The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-06-24
TerwIniger Wanted-The Rottenness
OF the Police.

or the Police.
The Assembly Committee, engaged in in
vestigating the cause of the increase OF crime
in the city, are in want of Terwilliger.
According to the evidence given by Ser
Reant John r. Groo the amiable patrolman
and edward detective who bears the name OF
Terwilhger can give the committee some
valuable information on the subject Of panel
houses and the manner in which they are
run. Groo processes to have kept diary
while sergeant in the Eighth precinct, then
under the charge Of Captain Williams, and
this diary contains some interesting data in
which Terwilliger is concerned. If Groo is
to be believed Terwilliger, then the ward
detective in Captain Williams precinct, was
principally engaged in the collection of a sort
of tariff or internal revenue tax, levied on the
keepers of panel houses and places of SINH
lar character in that precinct. The sergeants
we're instructed, says Groo, to report all panel
house robberies to Terwilliger. and not
to enter them on the blotter or investigate
them, as the rule required. The robberies
reported while Sergeant Greo was on duty
were thus treated, and according to the men,
oranda purporting to have been kept by him,
some fourteen cases placed in the hands of
Terwilliger were hushed up; no arrests were
made, and in some instances the felony was
compounded. Terwillger also, if Groo is to
be believed, was the recipient of little con-
siderations from panel house keepers, varying
from five to fifty dollars, which account for
the friendly settlement of the difficulties, and
which Groo infers went into the pocket of the
Captain. Now, Groo appears to have had
difficulties with Captain Williams. Per-
haps he found the precinct, as he says, an
unpleasant one to serve in 1t would have been
safer, 80 far as his own records concerned, if
he had reported to headquarters the
facts he now discloses. According to his
story, he did not do so, but submitted to be
removed on the complaint of the captain
against whom he possessed all this damaging
evidence. This may induce the committee
to accept Groo's story with some caution.
But Terwilliger is the man they want. lie
know all about the cases mentioned by Groo
and as he is still on the force-a patrolman
up town, we are told-his attendance can
readily be secured by the committee
These developments made before the Assem-
bly, Committee, only lift one end of the veil
tnat hides the rottenness of the Police Depart
ment Everybody has known for some time
that the panel house thieves and other law
breakers ply their infamous trades with the
knowledge of the police and pay for the
privilege of breaking the law without being
called to account and punished Indeed, the
Police Commissioners recently transferred the
several police captains TO new districts on the
very ground that they we're suspected of col
fusion with the lawless classes in their old
precincts We are now told that an ex-Police
Commissioner was constant visitor Of Cap
tain Williams precinct and was on closely
familiar terms with that officer. Some of the
present Commissioners have in like manner
their cronies among the captains. Such asso-
Citations cannot be productive Of good or free
from suspicion. They probably account for
the evident Discrimination of some Of the
Commissioners to drag the rascalities Of their
subordinates TO light and for their efforts to
smother or confuse investigation. The pres
ent inquiry will do good if it is to be hon.
estly and energetically carried out It's first
work must be to get Terwilliger's
evidence and the evidence Of the
panel house keepers themselves. 1t will then
be important to inquire how 1t is that Groo
who confesses to q sort Of completely with the
alleged msdeeds in his old district, is still on
the police force2 Why Terwilliger is still a
patrolman2 Why Captain Williams still has
. commando Why the Police Commissioners
who appear to have been aware OF these ras-
calities, have not long since instituted an in
vestigation into them and discovered the evi.
dence 30 speedily and voluntarily produced
before the Assembly Committed Ii Groo's
story be true, we must look beyond Terwilli-
ger and beyond Williams for the true cause
Of the increase Of crime. The investigation
must travel from the Eighth precinct to Null
berry street