New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-06-07
THE MAYORS CHARGES.
EVIDENCE PRESENTED BY IHE POLICE COMMISSION
FRS II THEIR DEFENCE.

IRIS II THEIR DEFENCE.
MAYOR Grncc suggested 10 the counsel for the de-
Lncc in the trial Of the Police Commissioner5 lrlday
that if they would hc promptly on hand at J.
o'clock every morning they would probably hasten
matters somewhat. The Mayor himself however,
kent the Court waiting Saturday Tor halt an h"ul,
and Yesterday it was haf-past II before hr ap-
reared. The Commissioners were represented ny
Henry W. BOokstaycr, George Bliss and Willard
Their were between fifteen and twenty policemen
arranged around the Mayors room when the Court
opened. Thee wrrr sworn one , 10y
had arrested men in the last two years for throwing
refuse in the street throwing PAINFUL OF aHh's III
the street. driving cart loaded with manure
tLrough an avenue after - q. m, or for some other
equally hcinOus offence. Ihrse arrested men had
al been discharged, however, 10y the police justices
ON their pleas that they did not know the law that
they were told to do II that the policemen hal not
retained their horses and wagons. sOtha fine could
be- collected that the offence was 'nch Nrc itiic
one - that they had no asl-bnrrcl that they mdh
think II would harm anybody or that thc7c was
a contractor who employed Them who spoke
10 he Justice. The supply Of pOiircmcn giving oui
alont noon. Mr. Bliss aud Mr. Bartlett introduced
as evidence copies OF inJunctIons signed 10y Judge
Donohuc and others NJ various period. restraining
the city authorities from interfering with the Use "f
snow -pougls and swe, pcrs 10y the sileri i'h"hNS'
After the recess Mr.. Bartlett offered report
showing the history of street dreaming ~ Ne" ork
from 1S7 to 1879. This was prepared for the As-
semby Committee. which investigated IN lN1' In"
methods of strcct-c,auing IN NrW-lork, 10y Reeves
L. Selmes of the Controllers ONCE AZ the instance
of John Kelly, then Controller. Mr. Sclmcs testified
that the report was made MP entirely from ofiC AL
documents. and Mr.. Andrews accordingly agreed 10
accent il in lieu Of these documents themselves
Mr.. Bartlett then read the report which showed. he
SAID, that when the contract system was IN force
ia. people wanted an executive system and as
soon rs they had this they wanted To return to the
contract system Mr.. Bliss said that the defence
would Ice Obliged Ia prove that the ashes aud parb
age were removed from all hose places specified 10y
the prosecution. This would require the sunmoning
Of over 300 witnesses and the production of great
many documents. He sugg stcd that some way of
abbrcyiating this testimony lee agreed upon Mr.
Andrews replied thai perhaps few of these wit
ncSscs would better be summoned, and then some
compromise could bc made.
I'VE had expected said Mr.. Bliss, at 3 p. m,
THAT 300 policemen would be summoned here to-
day as witnesses. Captain Williams, however. is
settling up his accounts and paying of his men, an
have not been able TO have the policemen present
as we intended. We shall have to ask your Honor
therefore, 10 adjourn the Court To TOMORROW
Mayor Grace accordingly adjourned the Court UNI
til to-day nj 1890 n. III.
Some of the points in the history OF STRENGTHENING
referred 10 above are as follows:
Before 1882 no money paid for cleaning the
streets except public grounds. In 1871 the contract
spOnsibility for srect-cleaning wore acknowledged
as interfering with the proper performance OF the
work A contract in 1913 was made for cleaning the
streets for Il We years nj S30O,0O0 In 1916 1t was
prOpOsefthat the paupers should he put 10 cleaning
the streets The celebrated Hacker contract IN
1861 was made at 100000 n year. In
1866 tho contract was given TO Brown Dev0e ~
Knapp. at $i0S, 800 year. IL was then reported
that there 200 miles Of streets to be cleaned
The Police Commissioners assumed tho Work OF
miles of paved streets and 100 miles of unpaved
streets. In 1875 the Common Council favored the
creation of a bureau like the one recently created
under which the streets are now cleaned.