New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-07-06
PRICE FOUR CENTS.
OUR MIDNIGHT GUARDIANS
FEW FACrs FOR SUPERINTENDENT KRIso-
HOW POLICEMEN OCCUPY THEMSELVES ON


force Of Metropolitan Police has atel3 become very lax
that men on their posts commit act. which under the
old system Of superintendent Kennedy would have
resulted In dismissal, they ere more ignorant Of their
commands than most citizens who keep observing eyes
in rejecting heads. II matter Of daily and nightly
occurrence that policemen their cheats" engage In
long conversations with notorious characters OF both
sexes TO the neglect Of duty and in surreptou- eating
and drinking In direct violation Of discipline. A
TRIBUNE reporter has been engaged for several nghts
past and will connuc his Investigations further in OBJ
serving to what extent these minor breaches duty are
committed. Some OF he naeTunt instances which
under his observation are mentioned below. less
expose the denquents than Illustrate 70 the super
ntendent the manner i'm which bis subordinate Va All
parts OF the city neglect their duty faithful guardians
Of the sleeping pubc. We are very well aware that
the superintendent is not ignorant OF what expose
His spy system is so nearly perfect that he knew ON
Thursday last what THE TRIBLNE reporter intended IN
do on Friday night by way Of investigations and -sued
orders to the officers Of the various Precincts to be on
their guard as strangers to be In the ward :" 10
close the panelhouses and warn prostitutes b. In
doors ana p'trolmen to walk their beats regularly. We
hope he means 10 keep this q standing order
tainy intend to keep the reporter detailed to watch de-
linqucnts. At the same time the Superintendent VIII
apply his system Of espionage the detection Off
rather than to finding ont "what THE TRIBUNE ~
mp to-, and he will increase the efficiency Of his force.
On Friday night last Officer No. l6,i of the twenty
ninth Police Precinct stood talking to some = nd- at
the northwest OF Twenty and shave.
from minutes past Il o'clock till % minutes t - by
the watch Soon after this conversation began lad ap.
preached him with tumber containing liquor Tho
officer inquired II he had put some pepper ! aud ex-
pressed himself in anything but paror lam find
ing that the pepper had been forgotten. Tn absence Of
the spice, however did not prevent him from dTinng
the liquor with a good deaf OF gustO. Shortly after
quiet respectable-lOokng woman turned down Twenty
sxth-st The officers friends followed and spoke 10 her
under his nose The girl moved to side get ont u
their way. They again spoke TO her. The lr then
called out loudly evidently intending the officer TO
hear): How dare you let me alone or yonll get
yourselves into trouble" The young men at once re-
Joined officer lGGl placed to protect young wanen from
insult among his other dute who careessy remarked:
Guess she's got In tow Not word Of re-
proof did he offer 10 Them
On leaving the corner the officer santered down the
street toward sevcnthIve., stopping continually 70 IN
duge in fire of repartee with the courtezans Fitting
the balconies and door-scps. one against the rail-
ings II was O'Clock before the officer could him
self away the attractions OF Twenysixth-,t His
sudden activity doubtless caused by the appearance
of Sergeant OF his Precinct at the o. Twenty
ffthst and Sixthave But the Sergeant engaged
with friend in banterng poor nymph of the pave, no
doubtless passed nnoced After the Sergeant and his
friend had so angered the unfortunate woman ~ 10
cause her to burst out in series of Fourth Ward cXple
tye they started up sixthaye and what with chatting
with the corncrloafers and with the policemen the
beat 1t took them just half hour to traverse two
blocks.
On Saturday night at ., O'Clock this same of .r No.
1901, duty the same post At 9:3s be- sncoun-
tered friend dressed in summer suit again on tho
northwest corner Of Twentysxh-st. He remained ia
conversation with him II minutes then auntered slowly
down the street 10 seyenthave. and returned tho
other side This time he made no stay on the corner hut
arqfu ri Sfxth- Half, IN,
block he met party of friends, with Of whom he
seemed very anxious TO make bet Of So After while
he left his friends walked about 20 yards down Lis beat
crossed the road walked back again mp beat
sumed his conversation with his friends who crossed
to meet him. IL when ne first these
it 1919 when he left them35 minutes neglect
of duty. On again reaching sxh-ave Officer NJ I.Gor
crossed toward Broadway But he did not succeed in
getting st far
Unconscious that two persons were quietly wa hing
his movements from the Broadway end OF ths street,
and the other from syth-ye he suddenly disappeared
Both of his watchers vouc for the fact that h. did
pass them. Determined to find out possible where no
had they remained 20 their posts about G wards
apart After waiting patiently for throel rters
of an hour this trustworthy officer suddenly pIcaret
on the sidewalk halfway between them. In ID dark
ness they were unable determine the hol.e' from
which he had come but il was, doubt, Of the
gambling dens or houses Of prostitution which arc
known to exist in that street This precinct is OF
the most quarters OF prostitution In the city.
Disturbances among the dsreputable inmates Of tho
houses are frequent occurrence. Only short while ago
"a we-knOwn Ufian named Cooley Keys did hls best TO
murder one Of Them and only prevented by force
from carrying out his purpose. All night long singing OF
vulgar songs music, and dancing j. going aud parties
of fast young constantly passing from honse
TO another all of them or less under the excite
ment OF intoxicating drinks Here, then, is locality
where careful energetic and active officer T. above al
things needful. After the facts rccited above II r pos
sibe that Mr. Superintendent KelsO may ~ 10 order
such an officer TO spersedc officer No. 1861 h"s he
may wait till some Cooley Keys succeeds in per- ting
a brutal murder. We shall see.
About lOg on Friday night, another TEH.,E re-
porter officer 2ls7 stop in the shade OF r. high
steps leading into the wine store No. ~ ttceuest.
After talking for a few moments with md aged
man. who seemed to he the proprietor OF the house the
officer stepped farther back into the shade, While tho
liouor-tealer entered the house and shortly returned
bearing glass containing liquor of some kind He
handed to the officer drank it, and after came
forward wping his mouth with ms pocket handkerchief;
and, after talking for or three minutes E'hthe
idlers around the door, proceeded on bis beat. &
AT 1915 on Saturday night, officer 49, aIflroached
the liquor No l21 springs As he passed the door,
he made sort of Indian grunt through the screen TO at
tract the attention Of the barkeeper and then stepped
into the deep shade the side Of the house. The signal
received immediate attention; glass OF liquor ana
glass of water brought out which the officer drank
still remaining in the dark place, he entered INTO con
versaon with three young men, and oontinnedt
for over 20 minutes ME reporter also saw officer TIP
hastily enter the liquor saloon No. Ill fInst aiter
looking irtvey around to see that he ~is not watched
In few moments he reappeared wipng his mouth, anu
started brsNy on his beat officer Moldnne who cams
on TO this post at relief time, went into the oyster saloon
on wooser-st. and took drink lie remained 'hero
eight minutes; during which time a disturbance os-
Cured few doors of the Of which did not ssln OF
any importance 70 him. ~ he took no heed Of II.