The New York herald., 1869-04-12
THE BOSTON DETECTIVES.

"cu sSustusnou Onor8eS Against tut DOston
Chief and His Principal Detectives-Confes-
sion OF Harry Jennings, One Of the Good
ing Robbers-TestimOny of Several Boston
Officers.
BOSTON, April 10, 1869.
The investigation Of the Legislative committee
into the charges OF alleged corruption IN the Boston
police management, and more particularly IN the
detective department OF It, still continues, ana at
each sitting OF the committee the evidence OF CON-
plicity of the officials with thieves ana r0gues Is
more convincing The recent developments, and
those which are promised, seem Incredible; but they
are so wei substantated that 1t Is safe to presume
that more rotten state Of affairs never existed IN
any police force In this or any other country. The
corruption OF the New York officials, as recently
shown, dwindles into utter inslgnicanoe when COM
pared with the practices Of the guardians OF peace
and law In this boasted Club OF tn, Uaiverse.n
Mr. GOoding the Boston broker who was robbed Of
$1O0OO has during the week visited the state Prison
and obtained from Jennings, one Of the robbers o
full confession OF his part Of the crime and also an
account Of the connection OF the Boston officers with
It.. After asserting that the public ought to know
about the affair Jennings proceeded and the story
Is thus repeated by MIR. GO0ing:-He said there was
"ring" In New York and he knew all about their
dOings There was also "ring' In Boston and that
he was at the head OF it. He said. "When say am
at the head OF 1t mean Stelman and myself"
Said he had had promises from some parties
who had not fulfilled them. There were nine
persons engaged IN my robbery and the money was
divided in nine equal parts. Jennings called their
names. Their names were Hartley. Barton, Penny.
Wilson, Jennings and stedman, and three officers
Chief Kurtz Heath and Jones. All the men hal an
equal share, ten per cent. Jennings spoke about
some money Barton loaned to ply the rent OF my
oifce The balance OF che remaining $1,000 was
Ia
nings, nephew OF Harry Jennings, received fifty
dollars. Another man received some money. Jel-
nlnys said Chief Kurtz had made promise to hun
that II he was arrested at any time that he (Kurtz)
would lind MIN bail, ana II the bail was more than
he could furnish he told him he would take the
stand In his BEHALF Jennings said his consent rs to
the recovery OF the money would be OF no use. |
had had no promise Of the letter. Saw the letter
only when 1t was passed by the prisoner to Judge
had written a letter III which he had stated there
were nine persons, Including three officers; SIX
oil the persons were ''crOssmen." (rO Mr.. White,
chairman OF the committee, in answer To
the question, scrossmen" are burgars,. Jennings
and silver AT the state prison there was some
versatl0n between myself and Jennings about Penny.
Jennings said that II Penny had not "biOwed" there
would nave been no trouble. Jennings said that
Penny had not told the whole story Of the robbery.
He wished that Penny could be brought to the prison
Tor the benefit of the public lie (Jennngs said that
he would have Penny on one side OF the gratings
ana he on the other, and that he would ask Penny
some questions that he would be obliged to answer.
United States. That when he said sI,o jennings
meant himself and Sedman.
Immediately after MIR. GOoding had told his story
Mr.. Foster twho was present rs counsel for the
officers Kurtz, Heath and JOnes produced an aiflda-
Wit IRON Jennings and Stedman, in which they con-
tradicteG fairly and squarely everything that Jen-
nings had told Gooding. The denial was sworn to
and was IN part as fOllows-
That John Kurtz, Chief of Police, benjamin Heath and
William X JONES' detective police officers and all of said
s nor either Of them a. any time or place. In any
w a sh m ss% e0 %
fact received portion of said alleged money
knowledge Information belief; that we either us
o1vs To to sal. n way Sa
either Of them As having had any SoansCtion IN way
said alleged or OF being cognzant of concerned
or ose Ss s G .o ss
said or OF the thereof at any time before or after
swear to the truth thereof after having carefully
CHARLES il. srEDMAN
1t may properly be said that although the afdavit
was genuine II fails 70 change the public opinion
named, and the story told by jennings to Mr Good.
ing IS the one most generally created. Mr. Good
ing, before concluding his testimony, told the fol-
lowing little anecdote concerning Health
company with Annh Enos and Heath we went into the
ms sndsses &
iiams had committed robbery BY panel Of $1,000 in bonds
robbed and offer the bonds and be tieath
they came away said be had written to the party
but had not received an answs The party who robbed
make . any ~ trouble Heath said M WILLIAMS wa. Boston boy
a al i % Ssa s% snS @
tell him had seen him m at the National and at the Apollo
prised Williams wanted e know who was andhe offered
the City Hall ''' No "''' '''''"' III ''0"' Oh
Columbus Joy, a Boston police officer, then took
the stand ana told about how he once arrested Il
couple of men, by order OF superior officer with
out warrant, and without knowing what crime
ton house three or tour days and were then let ont
and, meeting one OF them the street subse-
quenti,, he asked Joy why he did not give him "a
hint when he had anything against him and give
him an opportunity TO sling him something. The
oillcer subsequently learned that he ordered to
arrest the men because they were concerned in a
robbery OF $4,000 from man named Hedge but
he never knew why they were liberated without any
complaint being made against them. Mr.. Lennott,
one OF the counsel conducting the case against the
officers, asked n question OF the officer which would
seem to imply that Chief Of Police Kurta
let them go. 0fficer Joy said however, he knew
nothing OF any such transaction. Ofcer Joy then
Bank robbery; the amount stolen was $4,000 In
money and $4,000 in securites; the thieves were
supposed TO have knocked the gentleman at the bank
down, stolen the money and driven OF; as n de.
tectye l was sent TO find out what stable had let a
team TO parties similar TO those who were described
ON the road; think was told to go to every stable
until | found horse and wagon which was de-
scribed; only went 10 two stables and found the team
all covered with pespration, ana mud; o fellow Of
i
asked him II he knew the parties who had brouqht
IL In; 'Oh you mean the bank rObbersn was his
reply; lie said he knew them, that they were all
right, and he said he would not tell who ihey were:
he would not tell any one but Leeds because OF his
refusal l arrested him. took him To the station and
locked him up: the next time that I went TO the
station house the cell had put him was vacant: he
had gone; the lieutenant SAID that Chief Kurtz had
let him out and had said that was ON the right
track.
Cross-examined by Chief Kurtz-Arrested Mr.
Dudley because he said hex new what was after and
matt "A
out OF him. did not threaten this man nor say thar
did not care for the Chief OF Police: did not know
that was thwartng the plans Of the Chief OF Police
by stnpidty asked TO be allowed TO 70 TO Dorcbcs-
ter the next day TO ascertain something about the
horse and wagon so as TO identify them but you
me q note from you (Chief KurtzI telling him TO
take Walker and myself or OF detective duty and
put Hs on the patrol force to prevent from inter-
fcring with your plans g. catch the rogues. Mr.. Joy
was here heartily appauded, the last answer being
somewhat unexpected one.