Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-28
THE DRAG-NET.
More Aldermen Will Soon be
in the Legal Tolls.
CHIEF BROWN. EXPLAINS
Why the Conspiracies We're Exposed,
and Outlines a Policy.
WIDESPREAD CORRUPTION SHOWN.
Attorney MarrOn Says This Has Only Been
the Commencement.
CHIEF BROWN. EXPLAINS
WIDESPREAD CORRUPTION SHOWN.
CERTAIN RUMORS FOUkD-To BE FALSE

John Marron, Esq, one of the attorneys
for the Department of Public Safety, in the
''speak-easy" conspiracy cases. intimated
yesterday that the scope of the prosecutions
would surprise the public.
He was asked by a DISPATCH reporter
whether any more arrests were in contem-
plation.
Certainly" he replied. ''The arrests
made thus far are simply commencement.
A number of people who have been acces-
sorry to blackmailing transactions in various
parts of the city Will be arrested very soon. ="
"Any Aldermen among them?"
'Yes. We have a CARLOAD of evidence
which duplicates other Aldermen than
those already held to court.
''Can you particularize?"
''Yes; an Allegheny Alderman will prob
ably be asked to explain some informations
made before him by Bauder. Then there is
an Alderman in the Lawrenceville district
who has been doing some peculiar things
i have client who has paid this Alderman
$1S7 in costs within eight months in cases
in which no hearings at all were held. An
amusing incident happened in this connec-
ton not over a month since. Ny client be-
came tired of bing phlebotomized at inter-
walls of a week, and got me TO appear at a
hearing for him. 1 showed up with my
client, to the great discontinue of the Al
dermah. He sat in his front room when en-
tered, but he arose precipitately and shut the
door leading into the inner Office. 1
called his attention to the fact that the time
of hearing was past and no prosecutor had
shown up, and he said that he would dis
miss the case. So we walked out. 1 sus-
pected something and had a man watch the
Alderman's Office. Within 20 minutes
after the case was dismissed j. D. Bauder
and two other detectives came out of the
office and made beeline for the nearest sa-
loon. That is only an instance"
CHIEF BROWNS EXPOSE.
'Then some more arrests will be made?"
''Yes. The Department of Public Safety
drag-net is beginning to work, and a start
ling percentage of the city Aldermen may
find themselves in position to explain GER
tain transactions. We have just secured
some more evidence against Bauder, and we
have him, as the saying is, dead to
rights"
Chief j. o. Brown was asked last night
to give the public some information in re-
gard to the conspiracy campaign. He said:
1T came to the knowledge of the Police
Board of the Department Of Public Safety
that there was a comprehensive and wide
spread system of blackmail of speak-easies,
fortune-tellers, notorious4houses, and other
forms of vlolators of the law in existence all
over the city. The Police Inspectors of the
several districts were requested to make an
investigation. They did so and I de-
termined to stop any and every form of
blackmailing. Mr.. Whitehouse was able
to get his cases in shape with the
result that we shall uncover every
transaction of Aldermen and detective
agencies which will not bear the light of
day. We have found hundreds of people
ready to tell all they know, and we shall
keep right on. 1 regret that there are
forms of vice which we cannot eradicate,
but submit that the law must punish Of
tenders in a legal way. When we get
through with this matter it will be unsafe
for individuals to try to baten off of law
breakers. The evidence we have now will
hurt some people when it comes out in
court. Inspector McAleese has been placed
in control of information indicating that
notorious houses have been blackmailed to
the tune of hundreds of dollars, and from
every part of the city we have the same
complaint
BAD STATE OF AFFAIRS.
''The machinery of Aldermen's Offices
has been prostituted shamefully," cont;n-
ued Chief Brown, "and the general charac-
ter of city Aldermen has been lowered by
iniudicious elections. Some of the Consta-
bles could hardly have been worse chosen
for such positions. There are, of course,
exceptiors The violations of law natural
ly to be expected in a city of this size
places the police force in the position of re-
straining open and fragrant abuses, but
there can be no question that public feeling
is strongly against allowing blackmaiIing
and semi-legal hush-money transactions to
still further lower the moral tone of the
city, especially when the above abuses per-
meate every section of the city. I may say
officially that blackmailing in Pittsburg
will be an unhealthy occupation in the
future"
Various rumors, apparently engendered
by the heat of the political situation, have
been current since the Department of Pub
lie Safety commenced Its active crusade
against blackmailing operations. A story
that receives credence in some quarters ran
to the effect that a syndicate of brewers had
furnished the officials the information that
led to the arrest of the Bauder gang, in or
der to relieve the speak-easies of dIsas-
trous prosecution. This story was denied
in its entirety by Chief j. o. Brown last
evening when repeated to him.
Alderman Brinker stated yesterday that
he had heard several times that he was to be
arrested in connection with the Bauder con-
spiracy cases. He says he awaits any
such action with perfect composure. He
showed THE DISPATCH representative the
record in his docket of the only two cases j.
D. Bauder ever had brought before him.
Both were for oleomargarine selling, and in
that against Owen McCann a fine of $50 and
costs was imposed and an appeal to court
taken. In the case against Elizabeth Hurst
on May IA. Bauder, the prosecutor paid
81 80 costs and withdrew the case.