The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-01-24
the result was disorganizaton and demoraliza.

IGNORANCE OF THE BOARD.
One OF the most striking evidences OF the inca
pacirv OF the Commissioners is found in the utter
ignorance displayed by them as TO the precise
powers appertaining TO the position of a police
captain Great fuss was made oy some OF the
Board about tue evil OF gambling, ana they d H.
nouncea WIN flourish that all gambling should be
stoppcu ~ TINS city. As well try 10 change the
nature OF mankind as TO ex'erminate the gam
blers. Inc task was attempted by orher boards,
that UNDERTOOK It, also tried TO enforce the old
Excise aw, and though they earnestly laoored 70
themselves beaten. And why were they beaten
Because the Board attempted TO do too mucn.
In check and prevented from dong great harm u
the community; but the Bo rd might as well at
tempt 10 stop all crime as to extineuish these TWO
vices NO Board ever thought II possible To utterly
stamp OUT The criminal classes All That was ever
expected was to so harass the professional
thieves as to keep them in constant danger OF de.
lection and punishment.
The present Board OF Commissioners, however,
they had superintendent whom everybody knew
TO De conscientious and honest of1cal-one who
not openly accused OF sharing with the gam.
blers IN ther profits, as his predecessor nad been
the Commissioners would not accept his judgment
as to the nest methods OF checking the EVIL. Some
OF the members OF the Board believe even now
that gambler can be arrested without legal
proof. SIMPLY on suspicion, and sent to court for
trial They hold the opinion that doors can be
broken open ana citizens dragged out OF their
premises without due process OF law. member
OF the FORMER Board undertook that line OF con-
dnct IN cases where the wrong done was Tar
more serious one than gambling, and he soon
lOuuu tUut there were laws tudt even a romeo
commissioner was bound 10 respect The fact
tnat man Is captain OF ponce does not give
MN aufocratlc power, and It would be a
supreme power 10 the captains, as Qne Commits
sioner AT least would have 1t, and place in the
hands OF his subOrdinates breechloadIng rines, as
another member OF the Board once proposed and
we would have very nice state OF affairs indeed
War time aud martial law would be nothing TO IL.
We see too we'll the bad effects OF such police
system IN New Orleans to lnaugnrate a similar
system IN the Empire City. Such are the men
who local police,
THE DETECTIVE REFORM"
IN wow et US oos a. sme Inn Tey srs ~
ascertain VINO were The real members OF the
so-called ring IL would have eeen very easy Tor
them to md out. Common runlor should have
given them sufficient clew, and the records OF lie
departments furnished all necessary evidence. The
OF notorious criminals and pocketed large rewards
for the recovery" OF stolen plumber. How
easy would 1t have as,r been Tor the Board
In the squad. Every case that came TO
the detective once could have been investigated
and the method OF conducting II easily ascertained
For Instance II the relative number OF arrests each
man had made during given time could have been
discovered IL would have given an idea OF his
industry. The Importance and grade OF the crime
committed, the fact that a reward had or had not
been offered for the recovery OF stolen property
would have been shown. The TACT that reward
had been received by detectives and never account
ed Tor by them. would IN many cases nave , been
The rules OF the department specify by wise pro-
vision that twenty five per cent OF al rewards re-
Iund; yet how seldom has 1t happened tnat such
percentage OF large rewards has been added te
PERMISSION 10 receive So 1913 Tor the arrest OF a
bank deiauter and the recovery OF over 81 900 in
money The ofncer did not belong to the ring
consequently he had no way or hiding
the reward. had he wished to do so,
aud the lund gains $l,4oo. But II the
curry they would have found that detectives mad
pocketed even larger rewards and deirauded the
Widows fund out OF thousands upon thousands
OF dollars. Thew would also have ascertaned that
members OF the squad had lnterfered with other
members, and eitaer spoiled by giving In.
formation 10 CRIMINALS or by actually aiding in
their escape. II ia not long since one OF the
leaders Of a gang OF burglars escaped arrest Tor
time by the negligence OF detective who was
supposed 10 be helping his comrades in securing
the criminals, and II the records were searched
OF the Lord bond robbery or IN the case OF Dan
Noble, SO IL Is In the present DAY. Men who are
execute the laws against crime. A few years ago
police captain made preparations to break up
notorious keno lame On broaawas, w VIM was
could be heard on the side walk. The evidence was
in hand and the descent could therefore De ie-
galy made. The captain informed his special de-
tectives OF the proposed descent, and them only.
He did not even tel the superintendent or the
Commissioners. When the police arrived they
iound no gambling gong on ana no trace OF sucn
practices IN the premises, showing that the gam
detectives thouoh valuable men in that capacity.
had TO Con their uniforms and 90 on patrol. The
lesson was a severe one because II was promptly
ing gwen the consequence being that keno gam
bling disappeared in due time
HOW THE REFORM WAS ACCOMPLISHED.
When the Board decided to reform the Detective
Bureau they held private sess on ana selected
the men VINO were to ne made EXAMPLES OF. Co.
ing over the list one Commissioner eviaenty dis
covered that one man must be let alone, for the
cemrade anosher d.,er,ye eseanea. probapv ' be-
cause political magnate had oxen Tor MS
favorite. Another mad strong puli'' through
bankers whom he had well served IN the past All
OF these men were, perhaps, quite innocent OF the
bad practices that have made the bureau the
scandal that IL Is, but they were TO be
retained simply because the Commissioners found
II eXpedient TO do so, and not because they were
known to be innocent. Having declc ed that the
chief offender go, the Board need only have
examined into the record OF each one oil MS sub
ordinates 10 PICK out the sx,or seven men VINO
and sterling man placed over the remainder
would have accomplished the so much needed re
form. Instead OF this they made up list o VIC
TINS which Is Of sucn character that one would
suppose That nearly all OF the names had been
/ drawn by chance from list. Two OF the ring are
among them. Thai is all, the others remain.
The reform" commissioner once remarked that
all OF the detectives must De bad Tor II THERE were
any honest men among them II was their
/ bounden duty 10 give the Board information re-
gatSng the really pes mn memDer dn5ee
thus led 10 the dismissal OF two men. These three
detectives are now sent on post as punish
can the Commissioner reconcile these two facts
Another OF the men transferred from the SQUAD 70
a police court Is one against whom no word oil
reproach has ever been uttered. His record is as
clean IS daylight, and the importan: service per-
formed by him be ore the ring drove all leading
business away rom him should nave shielded the
detective force from this wrong. We repeat
the reform is not ample, and the device OF barring
Z windows like q prison and walilng up doors viii
not make men honest who wisn 70 be otner wise
ne superintendent made desperate EFFORT tt
the captain whose constant friend he ha:
always been, and by that one act has damaged
himself IN the estimation OF those VINO thoroughly
understand the inner workings OF the department
l This class Is not very small one either, as the
/ Board must KNOW. irving came rom a preclnc
10 The Central once with trouble on his hands. ant
nc has ever since given occasion for suspicion anC
accusation. How Mr.. Walling can endeavor &c
shield him is something not easily understood OF
/ explained.