New-York tribune., 1875-08-06
TRIALS OF POLICE OFFICERS.

CAPT. A. :. WILLIAMS CHARGED With NEGLECT OF
DUTY-EvIDESCE or JOHN r. GROo-DEiECTIVE
wARLow's RAID on A GAMBLING HOusH
The trial OF Capt. Alexander S. Williams OF
the Fourth Precinct begun yesterday morning before
the Police Commissioners the charges that he hal
neglected his duty in permitting panel hous"s to exist In
the Eighth Precinct while he captain, that after re-
ports OF robbery had been made AZ the police station he
had neglected TO make any arrests OF the thieves, and
that he Indirectly aided the criminals In their practices
President Matsell and Commissioners Voorhis and Dis
becker were present. with the eounsel OF tae Policc
Board but Capt. Williams conducted his own defense
! The trial occupied the entire day.
The only witness examined was Sergeant John H. Gr0O
OF the Sixteenth Precinct who Sergeant under Capt
Williams in the Eighth Precinct The dircc, testimony
OF this witness has given in full in his evidence be-
Committee Crime. The principal features OF
the testimony were statements that between November
90 1873 and March "A, 1874 several reports had been
made of rober.es occurring in the panehoses at NO
1f3 Mcrcerft No. as Greenest and No. j2 Woostersi
that these reports given to Capt Wiliams
that the cases were referred 10 Special Duty Officer Ter
w,fger for Investigation, aud that usually nothing
more heard OF them Sergeant Groo further tesihd
that in the OF panchouse robberes 10 entry was
made on the bloter Of tho police station which should
have been under the regulations of the Police De
partment an that such omissions had been caused by
the order inmation of Capt Williams. The witness
had been informed that Special Duty Officer Terwiiger
had received money from panel thieves for Capt
Williams.
On the cross examination 1t proved by the bloer
OF the police station that at the times when Sergeant
Gil 90 that reports had been made TO him OF panel
house roblc res while he desk duty, he was not
Oh such duty on other occasions II was shown that
contrary TO his stesmOnyScraeant Groo was away from
the station, and that on March ii, when the
man from Cleveland reported ~ have lost
81 400 at M. IS Greencs Sergeant Groo had command
amt
city from G:l5 p. March IL. TO 552 a. NJ, March 10
During those 36 hours seieea Groo had done nothing
toward securing the arrest OF the thieves bcy yohd refer
ring the matter 10 special Duty ohc.f IcfNiisel SIT
Wlams to give all such eases to Ter erwlliger FOR Inv
CATION. He admitted that he h3i violated thc
rules in not entering robberics, bat claimed
hv Capt williams. He also admitted that when Capt
tried to ind out who had committed the 81 400 robbery;
but added that Williams would no. have approved any
pcror officers frequently at the Police 6taol he had
never reported the fact that Capt. williams had
Police Department. With regard to the discrepancies
In dates sergeant Groo testified hai the dates ,krh
down III his memoranda were ths times ~ien lAe @ lop
bsrcs said to have urred not when they were
fact OF the robbery would NOT be reported b the .icm
until the day after the occurrence" lie could not lve III
any case TIE precise time when the report Of robbery
reached him but In nearly all the cases he wss on desk
duty -, -, ,. o.,o
DETECTIVE wARLOw's CONDUCT JUSTIFIED.
ExCaptain Jacob B. Waiow now on the detective
service at Police HcadIuarters was charged yesterday
before the Police Commissioners with violating his duty
ia not breaking ZIP gambling house at No lO2 East
Thirteentht July 20. Theodore hub Junior counsel
Of the Assembly Committee Crime testified that by
Arrangement with Superintendent Wall!nG, Ohcer
Warlow was detailed with other officers 10 go with him
to the house question: and that although the witness
had given wnrlow sufficient opportunity to satisfy him
self that gambling going on, ne had refused
break up tho place. 1t proved for the defense
that IN consequence Of the strength OF the entrances,
ANY attempt break up this place oil thai night would
have resulted iu failure but that by making observa
tons July 20, knowledge OF the surroundings was
bained which secured successful raid July ~ the
arrest persons for gambling the seizure OF oil the
Implements used in the game and the entire breaking up
Of ti, honse Superintendent Malng gave his opinion
that officer WarlOw had acted very udiciOusy and that
II he had ATTEMPTED to make the raid on July 20
would have ended in a disgracefui failure. 1t also
proved that the door leadng from Tirtenthst was Sc
in All the gamblers would have escaped with tacir iu
nlements