Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-08-28
THAT GAMBLING MATTER
The Special Committee Re-
ports to the Council.
An EXTRAORDINARY PAPER.
Moved to Gust Chief Cuddy without
a Hearing, By Star-Chamber
Proceedings.

The agitation over the Chief of Police
is fresh in the minds of all readers OF
the daily papers. Some time ago a
special committee was appointed to in
vestigate certain insinuations made
against Chief Cuddy. The work of the
committee has been carried on with so
much cat-like slyness that people won
dered what was being done, and many
thought the whole business dead.
Yesterday, however, in the meeting of
the Council, Mr.. J. H. Book, Chairman
of the special committee, created
a decided sensation by springing the
following report:
POLICE Committees REPORT.
To the Honorable Council of the City of
Los angeles.
GENrLEMEN-Your special committee
appointed to examine into certain COM
rlaints affecting the integrity and eff
cheney of the Chief of Police, would beg
leave to report as follows:
First-Our investigations have been
both deliberate and impartial, having no
other purpose than to find out the facts
as to the working of our police govern
ment.
| Second-The charge made by Wong
Cue that certain tan games refusing to
pay for the privilege of running were
raided, while others alleged to be paying
were unmolested, we find to be practi-
cally corroborated by admissions made to
your committee by officers now on the
police force.
The surroundings at the times of these
arrests we're such as to excite the strong
est suspicious that for some cause unfair
determinations had been made. On the
same floor, within as easy reach, were
three games. One was taken, two were
left. These two, it was claimed, had paid
price for the privilege of running; the
other had declined SO to do.
Perhaps not member of the Council
but has heard many times of the corrupt
use of money in Chinatown and that
amounts have been paid to prevent Of
fetal hands from being laid upon their
unlawful business. Every such charge
reflects strongly upon the honesty of the
Chief of Police and men associated with
him. Naturally we would expect that
such imputations would be resented and
every possible effort made to ferret out
such crime, if it existed. Who doubts
that the Chief of Police, with more than
seventy men, could have found out the
guilty parties if he had desired to do 80
The Chief admitted to your committee
that he believed that money was being
corruptly used in Chinatown; that per-
haps even large amounts had been paid,
but did not claim that he had taken any
pains to inform himself of the situation,
and when asked if he had been baffled
in his efforts to find out who these men
were who received this money, said he
had not.
Third-As to the running of faro and
other games forbidden by law, and
which reliable officers informed us were
running during the week Of the fair and
at other times, and which are currently
reported to be running now, the Chief
informed us that it was not his plan to
close them up. but to raid them about so
often, SO as not to make it hard on them.
When questioned as to his action in ac
cepting bail in certain saloon where
gambling was going on, he said that
who did not expect the raid to be made
without any orders from him, and that
|
without positive orders from himself.
He said that he had strongly censured
officers for arresting gamblers, when off
their beat, and for arresting them at all
without definite orders from him, though
said officers were specially charged by
the Police Commission to raid all games
when and wherever found.
Fourth-We find that the Chief OF
Police required money from Mr.. Thacker
resident of our city, for the return of
stolen goods, said sum being nearly
equal to the value of the goods taken, of
which there is undoubted proof.
Fifth-We find that our city is being
overrun with the most dangerous charac-
ters, and that when these are arrested on
charges that can we'll be sustained by
some of the ablest and best officers on
the force, they are dismissed without
trial, for reasons known only to the
Chief himself. Some of these are notori-
GUS offenders and have long been known
by the Police Courts. One of these at
tempted murder only few days since
and escaped only because the wounded
man would not prosecute him. In
stances have multiplied on our hands in
which the Chief arbitrarily steps in to
arrest the due course of law.
SiXth-Several policemen informed
your committee that there is large
number, perhaps 200, Of what are known
as "macs," and further that a deter
mined effort on the part of the authori-
ties would soon rid the city of them.
These characters are of the lowest kind,
living upon the wages of the lowest forms
OF iniquity. They are well known to be
concerned in thefts, robberies, burglaries
and black mailing of the worst type
creatures who gather in front of saloons,
on street corners and about our Post
Office, and who offer insults to The wives
daughters and sisters of respectable citi
zens, and who lie in wait to entrap anG
lead astray women and young girls; all
these dark crimes, and crimes unmen
tionable, are traceable to this terrible
gang of men. What think you, members
Of the City Council and citizens of Lo
Angeles, of creature who could boas
that he had broken in more girls for pub
lie use than any other of his hellish fra
ternity; and what think you, when sucf
man is arrested for vagrancy and th'
s Chief of Police steps in, shields hin
from the force of the law, and sets hin
= at liberty, and that within the last week
If the city might be rid of this danger
ous element by proper police effort, AM
: yet it is not by reason of connivanc
with them or indifference toward them
r then is our police government entitled't II