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The Atlanta Constitution,

Saturday, 23rd May 1914,

PAGE 1, COLUMN 1.

Dan Lehon, Charles Sears, and four assistants were placed under bond for appearance before Recorder Broyles on Tuesday. Burns is expected today to defend his course, declares Dan Lehon. Detectives were given no opportunity to speak at the meeting of the police board last night. Burns workers were indicated by the grand jury.

In double-quick time last night, the police board railroaded through the report of the special committee appointed to investigate the alleged illegal operation of the Burns agency and several aides in the city, recommending that police cases be docketed against W. J. Burns and six other detectives. W. J. Burns was not present, being out of the city, but as soon as he returns, he will be arrested and tried upon the above case. His assistant, Dan Lehon, stated last night that he expected Burns to reach Atlanta this morning.

The six detectives against whom cases were made were all present. Their names were: Dan Lehon, southern manager of the Burns Detective agency; Charles E. Sears, manager of the local detective agency; W. W. ("Boots") Rogers, an ex-county policeman; C. C. Tedder, L. C. Whitfield, and W. D. Mc Worth.

Bonds were given. Lehon was held under $500; Sears, $100, and the other four $200 each. All gave bond for appearance in police court Tuesday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock, when Judge Nash Broyles will hear the several witnesses in the cases against the detectives.

The report was unanimously endorsed by the commissioners two minutes after the reading of it had been completed by Secretary Morris. After a motion that the report be adopted was presented, Commissioner Johnson arose and made a motion that some of the detectives present who wished to talk be given a hearing. Mayor Woodward overruled the motion and called for a vote on the motion to adopt.

In addition to the recommendation of the report that city cases be made against the detectives, with the exception of Charles E. Sears, the report recommended that Judge Broyles, on trial of the cases, be requested to bind all defendants over to higher courts for a violation of a state law, an act of the general assembly of Georgia of 1892, prohibiting persons, not appointed in writing from the lawfully constituted authorities of the state, from undertaking to act, among other things, as a detective. The statute further provides that any person violating this law is guilty of a misdemeanor.

Chief Newport Lanford, head of the city detectives, stated that a clear case had been made out against the Burns Detective agency and its aides for violating both the city ordinances and the state law. None of the detectives would discuss the cases against them except Sears, who simply asserted his innocence.

The following is a copy of the report of the special committee of the commission:

"Atlanta, Ga., May 22, 1914.

To the Honorable Board of Police Commissioners of the City of Atlanta:

The undersigned special committee appointed by your board, under resolution passed at its last meeting, to investigate all persons assuming to carry on the business of a detective or detective agency without authority in the city of Atlanta, beg leave to report that they have investigated all sources of information at their command, and have read over considerable testimony given by different parties claiming to have acted as detectives, and have also interviewed the members of the detective agencies in the city of Atlanta having knowledge of the subject in hand.

In the opinion of your committee, after this examination, the following cases should be made and the facts at hand are sufficient to support them:

W. J. Burns appears to have been engaged in the business of a detective agency in the city of Atlanta without having applied for a permit therefore and without receiving the recommendation by this board upon his application.

We further find that said Burns has undertaken to follow the occupation of a detective in the city without having been approved by this board, as required by the ordinance of the city, and we, therefore, recommend that cases be made against said Burns for undertaking to engage in the business of a detective agency in the city in violation of sections 2024, 2025, and 2026 and we further think a case should be made against him for undertaking to act as a detective or to do detective work without having been approved by this board for such work in violations of sections 2024, 2025, and 2026 of the city code.

We further find that Dan Lehon has undertaken to carry on the same character of detective agency, and also doing detective work without receiving permits therefore by this board and without having his work or character as a detective passed upon as required by the ordinances of the city.

We, therefore, recommend that cases be made against him for violation of the sections of the city code above set out.

We further find that Charles E. Sears, being licensed to carry on the business of a detective agency, has employed men as detectives without having them passed on as required by the ordinances of the city in violation of sections 2027 and 2028 of the City Code, and we therefore recommend that cases be made against him therefor.

We further find that the following parties have undertaken to do work as detectives or follow the occupation of a detective without securing permits from this board or without having been approved by this board, in violation of sections 2024 and 2025 of the City Code, and we therefore recommend that cases be made against them therefor. The names of the parties are as follows: W. W. or 'Boots' Rogers, C. C. Tedder, L. C. Whitfield, and W. D. Mc Worth.

We Illegible Illegible of the Illegible general section Illegible 1882, there is a provision that no person who has not been appointed in writing from the lawfully constituted authorities of the state, who shall undertake to act, among other things, as a detective, and if he does so that he shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

We think, all of the foregoing parties have violated this law except Charles E. Sears, and we recommend that the court, on the trial of the cases above named, be requested, if the facts are shown as your committee is informed, be bound over to the higher courts to answer for a violation of the state law. Respectfully submitted."

Dan S. Lehon, chief aid to William J. Burns, was indicted by the Grand Jury Friday morning with four others implicated in the Rev. C. B. Ragsdale episode. They were Carlton C. Tedder, the Burns detective who previously had been employed in the office of Attorney William M. Smith; Arthur Thurman, Ragsdale's lawyer, and Rev. Ragsdale and R. L. Barber. Bench warrants were issued for each. Lehon was put under $2,500 bond at 3 o'clock in the afternoon.

Tedder and Thurman will be put under $2,000 bond. Barber's bail will be $2,500. Ragsdale's, however, will be only $1,000. Thurman, in his office in the Healey building, was informed by newspaper men late in the afternoon that he was under indictment. He took the news calmly enough, asserting that he was prepared to make bond at whatever time the warrant was served.

"They need not go to the trouble of coming for me," he smiled. "I'll go down to the courthouse and make it at any time they see fit."

Asked who would go to his bail, he answered, "Well, one of 500 friends in the city."

Lehon's bond was certified by Leopold Haas. He made it in the office of the Burns agency in the Healey building when Deputy Sheriff Plennie Miner appeared to serve the warrant. Lehon is charged with subornation of perjury. Tedder and Thurman face similar charges. The charge against Ragsdale and Barber, however, is for perjury.

Only the Ragsdale incident was considered by the Grand Jury Friday. The accusations against C. W. Burke, Jimmie Wrenn, and others connected with the case, including witnesses who repudiated their trial testimony, will be deliberated upon Monday, when the jury meets again.

Ragsdale was quizzed for two and a half hours before the jury. He emerged from the room, however, looking none the worse for the ordeal. His sons would not permit him to talk to newspaper reporters. Ragsdale is the minister who made an affidavit for the Frank Defense telling of having heard Jim Conley confess to the murder of Mary Phagan.

R. L. Barber, a member of the pastor's former congregation in the Plum Street Baptist church, corroborated Ragsdale's story in an affidavit. Ragsdale later confessed that the document was false, and that it had been framed. He implicated Lehon, Arthur Thurman, who has been the preacher's counsel, and Carlton C. Tedder, the Burns operative.

Other witnesses who were examined by the Grand Jury were Genevieve Goodin, a stenographer in Thurman's office, who stated that she had seen Ragsdale come frequently into the offices of her employer, but that she had never seen him paid any money by the attorney. L. P. Whitfield, a Burns detective, was also examined. He refused to discuss his testimony. J. K. Tippet, the stenographer attached to the office of Luther Z. Rosser, was called to explain the taking of Ragsdale's affidavit. The indictments were returned shortly before 2 o'clock, at which time the Grand Jury adjourned.

The hearing of the John L. Tye motion to upset the Frank verdict will be called before Judge Hill this morning, but will be postponed at the request of Solicitor Dorsey until May 29, in order that he will have ample time to prepare his counter showing.

The Dan S. Lehon Contempt of Court hearing will be held this morning before Judge Ben Hill. It is reported that this procedure will go on without further delay. Assistant Solicitor E. A. Stephens has charge of the Grand Jury investigation in the absence of Solicitor Dorsey, whose entire time is being devoted to the preparation of the Tye motion fight.

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