.
"I have given Mayor Woodward a copy of the affidavit, and I expect he will ask the Grand Jury to look into the matter.
Incident Closed.
"So far as I am personally concerned, the incident is closed with this vindication, Gentry will return to Atlanta within the next week or ten days, and he may have something additional to say
"As to the Grand Jury scouring the country for witnesses to find out whether I was carrying a concealed weapon on the day Lanford attempted to assault me, the matter could have been facilitated by them calling on me. I am a truthful man and would have told them.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Plot exposed, says Felder, but Lanford doubts affidavit. The Atlanta Georgian, Wednesday,
00:05June 11th, 1913. In new sworn statement Gentry declares he came to realize he was dealing with
00:10bunch of crooks charges. Lanford and Beaver's names were inserted. That the dictograph conversations
00:16in which it was plotted to trap Colonel Thomas B. Felder, Mayor Woodward, and C.C. Jones were
00:21padded and altered in meaning is the sensational charge brought back to Atlanta in an affidavit
00:27sworn to by George M. Gentry, who fled to Washington after the conversations, in their alleged garbled
00:32form, had been offered for publication by A.S. Collier, Jr. and printed. Gentry's charges appear
00:39to substantiate in a large measure, if not entirely, the repeated statements of Colonel Felder and Mayor
00:44Woodward that an attempt had been made to make them the victims of a conspiracy. Gentry said,
00:49in making his affidavit, I came to the realization that I had been dealing with a bunch of crooks,
00:54and decided that the best thing for me was to tell the whole story. Cleared, says Felder. Colonel Felder
01:00said that he regarded the affidavit of Gentry as a complete invidication of himself. He declared that
01:05he explanation contained in the sworn statement of Gentry on the face of it showed Hat Collier and
01:11Chief of Detectives Lanford had been in a miserable conspiracy to ruin his, Felder's, reputation by
01:17seeking to prove him guilty of attempted bribery. Mayor Woodward said that the affidavit bore out his
01:23previous statements that he never had mentioned the names of Chief Beavers or Chief Lanford in his
01:28conversation in room thirty-three of William's House No. 2, where the trap was sprung. The whole
01:34thing was a frame up. I was suspicious the moment I entered the room. I knew that something was wrong
01:39and I was on my guard. In spite of that, they twisted and turned my statements around, as the
01:44original notes taken by young Gentry will show. Chief Lanford said he did not believe Gentry had signed
01:50the new affidavit. Colonel Felder said, A dirty plot. Gentry's affidavit is a complete vindication.
01:57It bears out my statement that the whole thing was a frame up on the part of Newport Lanford and
02:01his
02:01hirelings. Everyone agrees with me now that I was the innocent victim of a dirty, contemptible plot.
02:07The notebook is not in the hands of Gentry's brother. It was at the time he left Atlanta, but it
02:12is now in
02:13a safe deposit vault and I have the key. I have given Mayor Woodward a copy of the affidavit and
02:18I expect he
02:18will ask the grand jury to look into the matter. Incident closed. So far as I am personally
02:24concerned, the incident is closed with this vindication. Gentry will return to Atlanta within
02:29the next week or ten days, and he may have something additional to say. As to the grand jury
02:35scouring the country for witnesses to find out whether I was carrying a concealed weapon on the
02:39day Lanford attempted to assault me, the matter could have been facilitated by them calling on me.
02:44I am a truthful man and would have told them. As a matter of fact, instead of seeking to indict
02:50me,
02:50the jury should have been imprisoning Lanford for contempt of court. Never before since the early
02:55colonial days has a man assaulted or attempted to assault, a witness before the grand jury without
03:00that body taking some decisive action, Lanford angry. Chief Lanford was angered at the developments
03:07and said that he did not believe that Gentry signed the affidavit. The affidavit was brought to
03:11Atlanta Tuesday night by E.O. Miles, a private detective, and given to Mayor Woodward. It was
03:17sworn to in Washington before Jeanette Henning, a notary public. Gentry said that he had fled to
03:23Washington on being informed that his arrest was imminent and that he would not be allowed to make
03:27bond. Miles said that Gentry was willing to return to Atlanta and that he promised to complete the
03:32month at his work in Washington and then come back voluntarily. Besides charging that the
03:37dictograph conversations were padded and altered in meaning, Gentry alleged that Collier had made
03:43an endeavor to buy the original notes. Gentry's affidavit in full, as given out, follows.
03:49District of Columbia, City of Washington, personally appeared before me, the undersigned, a notary public,
03:56of the District of Columbia, George M. Gentry, who on oath states that,
04:00On Wednesday, May 21, 1913, at or about 10 o'clock in the morning, Mr. Gay C. February called me
04:07over
04:07the teletone and desired to know if I would do some stenographic work for him. I told him I would,
04:13but that I couldn't get off until noon. He said that they were in a hurry for it and he
04:17would like
04:17for me to come at once. So I arranged to get off and went down to his office, and the
04:22chief told me he
04:23wanted me to take down some testimony, and he asked me if I could write very fast. Mr. February
04:28Asselred Chief Lanford that I was a good stenographer and could do the work all right.
04:32The chief then told me that the work he wanted done required somebody that could be trusted all
04:36right, and I assured him that I always treated all stenographic work I did as confidential.
04:42Chief Lanford told me then that what he wanted me to do was to take down a conversation that would
04:46take place in a hotel, and he asked me if I thought I could take it over a dictaphone.
04:51Mr. Searles coming in at that time with a satchel, which he opened and which contained wires and
04:56other paraphernalia in connection with a dictograph outfit. Watched dictograph installation. After a
05:01few minutes, during which time Mr. February was absent, we went over to the Williams House No. 2
05:06on North Forsyth Street, Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia, Mr. February and I, and I was instructed
05:12to go into room No. 21 of this hotel. Mr. Searles and Mr. Collier were there, and they probably had
05:18to make arrangements for adjoining rooms, as Mr. Searles commented to me that they hadn't decided,
05:23vindicated, say, Woodward and Caulfelder. Both assert Gentry's new sworn statement fully proves
05:29the existence of dirty plot, continued from page one, just what to do with the dictographs.
05:34After a time, Collier came in and instructed Searles to follow him, and gave me instructions
05:39to await his wishes. Later on, Mr. February came in, and I told him that if I had to wait
05:44much longer by myself, I was going back to the office. I was then allowed to come into the room,
05:48where they were installing the dictographs, one on each end of the bottom board of the
05:53bureau, just under the bottom drawer on the back of the board, and the wires being run
05:57through the keyhole of the door between room 31 and room 32. The bureau was then screwed
06:03against the door facing. At about 12.30, I started getting accustomed to February's and
06:08Collier's voices, went through rehearsal. At first I could not hear at all, but gradually
06:13I was able to hear more distinctly, and after an hour or two of diligent practices, I was
06:18able to use the dictograph, and to distinguish voices very clearly. Right at the beginning
06:22I found that I would not be able to hear anything with the windows up. When they were closed it
06:26became rather stuffy, and this, coupled with the strain I was under, added to the distraction.
06:32I stopped particing at 2.45 that afternoon, and went downstairs to the office of the hotel,
06:37where I awaited Mr. Felder's arrival. I saw him cross Forsyth Street, and after he,
06:43February, and Collier went upstairs, or were just about at the top of the stairs, I started up and
06:48saw the three enter room 31 of the Williams house, located as mentioned previously. I then
06:54immediately went into room 32 and closed the door, partly but did not lock it. The windows were down,
07:00and so I went directly to the table and placed the receiver over my head and started writing what I
07:04heard. I took down all the conferences that took place. At somewhere around five that afternoon,
07:09I left the hotel, and went to Mr. R.B. Bliss's house, and took some dictation. From there I went
07:14home and changed my collar. I returned to the office of the General Fire Extinguisher Company,
07:20376 Marietta Street, where I wrote the dictation he had given me, signed his letters, and then met
07:25Mr. February there at the office. We went to the Candler restaurant to supper, and from there we
07:30returned to the Williams house to keep an appointment with Collier at about 7.30. At about eight o'clock,
07:35Mr. Miles and Mr. C.C. Jones and Collier went up to the conference room, and Mr. February and I
07:40to
07:40the information reception room. Conference lasted half hour. I placed the retriever over my head,
07:47and in order to be sure that I would hear everything, Mr. February stood behind me and
07:51held them pressed tightly to my ears. This conference lasted about thirty minutes. Between
07:568.30 and 9.15 Wednesday night, Mr. February loafed about town, as we had an appointment with Mr.
08:02Branch and Mr. Paschal at 9.30 at the Williams house, and as they were not in the journal office,
08:08we had to kill time until they showed up. I left Mr. February and Mr. Collier at the journal office
08:13at 9.15, and went over to the Williams house to wait for the arrival of the journal reporters
08:18mentioned above. They came in shortly, and we went over to the journal office, and all of us,
08:22Collier, February, Branch, Paschal, and myself, went up to the editorial department, where a machine
08:28was selected, and I then went to work transcribing what I had heard. Right at the start, I made
08:33Collier angry, because when I did not hear what was said, I put dashes, and so I allowed him to
08:37dictate several answers and questions which do not appear in my notebook, and which I am not positive
08:42that I heard. I did not hear Mayor Woodward mention Chief Beavers or Chief Lanford during the
08:47whole conversation, nor did I write it in the transcription of my notes, these names being
08:52evidently added by other parties. At 4.30 Thursday morning, May 22nd, I finished transcribing my notes
08:58and turned the papers over to Mr. February. Later on during the morning, he came down to the office,
09:03bringing an affidavit which I had written for me to sign before a notary public. He told me that they
09:08had made only a few minor changes in the transcription, and that all I had to do was to sign
09:13the affidavit,
09:14which I did. However, I noticed that some interlineations had been made in my copy, or rather in
09:19Chief Lanford's copy, as I had no copy, refused Gentry copy. Collier and the reporters, just before
09:25I started to transcribe my notes, argued as to the number of copies that should be made. They agreed
09:31that one copy should be made for the Chief, one for Collier, and one for the Journal, and that no
09:36more should be made. This kept me from having a copy. I had my notebook, however, and it was the
09:42comparison on my notes with the published articles that lead to my discovery that in addition to the
09:47several answers and questions which Collier had personally dictated, other changes had been made,
09:53namely that insertion of the names of Chief Beavers and Chief Lanford in the conference with Mayor
09:58Woodward, also many other variations occurred, changing the sense of the statement, and since
10:03they had my affidavit attached to the papers, I felt that I had been duped. As to the remuneration of
10:09my
10:09services, we'll say that the Journal reporters, Branch and Pascal, agreed to pay me $5 to get the work
10:15written Wednesday night, so it could be published in Thursday's paper. Saturday morning, after the
10:21appearance of the article in Friday's journal, the Georgian's reporter came to the office and offered
10:26me either $1.25 or $1.45, I do not recollect which, for a copy of the conference with Mayor
10:32Woodward,
10:33February, Miles and Collier, and Miles, Jones and Collier's conference. I declined the offer. I then went to
10:40see the Journal's reporters and told them that the Georgian had offered me money for a copy of the
10:44conference, and they agreed to pay me $1.50 to hold my notebook from Saturday until Monday. I turned my
10:50notebook over to Mr. Bryce, who gave it to his stenographer to keep until Monday. Later during
10:56the day, the reporters told me that the Georgian had gotten a copy, and so I was too late. I
11:01then
11:01went down to Mr. Bryce's office and asked Miss M, Mr. Bryce's stenographer, for my notebook, and I took
11:07it home and locked it up. Monday, when I went up to see Major Cohen about the $1.50, he
11:12went down to look
11:13for Mr. Bryce, whom he was unable to find. Later we went back upstairs together, and Branch and
11:18Pascal explained to him their promise to pay me $1.50 for allowing the journal to retain my notebook.
11:23However, some argument arose over the fact that I took my notebook out of the journal's office
11:28Saturday night. I told them that they had agreed to give me $1.50 not to make a copy for
11:33the Georgian,
11:34and that I had not made the copy for the Georgian, and had therefore carried out my part of the
11:39Compact. They then told me to come back later on and see Mr. Bryce about it. I returned after a
11:45while, I believe it was around one o'clock, and Mr. Bryce paid me the amount in currency and took
11:50my receipt. Lanford hasn't paid. Chief Lanford has not as yet paid me for my services, from the fact
11:56that I have not rendered a bill. Saturday morning, before the publication of the Woodward Conference,
12:01held at four o'clock Wednesday, May 21st, as previously mentioned, and the Jones Conference,
12:07held at eight o'clock the same night, I went to the editorial department of the journal and requested
12:12a proof of what they were going to print. Collier, who had one reading it, declined to allow me to
12:17have a proof, and so I left the journal building, suspicious. Saturday afternoon, I went down to the
12:23office, carrying with me my original notebook and a copy of Friday's and Saturday's journal. I compared them
12:30all the way through, and upon seeing the many variations in what was printed and what I had in my
12:35notes, I realized that my transcriptions had been tampered with, and that I had just cause for the
12:41suspicions which were aroused by their refusal to allow me to read the proofs, Saturday morning.
12:46Fears arrest when tricked. Having signed the affidavits at Mr. February's request, in which I
12:52swore to what I had heard, and seeing something entirely different published, I became very nervous
12:58and uneasy. Saturday night, when I went home, a reporter called up and said he was one of the journal
13:04reporters and wanted to see me a few minutes. I told him to come over. He came in and introduced
13:09himself to me as Mr. Starr, the journal. My other and aunt recognized his voice as that of a reporter
13:15who had called shortly before I came home and said he was from the Georgian. They both rushed into the
13:21sitting room and told me that he was not with the journal, but was the same fellow that came a
13:25few
13:25minutes ago and said he was from the Georgian. He denied that he had said he was from the journal,
13:29although he had told both myself and my grandfather, who went to answer the doorbell,
13:35that he was from the journal. Just before he left, he informed me that a warrant had been sworn out
13:40for February's, Colliars, and my arrest, and upon my directing him as to where the door out could be
13:46found, he departed, saying that he had got the information he wanted. Sunday afternoon at the
13:52office, someone called me up and informed me that I would probably be arrested Monday.
13:57I did not recognize the voice, and so am unable to say who it was. They also informed me that
14:03I
14:03would have to make bond in order to be released. I asked who it was, and they hung up or
14:07were cut
14:07off. Effort to obtain notes. Monday morning, Collier requested that I turn my notebook over
14:12to the journal and said he would give me $5 if I would show him a receipt from the journal
14:17for the
14:17notebook. I came near allowing the journal to have the notebook, but instead gave it to my brother
14:22to take home, and instructed him to allow no one to have it. Developments later showed me the
14:27character of some of the people connected with this transaction, and it made me so ashamed of
14:32my connection with it that I was afraid I could not face the humiliation that I thought would
14:36naturally on sight, and also the fact that they had changed my transcription showed to me very clearly
14:42that I was mixed up with a bunch of crooks. I am prepared to read my notes whenever it becomes
14:48necessary. These notes will show exactly what I heard. The foregoing affidavit is made by me
14:53voluntarily, unsolicited, and no money or the promise of any remuneration whatever was offered
14:58to me for making it my sole motive being to give the straight history of my connection with the now
15:03infamous dictograph affair. George M. Gentry, Jeanette Henning, Notary Public, District of Columbia.
Comments