New-York tribune., 1875-10-20
INVESTIGATION OF CRIME.
DETECTION AND PUNISHMENT or LAW
BREAKERS


BREAKERS
COL. wISGATfs EXAMNAroN OF ELECTION
FRAUDs-A PRIVATE DETECTIVE AGENCY DOING
THE WORK or TIE POLICE-EX-AssIsTAN DIS
TRICr-ATTOENEY ALIENS VIEWS OF THE sYs-
TEN OF PROSECUTION ASD POLICE ADMiNIsTRA-
TON.
The Assembly Committee on Crime met
yesterday in thc City Hall. Col George W. wmgate
testified that in the Fall Of 1873. he retained by the
Distrct-Attomey to examine into allcged oicetiGn
frauds. his duty being TO investigate Illegal acts
mite by Inspectors Of Elections; he prepared charges
against about 100 inspectors and deposited them with
the Chief Clerk OF the D!sirict-AtOmeys Office these
followed by more complaints, which he sIi; iD but
which were returned With n request that t..c All
daYis which the charges were fouadcd
should aoc,mpany them; these o!so
furnished, and, daring the following SlIfaR,
Police Commissioner Charlick made long examination
of them. On May the witness saw District Attorney
Phelps and urged the indictment oi Commissioners Char
lick AM Gardner bat Mr. Phelps thodgh 10 ci .c had
been committed by ;bem upon which an iulict ctment
could be found. Despairins If doing anything through
the Dis'rctsttOnc' Office, ;bc witness coinmu
nicatou 10 the foreman OF the Grand Jury anh after
wards appeared before thc Grand Jury and gave tes
mony in regard to the onensos committed by Com
missioners. Further delay occurred, bat finally
they were indicted, tried, and convicted.
1t matter OF general notor!cty that there was a
conspiracy against the ballot boxes, ia which fhc Police
Commissioners implicated, and the witness did not
think there any doubt about the fact Great DIM
Guilty found in getting the desired before
court. one of the worst eases 81 election fraud, lie
stated has never bcer brought to trial
George II. bangs, General SuDcrinerdent of the Ma
tonal Detective Agency testified In regard TO the forged
Chicago and Northwestern Railroad bonds SI5 900 of
which placed on the Philadelphia market in the
Fail of 1874 lie employed TO investigate the case,
nj NJ gf,,IK
fessed hs connection with the forgelies ana with the
Ncw-Yorl forgers Robert II WsharGt and George Miles
alias Meyers, alias Bliss. A. Hit sick bc
removed bnt placed under guard Ia the mean time
Capt Irving and five other NewYork detectives went TO
Philadelphia and attempted to take Hin away forri)y
without any warrant. They wcrc prevented from
doing this but action he'd been taken
against them by the state o. New York al
though they had been Indicted in Pennsy lNania
for an attempt at kidnapping; the witness hah doubt
that the attempted abduction Of iit the purpose
of shielding persons here with whom he
in the forgeries In the OF the orgcos the Buf-
alo NcwYorlI and Ele bonis. M Bangs said that A.
J.. Roberts, Valentine Gleason and Stephen Raymond
arrested hy his agency in the iIai Of Roberts the
jury disagreed, bnt in civil su: against Roberts and
Gleason Trey had both been shown guilty Of u.iepng The
forgercs; the principal testimony against them was
obtained Of "spencc" Pct's. who confessed that the
forgcres panurd with The knowledge OF Capt.
irving and Detective Farley. who he stated were prom.
oei percentage of tire profits. Regarding the Bank of
England forgcres, which hi- agency
ploycd 10 work up in this rnhnfry. Mr.
Bangs said that his detectives procured the arrest OF
Austin IS Bltwe IA Havana Ihey also attempted 10
claimed Ia have authority from England 70 make tlo
arrest and were finally allowed 10 do II. In Mdcioua6s
Phil IN which the writer stated lac n,osc 300. IN
and sent it TO phil Farley. While BMwrI Wns in la.
yana he wrote 10 irving, and also t,le1aphed him and
his we in Ieear, 70 bis affairs. Mr. naDgs. al the re-
quest ~ the COMMITTEE, gave a views IN gld 10 the
present detective system in New-York JIe particularly
denounced IT," award sysien - II tended 10 ecep mnca
important Information from the superior officers. lie
also thought tie detective should be entirely scra-
rate from mat or the police and TIE detectives shOId
not be- publicly known as fhcy at pres,nt
was unm mporant, cSNssistant District Aitonsy Heney
AleD was sworn He testified that his first connection
thought On3 gtcai reason Why crime eflrc-
meliy suppressed was because the police magistrates
either ignorant grossly negligent their duty
The statute was mandatory that police magistrates
mould bind over a material witnesses for the plosecd-
on 10 appear and testify aud YET tins wax never done
II II done II would do away with The frequent
pounding OF fconea He also referred to the law IN
gard 10 tlc examination of witnesses, and stated he had
cent the statement OF the com, ainanf The result MAS
il the prisoner was guilty, he waived an exam
matiun ana then had pil The time preceding
the Trial to manufacture ease to his own
liking, without the District Attorney being able
10 present proof OF dnin I'm The matter Of bail. the
witness l, the theory u; the judges seemed Ia he that
Il was matter ot rsh, whereas, in this STATE 10
was baabe, matter of right except In of mis-
demeanor II Il was manifest that Tia prisoner
guilty he should not DC admitted o. bail. As ~ WAS,
II frequently hlppened HAT person arrested for theft
admitted To bail IN less amount than that stolen,
and il became profitable business To give bail then
fail appear Ir. Allen thought the COnrt Of Special
Sessions often exceeded ia jurisdiction. H. had known
70 10 try froDlcS ana where the punishment
five years imprisonment and yet il had right tD
try ,Gch eases tlah Il At tU Try a ease OF nnldrr
In relation O tie BUiflO NewGork and Etic bond for
geIics, Mr.. Allen said there muc, delay tic
part Ot the police detectives IN acsiing The iDrRcr that
II WAS agreed % consult Hr Bangs and IN yrFy few
DAYS he hal tho arrest. hut for IIudcn al
tie matter not at once made public. The police
detectives NOT app"iScl of what had beer done, and
came 10 the Cifcc aud said lac thought the in
BDsOU the tO England. by way quebec, aud
he wanted "a know II 20 GDuh bC best to follow them 4
d, ecivc aiicIward Sat dat the detectives Bah fe-
ceiyed ora ~ uoi t. DO anythn IN the csc. that vas
the Cal iu lub. A aida, made that Can't. ITy-
ing war s"en lr tlt lar- m conversation viii of
tae men at The iic ne Repairing pro ~ the Dis
lic:-AtOrncy oilc,. T. tie general report that tho
detectives in rCusi0a with the thieves, and
II frequently stated they IN tie hnli, Of making
complaint to the hieyc that business dn and they
tbc thieves must get "a work. When indictments were
found. i beyond dispute that il prisoner obtained
bail ID almost cquiva.Cnt To discharge owing The
crowded condition ~ tc courts. Mr.. Alien a-ked IN
regard 10 tats hc had OseIle.ud .ioGi the rine
a large Eulhhcr ~ arrests made lie iI,i
iectcd 10 answering, Dlt ny said that he overheard
Ass.staut District Attorney Lyons and John DiycH.
pOIt threaten 20 't The lOiar, deal
lie n press with he dea that u va. an 10
BE- done or political purpose, 'd ~ did hat he could
~ prevent IT, The inCctmonfs. however, were found
but they were never Brought to rial
CA account Uf he illness Cf the council fuY tho Con-
nittco, tir ntF'r nearing OF Mr.. Aliens tsiont was
aiDouiir' untii Ericay.