The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-01-22

w H Y 1T F ALL e d
What a Good Detective
Should Be.
For nearly twelve years the city Of New YORK
has endured the disgrace OF . police detective
ring and, bad % this remarkable organization
was In the early days of It's formation, the one
that exists today though smaller than any that
preceded 1t, Ii by far the worst and most danger
Gus. Every kind of accusation Is levslled against
1t, and suspected criminals hob mob with those
who are In authority, IN sight Of the Board OF
Commissioners.
LATTER DAY HISTORY. Is,
Some facts relative to the operations OF these
men are now given. When John Young left the
detective once the old ring naturally became de-.
morahSed, and, had the Commissioners so chosen,
they could then have eradicated the evils existing
in the bureau. But the fact was that she Boar
felt that their own tenure Of ONCE was very In.
secure one, % steps were then already on foot to
re0rganize the department on municipal plan,
consequently political influence proved powerful
enough to place In command OF the detectives one
VI Luo OiO 1JuB, &uU NO COut0uVeO nl0Beu Win
getting rid Of two or three OF the men to make
show OF reform, ana then new ring was immedi.
ately formed. All OF the detectives who had had
the finger Of suspicion pointed at them were
retained and the same abominable system OF
favorttism o. regarded profitable cases WAS Car.
ried on. II that organization mad remained in
power for any length OF time there be no ques-
ton that the corruption In the bureau would have
reached to lower depth than It ever had before.
This would not have been entirely due to the con-
duct or misconduct OF the chlef but simply be-
cause he was poweress to check the nefarious
practices that existed. Tho subordinates we're
TOO familiar with the secret history OF the squad
to allow any one OF their ring comrades to lnau-
gurate reform, no matter how earnestly he
might wish to make one under the changed cir
cumstancss Of his more responsible position, He
was not mis- own master, and the men knew 1t. At
least i've OF the detectives went on IN the prac.
tees that have made the once infamous, and the
insolent way In which they conducted themselves
toward those who knew something of their Sc
crets showed plainly that these men consld-
cred themselves safe from molestation. One
Of the hrst signs OF tn, new ring
was found IN the early interference OF ring mem.
bers with the business intrusted to outsiders
that is, the sbecial detectives In the wards. Many
an honest detecttve-and there are some In the
OepaTCIucut VINO arc honest, else Tue lorCe WOulo
be worthless-found his work spoiled BY these
men or else taken entirely out Of his hands when
1t suited their purpose or profit to do SO. Some
times the case would be worked up to q success.
ul ending by the ring; but 1t Is often occurred
that the matter was fixed, in q way surprising
| to insiders and mysterious to outsiders The evil
thus progressed until q new department. was or
tendent.
AN EFFORT AT REFORM.
Scarcely aaa tkfR Of Pr Ssea fS4 hs s a. A.
police duty. and Of the few men in THIS country
who evlnced real detective genius. Mr. Jourdan
miscalculated mis- own strength, aud undertook to
do too much 1t one Time He introduced
q secret feature IN organizing 2 corps o!
dress 10 watch ali uniformed members Of the
| force, and though the discipline thus enforced
improved patrol and station house duty, 1t rem
| dered the superintendent unpopular and gave dan
| gerous power TO the special rOun0smen. But this
was not oil. The superintendent remodelIsd the
| In several new ones VINO had achieved brill an
and unspotted regulations as ward dctec. Ives.
70 the right soout the reform would have Been
| complete, but be was weak enough 10 retain the
wno % for nearly
reasons Tor this. First, ne had. as captain been
frequently thrown into con act With these men
cases whele ne had begun at one end and they ct
the other. Though be knew they were not
cheated him out Of rewards rlght univ belonging TO
him yet Jourdan trusted 10 his own power and
to sntS the Of the
this indomtable man succeeded in doing
all the work or h. suborainstes. and
was v performed in credItsDls ana honor a:
able manner, but nearly all OF the older men we're
ing Win men VINO were Known 10 30 OF dsreput:-
BILE character or professions criminals, Tor them
s;s sas bs, :.
as ever, and peing possessed OF considerable low
cunnlng gave HIM no reason TO take decided &C.
! tion against them. Probably II no had lived
wicxedness but political innuence-alwayS tho
and prevented action when most needed. Tne
! Orange riots ana the Nathan murder caused the
and mental anxiety that he sank under It and died
In harness, regretted by the pubic hsso faithfully
served.
| THE PRESENT RING.
The chief OF the detectives ct that time became
mis- successor, and the command OF the squadron
tam . larger share Of . reward than he was en-.
titled to. Then the ring business was developed
and we're deS away cr
other reason tnan the one tina. they were too
nsnest Tor the new ring. the nrst having
and having achieved a reputation that will mako
him long remembered in the department., re-.
signed. He was COO old to DO patrol duty, and LET'S
the service he loved almost heartbroken st cruel
! treatment he had received. iully ded q broken
records Of our local police III The man VINO drove
him away IN assumed disgrace must, indeed, DO
callous II ne does NOT sometimes snudder At the
picture we refrain from giving through sympathy
Tor others than he. These two men and one or
two Of the ring were pushed out OF the once to
save the skin Of their CHIEF. and from that day 10
the present the most shameful rumors nave been
bruited abroad aoout the cpnduct OF the detec-
tives The Chef ana one OF his subordinates were
once even accused openly Of ROBBERY, and the
commissioners tried them on that charge. The
result was by no means an honorable acqulttal,
and. though the mat er has since d. opped out OF
siRnt, the assertions oil the witnesses cling TO
these detectIves' regulations like Stains upon o
garment. UnscrupuiOus In everything the chief
o. the detective squad mas Invariably sacrinced
his subordlnates rom time to time TO save MIN.
SELL knowing iuh well that they dare not resist or
''peach." IL Is this certainty that renders the
ring men 30 confident and daring.
| IL Will no doubt be ne VS. 10 the mOneyed men OF
Wall street wnen they are told that gigantic
| schemes OF fraud have been Iostered Mlnked At