Mr. WHITE. On the 17th day of June last I wrote the department, in which I detailed evidence that I had secured relative to his expenditures, relative to his income and the work about the office, and asked that he be removed as interpreter in this district.

Mr. BUSIEK. What was done in reply to your letter?

Mr. WHITE. My letter was written on the 17th day of June, and on the 29th day-a letter dated on the 29th day of June-I received that letter the following week, in which they stated that they had detailed Inspector Bonham, of Portland, Oreg., to come here to make an investigation.

Mr. BUSIEK. Did they ever intimate that they would like to have Taylor make the investigation?

Mr. WHITE. No. I surmised that Mr. Taylor might want to make the investigation. I knew that he was very friendly, and I knew that every step that had been taken in connection with that matter and with other matters had been transmitted to Mr. Taylor by Mr. Tape. He was in daily correspondence with him. And then, too, I had received-been instructed-well, I will just explain. When I learned of the different-all of the matters against Mr. Tape, I called him into the office and told him what I knew, some of the facts that I knew, and talked with him about it, and told him then-I didn't have the bank statement then-that I would like to know the nature of his income and the amount of his income, and explained why. We talked then for a half hour, possibly, and he suggested resigning to me. He spoke, he talked about that. I told him that I wasn't in position to advise him about that matter at all, but that I was going to have, if anything-if it is possible, a clean department under me. And I wanted to know exactly his income, because I knew approximately what his expenditures were; that is, I at that time knew that he was spending over $400 a month; but as it later developed, I didn't know what his expenditures were. We went out. He told me that his wife would not make a statement of her income. His wife had an income of something over $300 a month.

Mr. BUSIEK. Did he say what source it was from?

Mr. WHITE. He would not state. And then I talked with him the next--no; he came in just after that and told me that he thought of a plan. The next day he told me this, that he thought of a plan, and that was to have me interview her attorney; that is, Attorney Victor I'lace here in the city. I told him that would be perfectly satisfactory to me. And then he talked again of resigning, and told me what his father was, and how much money he had, and how much money he was making, and the trouble that the different interpreters throughout the United States had got into. And tears came into his eyes, and he then talked of resigning. That was on Tuesday. I asked him then if he would make arrangements with his wife's attorney for me to see him, and he did so. I went to see this man and the next Monday I called Mr. Tape in and told him I had seen Mr. Place and that Mr. Place's statement was not satisfactory to me at all; that I wanted to verify their statements, and he refused to give me any facts whatever.

Mr. BUSIEK. Did Mr. Place corroborate Tape?

Mr. WHITE. Yes, sir; in his statements.

Commissioner O'CONNELL. Before we get away from that, just what was that $100 monthly expense?

Mr. WHITE. I am afraid I am going to lose my connection. your question.

I will answer

Commissioner O'CONNELL. I wanted to get that as close to the other part as possible.

Mr. WHITE. Yes; I will do that. I want to say as to Mr. Tape's manner. Then he talked about resigning. That Thursday I was told that through a conversation another lady had with Mrs. Tape that Mrs. Tape made this statement, that they had received a wire from Mr. Taylor, and Mr. Taylor told them to stand pat and fight it out; he would be here to assist him. Now, that was on Thursday, and on Friday I told Mr. Tape that the attorney's statement was not satisfactory; his statement was not satisfactory; and I would have to file charges if he didn't make a satisfactory statement. He simply said, "All right; I don't care anything about it "; and handed me a letter through official channels asking for investigation of his conduct, and then I made a written application for a statement of his income, and he gave me an answer in which he said he would not make it.

Chairman WALSH. He made the answer in writing?

Mr. WHITE. Yes, sir. Probably the commission would want a copy of that? Chairman WALSH. Yes, sir.

Mr. WHITE. Therefore I knew Mr. Taylor and Tape were in almost daily correspondence relative to this matter, and for that reason and by reason of the fact Mr. Taylor was interested in it, in my letter to the bureau complaining of Tape's conduct, I stated that I had no objection whatever to an investigation being made, but that I did object to a friend of Mr. Tape's making the investigation, and then showed in this letter the friendship existing between Tape and Taylor, and I objected to Mr. Taylor making the investigation, and asked them to send some one who was not interested.

Commissioner GARRETSON. Without pulling you off-can you tell what is Mrs. Tape's nationality?

Mr. WHITE. She is American.

Commissioner GARRETSON. Did this lawyer give you any tangible list of her property?

Mr. WHITE. No, sir. He told me this, that she had an income of $300, he knew that, per month. I asked him where that property was and what was the nature of it. He said it come from the estate of her deceased husband. I asked him where, and he said in the East, some place in Pennsylvania. I told him then that it must be by the will of the deceased husband, and he said yes. I asked him to give me the name of the county and I would write and verify his statement from that. He said he could not do it. I said, "Well, yes, sir; you can do it, unless it is your intention to deceive me in some way."

Commissioner GARRETSON. Unless he had some reason for not doing it. Mr. WHITE. He said, "I can't do it for this reason-the will provides in the event she should subsequently marry, then this estate that exists there should go to his niece." And I said to him then, "It is very probable that trustees distributing an estate like that would not fail to see that she was married to Mr. Tape, which is subsequent marriage." "Well," he says, "she is drawing this money, and that is the reason she don't want to divulge it." Then I stated to him his statement was not sufficient, because I knew at that time she had no deceased husband whatever. She was divorced on the 3d of February, 1912, from Peter Sullivan, and he is now running a saloon at Dawson, Territory of Yukon.

Mr. BUSIEK. Did you ever look up that wire from Mr. Taylor to Mr. Tape? Mr. WHITE. I was unable to find it.

Mr. BUSIEK. Did you make inquiry for it?

Mr. WHITE. Yes, sir. I asked the district attorney-I have been assisted materially in this matter by the district attorney-and I asked the district attorney for a subpoena issued against the two telegraph offices here asking for all telegrams passing between Mr. Taylor and Mr. Tape for the previous two months, and they stated they could not find a single telegram, those telegrams going to Buffalo, New York, and Washington City, but they stated they had over a million telegrams to check through by reason of my request, and I should have probably limited that to a few days, as I could have done, but I didn't do so, and I haven't received a copy of any telegram.

Commissioner O'CONNELL. Give us the principal items of this expense that amounted to $400.

Mr. WHITE. He has a Kissel car, a car that eats gasoline very rapidly, runs less than 8 miles on a gallon of gasoline; he employs a chauffeur constantly. He came to our office daily in his car with his chauffeur; he lives out on Thirty-fourth Avenue, has a beautiful little home and has it very, very well furnished. I was in his home last January, about the 1st of January, and it is very beautifully furnished. His wife employs a maid. I found out as to some of his expenditures by going to Frederick & Nelson's department store. found that in one year her bills in this department store was over $1,000 and one year over $800. I found that he had then about 16 accounts out, where he had dealt with different people. In that way I was able to estimate that his expenditures were over $400 a month. He paid his chauffeur $75 a month. Chairman WALSH. Living expenses alone?

I

Mr. WHITE. His living expenses alone; yes, sir. Since that time, of course, I ascertained that his expenses-his checks out were $795.30 per month for the last year. That is shown by the bank record.

Commissioner GARRETSON. Living at the rate of eight to ten thousand dollars a year, at least?

Mr. WHITE. At least that; yes. He would take trips; he is quite a hunter and fisher, and takes trips, and always has gold in his pocket.

Mr. BUSIEK. Did you find out how much money he had deposited in the course of the last three or four years?

Mr. WHITE. Yes, sir.

Mr. BUSIEK. What are the figures, if you remember?

Mr. WHITE. Seven hundred and ninety-one dollars and one cent per month. That is from the 1st day of May, 1913, to the 12th day of June, 1914, but there was only one deposit in June, so that it was only one year and one day, I think.

Mr. BUSIEK. What was the department's reply to your request that Taylor be not assigned to this?

Mr. WHITE. Made no reply to it whatever.

Mr. BUSIEK. What did they do?

Mr. WHITE. They detailed Inspector Bonham, of Portland, to make the investigation. They made no reply to my request for a suspension in the event of an investigation, and no reply as to my request for his removal. Commissioner O'CONNELL. Is he under suspension now?

Mr. WHITE. He wasn't, but Mr. Bonham sent a night letter to the department, to the bureau, some time ago and recommended his suspension, stated that if he was suspended it would be much easier for him to get evidence against him, and then they suspended him. Mr. Densmore sent a telegram suspending him.

Chairman WALSH. Suspending Tape?

Mr. WHITE. Yes, sir.

Mr. BUSIEK. Mr. Densmore is solicitor under the Secretary of Labor, I believe?

Mr. WHITE. Yes, sir.

Mr. BUSIEK. He is the one who made the suspension?

Mr. WHITE. Yes, sir.

Mr. BUSIEK. Who was the other one from whom you got communications? Mr. WHITE. Mr. Caminetti.

Mr. BUSIEK. Who dictated it?

Mr. WHITE. Roger O'Donnell, I think, dictated most of it.

Mr. BUSIEK. He is a solicitor there?

Mr. WHITE. I don't think he is a solicitor.

Mr. BUSIEK. Is he assistant commissioner?

Mr. WHITE. Mr. Caminetti and Mr. Larned are assistant comimssioners, but Roger O'Donnell-I don't know just what his designation is, but he is one of the bureau.

Mr. BUSIEK. You requested, at the time you asked for the investigation; did you request Tape's suspension at that time?

Mr. WHITE. I requested his dismissal from the service, but, in the event that they desired to make an investigation, then I stated that I had no objection whatever to the investigation; but I stated that he should be suspended pending that investigation, because it was demoralizing to the office.

Mr. BUSIEK. They made no reply to you as to that?

Mr. WHITE. None whatever.

Mr. BUSIEK. Did your investigation of Tape lead you to investigate any other officer around here?

Mr. WHITE. Well, to some extent, not satisfactory to me. I tried to limit it to the one for the simply reason it was impossible to secure facts as to two at the same time almost.

Mr. BUSIEK. What inspector worked with Tape most all the time?

Mr. WHITE. Well, he worked, of course, in the Chinese division. Inspector Monroe is the head of that division. Inspectors Stewart and Mangold are in that division.

Mr. BUSIEK. What are the relations between Monroe and Tape socially? Mr. WHITE. They were very cordial.

Mr. BUSIEK. Did Monroe and Tape always work together? Did Monroe ever use any other interpreter?

Mr. WHITE. Oh, yes, some; but Mr. Tape-of course, Mr. Monroe is in charge of that division, the Chinese division of the office. Mr. Tape had a very free hand in our office. He was not-we have two interpreters, Quon Foy is the other. I have been told he is the oldest interpreter in the service. Mr. Foy never had-probably he had them but he never exercised any rights in the office other than interpreter; he didn't want to do anything else. Mr. Tape acted in a clerical capacity, and he was detailed to make independent investigations outside. For instance, they would at times hand a record to him, and

say, "I have done all I could on this, and you see what you can do." Prob ably they wouldn't make that statement, but they would hand that record over to him and he would go down and interview Chinamen.

Mr. BUSIEK. He was doing an inspector's work?

Mr. WHITE. He was doing an inspector's work practically. He came to the office whenever he saw fit. I presume whenever he saw fit.

Mr. BUSIEK. Did you ever attempt to discipline him for that?

Mr. WHITE. I talked it over frequently with several men, members of the office-with Mr. Sargent, who was assistant commissioner, special, and talked it over with Mr. Monroe, and told him I disliked that work very much and I thought he wasn't doing the right kind of work. Then I was directed to this investigation of his conduct, and I then gave him as free hand as I could, let him do anything he wanted to do because I wanted to ascertain just what he had been doing.

Mr. BUSIEK. I should have asked before: Did Taylor ever commend Mr. Tape to you?

Mr. WHITE. Very highly.

Mr. BUSIEK. Even after you had voiced suspicions against Tape?

Mr. WHITE. Yes, sir. Mr. Taylor knew I had made these charges against Mr. Tape. He knew it in connection with them and knew the character of these charges when he came here. But he came here and took Mr. Tape out of the office absolutely and kept him on his secret work and was with him daily in his automobile and around with him, and generally were together. During the time that these charges were existing and were being investigated by Mr. Bonham, and previous to Mr. Bonham's arrival; in other words, absolutely ignored my request in the matter and gave him with Chinamen the assurance or gave the Chinamen the assurance by reason of his conduct that Mr. Tape was in the best of standing with the department.

Mr. BUSIEK. That hampered the work of the investigation?

Mr. WHITE. Very materially in my judgment.

Commissioner GARRETSON. Let me ask one thing there. When you came here first as commissioner, and when Mr. Taylor-he was at that time in the capacity of inspector himself, wasn't he?

Mr. WHITE. Yes, sir; and is yet.

Commissioner GARRETSON. When he was in that capacity did he make a special effort to commend Tape to your consideration?

Mr. WHITE. Daily and every time I saw him.

Commissioner GARRETSON. When you were new, yet?

Mr. WHITE. Before I knew anything at all about the office.

Mr. BUSIEK. I believe you said before, you were favorably impressed with Tape by reason of that at first?

Mr. WHITE. Oh, yes; it influenced me materially.

Mr. BUSIEK. It was generally known here, was it not, that the woman Mr. Tape has now married, that he was living with her for several years as man and wife while she was yet undivorced from Sullivan?

Mr. WHITE. No, sir; that wasn't known. I didn't find but one man that knew that fact to exist since I have been making this investigation. By reason of his conduct he was so bold in everything he did that he frightened them out in that regard and it didn't seem to be generally known. It wasn't in the office, at least, and that wasn't known until I got it from the divorce record, from the county record in the courthouse, although it was known, and Inspector White a man of the same name I am, but no relationship whatever told me when he came here in 1911 that Mr. and Mrs. Tape were then living at the Calhoun Hotel, and she was going under the name of Mrs. Sullivan, but they were living together, and Mrs. Tape told him she was going under that name because of some property, and that it would affect her rights to that if she took the name of Tape.

Mr. BUSIEK. Have you ever heard the story that Mrs. Tape was not exclusive with her affections for Tape, and that she is a blackmailer here in Seattle?

Mr. WHITE. Oh, yes; oh, yes. I secured that. Yes, I secured that information, and I don't think there is any question about it.

Mr. BUSIEK. You are satisfied in your mind that that is straight?

Mr. WHITE. Oh, absolutely so.

Mr. BUSIEK. Have you ever heard of the case of the man who runs the Northern Hotel, that she has blackmailed him?

Mr. WHITE. Ralph Boyker; he told me himself.

Mr. BUSIEK. And he also claims to have been infected with venereal disease by her?

Mr. WHITE. Yes; he paid her $400 to get some letters back. And I would like to say, gentlemen, that Mr. Boyker would dislike it very much for his name to be, onnected with that matter, so that it would get back to Mrs. Tape, for this reason. His wife sued him for divorce over Mrs. Tape, because of his relations with Mrs. Tape. Mr. Miller, of Miller & Lysens, attorneys, John F. Miller, former mayor of the city, represented Mr. Boyker in the suit, and through him it was patched up, and they went back together. Mr. Boyker is fond of his wife, but he is absolutely sure that if Mrs. Tape would make any demonstration toward him now it would lead to a separation of himself and wife, and for that reason he don't want his name to go back as giving any information to Mrs. Tape.

I wanted to make that statement because of his kindness toward me. He gave me information that I afterwards verified to be absolutely correct. Commissioner GARRETSON. You don't want his house of cards to come

tumbling down?

Mr. WHITE. Yes.

Mr. BUSIEK. Did the grand jury here ever act in the Tape matter?

Mr. WHITE. Only in this respect: Unfortunately this Tape matter came out in the paper. I stated to the bureau that I had been quietly making this investigation for about four months. I had kept it a secret as far as I knew. But in making these investigations I went to at least 20 attorneys, to the leading department stores in the city, and jewelry stores, and different places, and had gone to Portland and different places concerning this investigation, and had seen a great many different people, and had asked that this be kept quiet. But I feared its publicity unless action was taken soon, because the men in the district in the service were getting onto it, and of course it would be scattered from one to another. After my report went in, and on Monday, a certain Monday, the newspaper-the Post-Intelligencer-came out with a general statement of the facts. Tape is known by a great many people in the city. and it made a good story. They claimed that they got their information from Washington City. I think they got it here. I think that it came through my investigation. However, I may be mistaken.

But the grand jury was in session at that time. Of course the members of the grand jury read this article, because it was on the front page and it had big headlines, and they-no; that same day I went before the grand jury asking for the indictment of two smugglers that had been caught, Chinese smugglers that had been caught over here fishing on the island, and when I was before the grand jury they expected, evidently, that I would make a statement relative to the Tape matter, because this article said that I was going to bring it before the grand jury. I didn't make any statement of it. But they had had another smuggler that we had caught at Blaine, bringing Chinese in on his engine, who went before them, and he made a complete confession and implicated others. And they went into an investigation to see what kind of an inspection was made of the border and the Blaine office, and then took up the matter-the Tape matters and such as that. This smuggler stated to me; I asked him if he knew of any members of our force being in with the smugglers. "Oh,” he says, "you have got a wiley Chinaman out there." I said, Who do you mean?" He said, "Your interpreter." I said, "Which one do you mean?" "The little short fellow. The big tall fellow, he is no good; he belongs to the Government." Well, that referred to Tupe as the short fellow and Quon Foy as the big fellow.

That led to a discussion on the part of the grand jurors. They called District Attorney Allen in, talked to him about it, wanted to know if they could not do something; that investigation should be made of it. He told them, after he thought the matter over, that the only thing they could do was to write a communication to the Attorney General, Attorney General McReynolds, and they did so. He drafted it, and they sent it in a personal envelope.

Mr. BUSIEK. They sent one to the Bureau of Immigration, did they not? Mr. WHITE. No; as I remember it, they asked Mr. McReynolds to take the matter up with Secretary McAdoo and Secretary Wilson.

Mr. BUSIEK. With Secretary McAdoo in regard to opium smuggling?

Mr. WHITE. Yes; and Secretary Wilson as to the Chinese.

Mr. BUSIEK. Now, you have outlined what you did in regard to the investigation of Tape. Did you find any evidence as to his actual taking of money for false interpretation, misinterpretations?