New-York tribune., 1885-02-20
WITNESSES FOR WILLIAMS.
rrsTrMoNY in THE CASE CLOSED.

eAFETY OF LIFE AND fhorEh'i iN DID ~
cINCr-wALLING THINKS THORNE LIED.
When the trial of Captain Williams was resumed
at Police Headquarters Yesterday many rePnta11ie 10
men who either live or transact business ID the
Twenty-ninth Precinct were present 70 tes'y 19 Re
psystar fsS %anaser Bu Of the Theatre
james H. Breslin, Of the Gilsey House fafaer ae
D%seHE assr ti ss Of Baran@s
TEHomas TTEHs5 ex.Alderman Charles b: Waite and Gen
era Barton of the & Na ahe PHDs Of tbe
force in the Twenty Precinct had never been
better that Captain Williams was an eiiiclent ana
diligent commander and tnat they ala mos hN
his removal from the precinct Some OF the VIII
nesses enthusiastic in praise OF the Sean
One merchant said his store IN S1thaVe naa ot Tei IN
robbed twice while Captain Williams was aoS n,,nr lI
command of the precinct, and no trace was 0'9
found Of the thieves ,S9 or antain S Williams resumed
command there, and the captain IL not %ooa oIy '""S"
the robbers but recovered the stolen gooas. -. No
;, 5an PRroadwav' and subiets the house No. 52G
sixtI.ave. to Billy" Sailer, testified that he could
look from the rear windows OF the broadway mouse
into the rear windows of the Slxth-ave. house but
he did not know that any gambling was song on IL ia
the Sixti-ave. place until the recent raid was made
Colonel Bliss presented a paper signed by apout
400 prominent residents and business men of the
-Twenty-nDth Precinct. Inc names "ere "'ie'on
under tn IS heading:
Twenty Nnth Precinct desire to bear testimony TO he
efficiency of the management OF the Ioioo ynder na
Williams and protest action Which shall 3
efficiency by Leading e evil vii SSs p oeer
Among the signers of the paper were
John Britton. president OF the Union p'e sayng
gans RI, @ oaa s0re Hoe hdS B. A%aD % c
Crawford simpson Hugh oNe n Gccpnn Pn,nams Mlla%
Sons William Banta G William I"rrsaP Fsrd1jna1d 1j
3 Starr Edward BTsyOOT Joseph :,ImS D%pp william HI
E. 6 ii
Sons r. Dunlap Co. BIn9ms IaekiGn n Iames
Fle1sher GIoaeI ['1sSfa tStns Leonara "
Clarence A. Seward Lawrence Kip, Carroll Livingston
%"S %rSs snniGrd Hla Perre Loard David Mash
Franklin Bartlett, Isaac Bell, Edward owens ana Z. d.
Bishop.
A letter from Thomas L. James, commenting
Captain Williams. was read also.
{ Sergeants Westervet, Cross and Schmlttberger
CAPTAIN had given strict orders at different times TO
the officers of his command to secure evidence
against the repued II ANY aSvhodv Gu%v
could be caught gambling. Sergeant Scmhtt
berger, who was detective in the precinct 1or
seven years, said he had arrested many persons III
the gambng-houses. and he did not know OF
single case where the proprietor was ever oroueht
to trial after being held IN bail on good evidence
furnished by the police A number OF pollcenen OF
the precinct whose posts are In streets wheie the
reputcd gambling houses were, testified that they
had not been able to get any evidence OF gambling,
and had reported to Captain Williams that no
gambling was going on in the houses lhey hau
not seen any reputed gamblers entering the houses.
Detective Price testified to the same effect. tie
knew some professional gamblers by sight, ne SAID,
bnt he did not see them go into the reputed gam
blinghouses. All the information he had been able
TO obtain tended to show that no gambling was
being done IN the precinct. Being asked II he knew
any reputed gamblers the detective said that per-
sons about whom he knew little had been pointed
ont TO him as reputed gamblers. q" That gentleman
there" he added, indicating Assistant corporation
Counsel Townsend, has been pointed ont TO me a.
a chip-handler, but l don't know that he ls
Mr.. Townsend grew red in the face. and ex-
claimed q never handled chip IN my life c,
Jeremiah Stvers secretary of the London Club,
at No. 6 West Twenty-ninth-st, said that the club
never used and did not own the gambling lmple-
house on the night of January 20. They were only
kept on storage there, he said Tor member VINO
nay ,olonel lone Bhss read an interview with Commits
sioner Porter, published since the trlai OF Saptan
Williams eegam ano atr%ntcd su tnl 70 him In the inter
view il would not be fair Tor him TO act as Il Juuge
in the case long legal controversy on tiv r.sed
doubt as to the correctness OF the puollcatlDn hI
Alvord who wrote the interview, testihed that
General Porter made the statements releireu TO-
General Porter did not contradict the reporter but
indicated by q question that the interview was
highly colored BY the advice of Mr. Deane the
Question of General Porter's fitness to sit i'll judg-
Ineut On Captain Williams was left for the Board TO
decide after the evidence was all III. Lii.
Superintendent Walllng was recalled 10 tesIhy
regarding the action he took on the information
furnished to him by hls son, who lost money III
January 3. when his son told him about ganb ling;
until the present time he bad not begun any legal
proceedings against the gamblers; After readiLs req :
his sons confession he directed Inspector lhOrnC
10 make a written report about the reputed gam
bIinghouses in the Second District. The Inspector
had reported verbally several times that no gamo-
ling WAS going on III the dIstrlct.
Colonel Bliss-Dh you think Inspector Thome had de-
Mr. WaIIing-IIe had been reporting that there
gambling and Other persons had told me that he was
Coione Bl;ss- Did Won believe that Inspector Thorne
intentionally lied to you about the gambling 1ousesi
Mr.. Wallng-Yes. | certainly did believe that'
Colonel Bliss Cangry)-Did yoa, as the superintendent
for Won to try TO make Inspector ThOrne repeat lie In
Mr. Walling-I did. I thought that II a subordinate
had tried TO mseqd me hal right to c Tor wrlteh
Colonel BIiss-And how soon do you expect ask for
retirement!
The last question was not answered, Mr.. Deane
protesting against Colonel Bliss INC oi inquiry
In answer to other questions Mr. Walling sad he
had not made charges against Inspector lhorne.
He had known the Inspector for thirty years,
intimately, and had not had reason to doubt his
word or his efficiency before. ,
INSPECTOR Byrnes was the last witness. He said
he advised Inspector ihorne ana taptMhn Tan illanls
not TO send mon in uniform TO watch the gambling
houses because he thought they could have dor G
better by sending officers IN PLAN clothes TO get
evidence. lie denied having said TO them that
there was gambling gong on IN the twenty
ninth Precinct, but he thought they had =" made an
honest mistake" in their testimony TO that e@nect; @
Regarding the conversation between them about
the gambling houses. Mr.. Byrnes said 1t occurred In
Inspector Murrays room while Inspector ihorne
had testified that it was held In the hail. and
Captain Williams had sworn that it occurred IN
the Detective Office. Mr.. Byrnes denied that he
had been a party to conspiracy against captain
Williams. Early in January he said, he had a con-
sultaton with the other Inspectors and compact
was made that each onc should be informed of any
evidence abont gambling in his district which came
into the possession of the others: The evidence
obtained by Detective Sergeant McCluskey was not
given TO him. Mr. Byrnes said previous to the
issung of warrants for the raid The warrants
were based on aiidavits made by several officers on
Information and belief. The Inspector declared
that he had acted under the orders of the Board in