New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-07-31
SITTING POLICE METHODS.
TESTIMONY BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON
CRIME.

POLICEMEN ASSIGNED TO WORK IN THE HOUSES
OF OFFICIALS - DEPARTMENT SUPPLIES TAKEN
ron PRIVATE sTABLEs-BRUTAL CLUBBING OF
pR,soNERs-now PArRoLMAN's WORK ON TIE
NATHAN MURDER INVESTIGATION WAS STOPPED.
The Assembly Committee which Is engaged
n, an Investigation OF the and the increase OF
.rme in this city continued Its work yesterday Some
t the testimony bore heavily upon several police officials
many Of whom directly interested In the cases c'ed
Al the chose OF the days work. tho Chairman ihomas
Cooper Campbell, announced that the Committee woud
take recess until Wednesday. Sept The Committee
took ND this investigation immediately after the close o
tho session of Assembly and has pursued II steadily
snce that time The members of the Committee as wen
"a the counsel say. that they feel exhausted.
John Sullivan living Jersey City Nights and doing
business at No 334 Duanest was the hrst witness. JIG
formerly did at Nos Oh and DC CaDast lie Is
Il, the dry goods business and In January 1873 his store
IN uanest was robbed Of sawls 10 the value al Sl119
Before this Lad been robbed Of small amount and
his goods recovered by Captain Mcdonnell fror
70 the last robbery he informed by Captain Kennedy
then Of the Sixth Precinct police. that he was 10 DC
robbed The Captain had been informed of this ny one OF
fhe gang and told Sullivan TO keep two or three men on
the premses all the time catch the burglars. The Wit
meas time, and also had iron scuttcs put
upon the roof and the of the buildings protected
But, after q time, he did not consider inc
sleeping Of the there at night necessity
apd therefore dispensed with their services:
eMe time after that he was robbed On the morning of
Jan o. 1879 he came down TO his store ana cuhd 10
broken open he sent word to Police Headquarters ara
Detective Euss examined the store; lie promised tho
detective $500 he obtained the goods for him. he also
Informed Capt Kennedy, who made an examination OF
the place; they found that the goods had been taken
over several roofs; nothing however, DONE ana as
Mr. Sullivan thought that tho officers had been negligent,
CAPT Kennedy made complaint against them; they
were tried the captain telling Mr. Sullivan 70 keep quiet
And he would recover his goods; some time after The
rspter fha In
rave him the information that the goods were In tie
house Of JACK" Thomas, who kept liquor store on
Broone-st; he said that If Mr.. Sullivan would
60 to hoase Crosbyst he would find his goods; MI
Sullivan although capt Kennedy sad that tne evidence
was of no account visited the house with two officers
and ceedod In recovering $3.50 worth of his stolen
shawls They found in old trunk. The two
Thomas brothers were arrested; Of them was
leased and the other sentenced to two years In The
Penikn tiary The latter recalled, however, as his
sentence IT wac claimed, In error He was resen-
fenced to months in the State Prison. but about
wear after the occurrence, Mr.. Sullivan met him in
street IN New-York Mr.. Sullivan gave an account how
he was rudely treated by Justice Dowlng Capt Ken
nody, and other police officials.
SUPPLIES AND MEN USED FOR PRIVATE BENEFIT.
Dr. John o. Bronson, praceiDg physician residing
IN Fifty ninthst testified that at time he con-
nected with the City Government in the capacity of
Health Officer. In May. 1873, lie preferred charges
against several police officials, captains, for many
alleged Irregularities. In the police stables, stu
sted IA the precinct where the mounted
police were quartered he charged that private citi-
,rns kept horses at the expense of the city.
Not only that feed for the public stables was sent to
private stables and patromen in the pay OF The city
were sent private houses 10 do work there as servants
ana mechanics. Mr.. Cbarck he said. promised to at
tend the matter bnt he had never heard that was
brought ~ trial. He said that Capt Wilson also hired
out the police to anty Cemetery, receiving pay
for the same.
Uor,iio c. Conhlin Of One-hundred- ninth
st. and sevent-ave testified that he was formerly pa
trolman and had the police force 10 years; he
was in Capt Wilson's precinct for nearly II years; he
deiled to 1T the substation az Fort Wash
itOn, and all that time was paid as paIonan be did
work in the house of Seth c. h wley Chief CLERK of the
Board of Police Commissioners; he did some rustic work
there and also fitted up the stables he then paid
apatro,uau; Nj Hawley, in Christmas letter, had sent
him $751; fitted up closet in the police station lie did
not what had become OF that closet he bad heard
from his sons, who still with Capt. Wilson On
6IeD Island, that the closet at the Captains house
part the old station which torn down, was trans
feed Mr. Hawleys house and used as lining for sta
bles OF stables feed taken from the De
partent 10 Mr. IIawleys house; the witness lad car
ried II there once he ordered to get the feed and
leave two thirds OF 1t the police station and the re-
mander at Mr. Hawey's house, and he did sO he was
also detailed repair department furniture the feed
om.times taken by Mr. Stevens and George John
son. who were detailed at the stable.
Sidney II. ConkD, OF the last witness, then testi-
Ned that formerly in the Thirtysecond Precinct
under Capt. Wilson he In the Police Department,
four years and then iesgned he drove load OF lumber
to Mr. Haweys house IN 1867 or 1861 the lumber was
for feed d lining To c0albu which his father was
30 make he had taken feed TO Mrs Wilson, the Capt aims
WIFE at KeypOrt he took TO KeypOrt COW and - bags
Of feed he moved closet spoken OF by his faheI
from Capt Wilson's house To staten Island Capt. Wilson
had 10 his house Staten Island two faddes, which
bore upon them the stamp OF the METROPOLITAN Police;
there seizure OF lot of horses, aud "f
top buggy that buggy the witness said Is now at Capt
Wilson's; there was also at Capt. Whson's box OF
blankets which were formerly IN tho Police Department.
he had used blankets upon the police horses
which he used ride he ordered Ivy Capt. Wilson
" take the lumber Mr. Hawley's house Mr.. Hawey
hun bring feed 10 his house.
Gardner Conklln brother Of the last witness, then
stated that he also lived at Island and had boon
absent froIn this city three months he was
formerly in the Police Department. he was detailed MS
loser In the stable nc had taken tccd from the stable
10 the captains hOnse there be used ~ feed with De
parment fodder, three hogs three times day, three
horses three times day doing this every day for a
perod Ave months he had seen william Archer act as
paper hanger: had also the closets at Staten
Island.
DAVID Pettigew testified that he had taken feed 10 Mr.
Haweys stable he had also feed taken TO ConniS
soner BreDnaD's stable he bad seen as many az 20
horses Police stable. although only Ia belonged TO
the Department; the property OF Inspector
speght belonged 10 the late President Smith and
eA-COmmis siODer Manierre.
John A. Ellis was formerly superintendent Of Trinity
Cemetery he had hired u from Capt. Wilson. pay
Ing hun % 80 day; Inspector Speght had owned
fighting cock; he also owned a black stallion
Orer Gray testified that he had been detailed n paint
ue police station. o had done outside work for him
self for which he received sl2 SlS. which he had
never reporfed Al one time he had painted Mt. Haw-