The New York herald., 1869-03-31
MASSACHUSETTS.

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Corruption Among the Boston Police Detec.
tives-Tho New York Onicials Outdone ~
Those Of the ssHub''-A Ten Thousand Dol.
lnr Gold Robbery Countenanced for Ten pcr
Cent Of the Piundcr-A Stray Chapter Of tho
Lord bond Robbery and the New York D.e.
tectives.
The recent developments Of corruption ana inef.
nciency in the detective police System OF New York
city have been met by then an equal discovery
OF rottenness In the branch OF police service In
Boston, aud what Is more creditable to the great
metropolis, the controlling powers OF the Police De-
part OF New York have not eve thought Mt to shield
from the public the loose manner In which afalrs
have been conducted, while here In Boston the
authorities empowered to investigate-even 10
committee OF the Legislature-have determined
10 'shide under bushel" all the facts wnicn
are calculated to expose the completely OF omcers
and thieves. The particular occasion which mas
brought to the surface some OF the dsreputabe ana
offensive features OF the practices Of the Boston de-
tecives has been the robbery Of ten thousand dollars
in gold from George II. GoodIng, State street
broker The robbery, as Will be remembered, was
committed some two three years since, and the
m amer in which 1t was performed was the leasing
OF portion OF the premises OF Mr.. Gooding by the
thieves and thus having access to the same they
employed themselves In breaking open the safe and
departing with the amount OF specie stated.
Thus much for the robbery, and now for the cir
cumstances and facts which subsequently transpired
Mr.. Gooding OF course, gave information TO the
chic, of Police, Colonel John G. Kurtz and he de-
tailed q couple OF his detectives to investigate,
or, IN other words, "work up" the case.
and the duty was assigned 10 BENJAMIN
Hoh and William Jones. both Old members
of the detective force OF Bos;on TWO Or three aa{s
lished In the HERALD and become generally Knowh
in New York, Captain Jourdan arrested three no
tor1ous thieves in that city named Hartley. Barton
ana Wilson. He found upon the person OF one oi
them a large quantity OF gold answering the de-
scrtpton OF that stolen from the safe Of Mr.. Good.
ing and teegraphed the fact 10 him In this city and
requested hun to come on And see ne could iden-
spstcR to the oicers detailed BY the Chief Of Police
OF Boston, and they informed him that there was
nothing whatever IN IT. aud that the only motive OF
Captain Jourdan was to get HIM on there and beat
him out OF some money. Mr.. Goodlng, following
the advice OF the Boston officers, paid no attention
ture which he afterwards received from Captain
Jourdan, Notwithstanding the latter told him re.
Of the right men. Captain Jourdan finally teie-
graphed Mr.. Goodlng that although ne was conndent
Obliged r to release them unless he came on and
identified them. Again consulting the Boston
olcers as to wnat TO do In the matter ne followed
their advice and telegraphed Cap ain Jourdan TO In
form him whether or not one Of the parties IN his
custody minus forefnger ON his left hand. and
number OF nngers with which nature had endowed
them. BY direction again, OF the Boston detectives,
release the men. for he had got hold OF the wrong
parties and Captain Jourdan acted accordingly.
the matter + q nn inc eame ~ be esHn as
WIN be rs the case more fully develops ITSELF
The first clue which Mr. Goodlns obtained OF the
that one OF them named Penny. was In Montreal,
and he started after him in company with detectives
Heath and Jones' Omitting all unnecessary details,
the result was according to the wei Subsiantlated
story Of Mr.. Goodpg that all his efforts 10 secure the
city OF the very detectives whom ne was paying to
assist III bringing them TO justice. II he attempted
made known to Penny per telegraph from the
of1cers and when he sent one or both or them to
watch his movements they used The very funds which
he furnished for travelling expenses To assist the ugi
tive In escaping arrest. When Mr.. Gooding supposed
the detectives 10 he IN ST. Albans, VT, awaiting an
over the line, they were with him 10 Montreal and
advising him to "Keep out OF the States and Mr..
services and travelling expenses. Thus matters
went on for q considerable time, tue oicers living
e s me oe S ss @ ae
while daily advised how TO eude bis vigi ance.
AT length however, Mr. Gooding began 20 ais, ais
shieves and officers. and he was then more deter
mined than to bring the ROBBERS to justice and
also TO expose the corruption OF the detec-
tive police system OF Boston, let the ex
pense be what It would. Abandoning entirely the
city police he appied TO Hunt A Co.'s private de-
tectlve ONCE and together with Detective Chapman.
OF that bureau began anew the work OF arrestlng
Montreal and had. OF course been advised by these
officers whose services had been dispensed with, TO
be on his guard. In spite OF al this, however, De-
tective Chapman succeeded in decoying his man
over the line IN very few days, and took him into
custody. obtained requsitIon, and brought him TO
This Penny was remarkably shrewd man: but
finding that he had been ..gobbled " he was willing
ssats os evlasoce s and told The Whole story
OF the robbery. Further than HIS statements
Mr.. Cooling received information IRON o'her
sources winch shows that his statement il
more likely 10 be correct than false. The crcum-
stances then a. related and generally believed,
are tbese:- That the rotbing VAS conceived and ex-
ecuted by the well known thieves Hartley, Wilson,
Hasan, Barton and Penny, and that harry Jen-
nings, and Charles II. steadman, popularity known
IN Boston as dog fancers were accessories before
and after the fac that they robbed Mr.. Go0dinx OF
e av ssn ~ naa t ,ae dng iii Hapry enung
on Portland street and that IN the division OF the
piunder two Boston detectives received $1,000 or ten
per cent OF the whole amount; that the division was
made the night Of the robbery and that In view
OF all these circumstances, II they are true the lack
OF enterprise on that part OF the Boston police dc
fectves IN securing the arrest Of the guJ parties Is
fully accounted for.
At the time il became known among the robbers
that tue police were on their track they suspected
that Haslam had exposed them. and Barton anI VII |
son followed hun to Phi iadelpha, cut his throat and
len him for dead. He recovered however, and not
only exposed the Gooding robbery. a. mas been de
ecrfbed, but also implicated his assaants Phila
delphia robbery. for which they now serving
term IN the state Prison. Immediately after this
Haslaln managed TO get away 10 Europe, and the |
Pennsylvania authorities requiring the services
Barton and Wilson Tor few years. the only ores
tnat ar. Gooding could hold for his robbery were
Jennings, Steadmsn and Penny, and the latter Deing
taken FOR State evidence he was insured against
pr0eec ution, and only the accessories tired.
They convicted, however, and Will be sea-
fenced on Thursday OF the present week.
To explain about the despatch 10 Captain Jourdan,
concerning the man with tne missing forehnger 1t Is
only necessary 70 state that pcnnss left hand ~
abridged in the manner described, anu at the tine
tne despatch concerning LIN was sent II 10 alleged
that the Boston Officers knew him 10 lie at the
house OF q friend three or four miles outside OF Bos-
ton. AL these facts ard great many more tend.
ing 10 show corruption IN the Boston police system
have been known IN 0iical circles for considerable
tne, and an inyesBgation now going on win prola-
bly, result IN the cstaDlirhment OF a police force
under the Immediate control Of the state. Colonel
kurtz, the CHEF Of the Boston force denies In a
public card the statements concerning the flooding
robbery, and invites a 'publIcu examnatlun ard
u this - accorded him he VIII have an oPporunay
70 correc. ~. nrhr opinion which h now enter