The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-10-10
HOW ME POLICE WORK.


To the EDITOR HERALD
have been watching the revelations made by the
Assembly Committee Crime with great deal OF IN
terest am persuaded that II their inquiries are TO
have any practical value they must be directed toward
the discovery OF the faults and weaknesses OF police
management in this city In tins respect my own
perences with the Police Department in recent case
may be Of some importance on the 18th of August
Miss Adelaide Lennox English actress OF repute re-
siding in this city was robbed or her jewery worth
about 81 500 heard Of the robbery WITHIN three
hours OF its occurrence, and at once communicated
the fact to the police, together with the name
and description of the thief At the
station house in Twentieth street. where
/ went 70 make the complaint, was received by Ser
geant Lane who heard my story with the utmost in
difference. have doubt he receives everybody in
the same manner Although told him the thief's
name which il Charles odell, a professional tramp
with bow legs and broken nose who had somehow in
situated himself into the house where Miss Lennox
sided he manifested no disposition whatever assist
in the thiefs capture and cooy told he would send
an officer 10 the young lady in the morning. Had
the proper measures been taken at once ode might
have been captured the same night, but every oppor
tunity was afforded him to escape, while
the lazy Sergeant was getting ready to get
ready 10 look for him. As II was only
about six O'Clock the time, l gently protested
against this lesurely arrangement and Sergeant Lane
finally consented give the INTO the hands Of the
detective during the evening This he did, and about
hafpast nine o'clock Ohicer Lcahy, formerly Of the
Central Once called at Miss Lcnnox's residence.
have objection 70 urge against this officer person
ally; indeed Of ali those with whom contract
while looking after this case, he the only one who
showed either proper interest sufficient intelligence.
RI ms OF mao
tude shows the complete imbecility Of our police
management Sergeant Lane could have
pected the officer to find the thief, or even
to try TO find him. for Mr.. Leahy was
charged with watching all the empty houses in the
Sixteenth precinct which just then took up al hls
time and he was not relieved Of this duty BY Captain
lyman that he might be able 70 bestow attention
upon the other case. Discouragng as this beginning
was with better fortune IL the Central oace
or at the hands OF superintendent Waliing.
About the same time that Officer Leahy begin
ming his Investigations at Miss Lennoxs residence com
plant was made to Inspector Thorne at the Central
Office The inspector at once detailed Detec-
tyes Kennedy and Reilly 10 work up the
case. one OF these officers Mr. Kennedy called on
the young lady in the morning, and | also had an
opportunity or meeting him. ! was very much i'm
pressed with his amiablity, but even more with his
want OF ability, and l called upon Superintendent
Walling ask him TO take personal Interest ~ the
case was influenced to make this request from q
number of considerations Miss LennoN was out Of
| her country and being at stranger and a
woman she doubly neodfnl Of assistance she was
not In position to offer d reward TOR her property, and
| knew that without a reward the recovery OF the
stolen Jewels would scarcely be attempted unless the 81
perntenden showed socitude II the case Besides
was so dstrustfa of the ability OF the detectives that
/ thought my appeal would induce Mr. Walling to see
to ii that officers properly 70 work. even # he
could not detail ADLER men for the service. The re-
sponse was ali absolute refusal 70 take any interest IN
the case 70 make any effort except the assistance
which the two officers named could afford Being thus
thrown back upon the detectives sought Mr.. Kennedy,
who informed me that he bad not yet found starting
point for his investigations gave hltn al The nior-
nation in my power-iniormation OF which
he confessed himself Ignorant although II
had long before been impaired TO the Po-
Ice Department | also informed him from whom
he could obtain complete knowledge Of the thief,
and he promised TO act al once in the matter SIEVE
raj DAYS elapsed and heard nothing more OF the
except from Officer Leahy, who informed me that he
believed he had cew " Odel's haunts, and that no
could put his hands upon the thief at almost any mo
i ment This hope soon vanished, however, and there
was nothing left except appeal to the Police Com
mssioners Practically that appeal was as Idle
Of the efforts which had preceded IL and up 70 the
present time nothing has been heard either Of the thief
or the property have, however, 70 thank Mr.. Voor
his for kindly zeal and interest in Miss Lennoxs be
half and am that il the Commissioner OF any Com
missioner had any influence with the department the
thief would have been captured and the property re-
covered.
The only thing which yet remains to be related Is my
interview with Commissioner Noorhs, Superintendent
Walling being present. Mr.. Waling,s presence was
OF showing the Commissioner out Of the Superinsend-
ent's mouth how carelcssly the business at the
Central Office is done More than week had elapsed,
and yet the Chief Of Police compelled to admit
that he knew nothing Of the case except
what had been told him in the begin
ming the detectives having made report
since the had been placed their hands At this
point suggested the Commissioner that for all the
Superintendent knew neither OF the officers had been
doing anything in the matter, and further showed
him that il likely they Lad done nothing, because
Mr. Kennedy had failed TO do that which he promised
me- Mr. Walng also admitted that both the detectives
were without experience, Mr. Kennedy having been
the force only short time and Mr. Reilly, who i dit
ferent person from Detective Philip Reilly, being
patroman but recently promoted Alter
hearing all this Mr. poorhis took active
interest "a the case, and for q day Or
two it looked a. ii something would be
done but nothing accomplished. The reason for
the failure wus the fact that the superintendent de-
pended upon subOrdinatcs who way qualified
Tor their positions and these sAUuruacs failed even 70
try find the thief II every that j. presented TO
our municipal police 4 managed II che same way, Of
which ! have doubt, = aite wonder 81 many
criminals escape arrest ara agfhecd. rom my own
experience, that the detective iorce both incapable
and idle and that the snpcrhtchdent u good natured
grandmother, and IN every Way united Tor the position