New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-04-15
THE ASSEMBLY INQUIRY.
WORK OF THE ROOSEVELT COMMITTEE.
MR.. wHrNEY's STATEMENTS NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.,
TIE POLICY MAN TIES TIFIEs.

hiR. WHTTNEYS STATEMENTS NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.,
THE POLICY MAN, TEsTrFIEs
I'm the Assembly Investigating Committee
yesterday, Che chairman made statement respecting
certain newspaper reports Of ID. j. Whitneys testimony
Friday last wherein he made to say that If his
society could gam the University Club IL could
show that there gambling there regularly and that
large amounts or money lost there every night
Mr. Roosevelt, speaking for the committee,
said that such not the impression conveyed;
that, in fact, Mr. Whitney had said moth
ing Of the kind Ho then explained the circumstances
TO the following effect: Mr. whitney exhibited
to the committee samples Of liquors obtained Sunday
by his agents from certain uptown hotels for instance
the Hoffman House, the Hotel Brunswick DelmOnico's
and the Union Square. During this exhibition Judge Rus
sell jokingly asked Have you anything there from tho
University Club-ny cub1" WhereupOn Mr. Whitney
replied NO. there is nothing from the University Club.
We cannot get in there" Thon in banerng spirit, at
the expense OF Mr. RUSSELL the witness added There is
knowing what might find II we could get in there.
IA TRIBUNE reporter called upon Mr.. Whitney yester-
day and he added his confirmation to the foregoing
sion of his testimony
Henry F. Cornish, ward detective of the Twenty
eighth Precinct, recalled On previous occasion he
had protested ignorance to what policy hacker
Mr.. Miller repeated his question upon this point, and the
witness gave intelligent explanation. The counsel
asked how he had acquired his knowledge the subject
the witness said that he had not understood the question
when put him before He then stated that he had been
the police force for twenty-five years. and had been
detective for six years he had been instrumental III sup
pressing five reputed policy shops in that period
He defined his duty to be looking after thieves and
gambling and policy shops. He claimed that
since 1880 there had not been more than
twenty policy shops in his precinct, ana that
had existed for over two weeks at tlne ana IL
could shown that dozen policy shops had existed TOT
ak months or year precinct he could not account
sL,adb i'm he f.. Simmons,
and be said he did when he saw the advertisements
of the Louisiana and Kentucky Lotteries he supposed the
people in those States wero backing the business
Odd you or did you not think it was your duty ito
backipg tRCm3 Al dd not look for the hacker; was
looking for the fellow that seln. the tickets.
policy shops Ia your district Al did not thought
long as got the writer was doing my duty.
John L. immons then called He was the partner
of D. j. Bersten in the policy business I'm 1880 and con
tnued the business in 1881 and 1892 alone though he
claimed to have been the manager of IT, book was
Shown to him in which he finally identified certain en-
made by himself though he was at first reluctant to
admit that he knew anything oft At one time he pre-
tended to have knowledge OF man named Fitzgerald,
who according to the testimony OF the Ber
stein and Nathan, hal been in his employ; at
another time when apparently off his guard he ident
fed an entry in the handwriting of Fitzgerald whom
he referred to by name. An entry, "Cor 80
wag shown him. He said il represented man named
he looked after Different items pointed out whore
entries Ike "P"" Pol" and Police were followed by
amounts ike 80 " or $l0," aud he was asked II
he did know that these presented sums paid TO the
police The witness did not at first incline 10 direct H
times. last he admitted that the sums named were
returned by writers in their accounts OF expenses and
were doubtless meant to be understood representing
paid TO the police, - just at that time
policy shops being continually harassed
that dollar OF it ha ever been paid to the police but
that the money had been pOcketed by the writers
ton was tolerated he said that there many com
pettors that f. would pay TO raise the question OF ex
else and get the allowances which they claimed. He pre-
sumed the writers adopted that method as the most su lie
Mr. Mier-Then 1t was claimed that the police were
threatening to arrest them aud because OF TINS they
o.~ihen you must havo believed at that time that
the poice were maein{ these demands Al might
have believed it theH; don't reconect ,. ,,,-.
The W tness was asked If he knew Detective cornish
lect whether he had talked to him. Detective Cor
~ tbe man he reerTed to- Mr. Miller inquired whether
the had not said since Detective Cornish was
previously examined that lie had paid MN money he
Q-Haye you not stated that you knew Of other dseo
tiyos to whom money had been padf A-No SIR not 10
my knowledge do not know.
bIr Miller insisted upon an unqualified answer, yes or
no hut the witness refused some time 10 give the
direct required though ne finally declared ne
had not Then ais attention was called 10 ne entry
handwriting OF the witness, and which fron ITS location
in the book was uske any OF the other snOp accounts
pr0eSsed not to understand it. The same reply was
made 40 TO the entry ash. T. $40. lie knew captain
WasbbuIn and had spoken to him He knew Captain
Mount but dill remem0er having ever spoken TO him.
He did not know Captains Murphy or Gunner.
O-DO you now to state that you nave no knoW-
edge Whatever OF moneys being paid to the police directly
or indirectly for protection anything else at tbs
lime ,ou were engaged in the lottery policy buslness2
Al have knowledge of money being PAID directly or
indirectly, for that purpose.
In reply 10 Mr. Russell ne said that If he entry
in book -, omstk $lO' he would not say that IL
meant that go had been paid to Mr.. Comstock. but
rather that might represent bail In the OF some one
arrested by Mr.. COmsto X.
The comm tee adjourned to meet on Saturday next at
o o'clock at the Metropolitan Hotel
Mr. Roosevelt is In constant receipt Of queer letters.
generally either critic sing the testimony or
witnesses the of the committee: some or them
pretend To point subjects for investigation. For IN
stance some one whose wife had been ed TO desert him.
laws the case before the committee which should
receive ITS attention Mr.. Roosevelt finds great amuse
mem IN these strangely wOrded and badly spelled epstleS
The committee unanimous, however, Ia opposition TO
such enlargement of its powers as would lead II into
y,,.l,av nj