Omaha daily bee., 1889-04-08
OMAHA's FINEST.
The Police System to be Investigated
For Several Reasons


For several Reasons.
No little anxiety is felt by the members OF
tho police force over the proposed iuvestiga.
tion by the council into the workings of that
body, The Investigation was brought about
directly by the action of the ponce authori.
ties IN employing spies and informers TO So
cure convictions against saloonkeepers for
selling liquor on Sunday. Five members OF
the force, disguised as soldiers and laboring
mon, visited several saloons of the city and
secured whisky under pleas Of sick
ness and representations OF like
nature, and then appeared as witnesses
against the men who had favored them
Several members of the council led by
MIR. kaspar, protested against such methods,
and finally called for committee to investi.
gate the charges against the men who were
engaged as informers and to examine into
the general condition and workings of the
police department President Lee, of the
council, on Saturday night appointed Coun.
ctlmen kaspar, Lowry, Davis, Schriver and
Chahee rs the investigation committee.
To BEE reporter yesterday MIR Kaspar
stated that the committee had big Job on
its hands. "There have been very large
number of complaints received" said Mr..
Kaspar touching upon the manner and
conduct OF the force in many respects, and |
propose, as chairman of the committee TO go
TO the bottom of them, aud if the people
who have made personal complaints will
make them public before the committee |
Imagine we will show very pretty state Of
things"
"What can you do about it, oven II you do
show case against the force or its head"
was asked.
"We don't have any authority in the mat
ter" said the councilman, "but it will bo
well to let the public know what kind of po-
lice service we are getting in return for the
large amount of money that goes to keep up
that department"
"What do you expect to show against the
men who have been acting as lnformers
against the saloon menl" ,
"Stmply that everyone OF them has him
self been guilty of a crime in coaxiug a sa.
loonkeeper to commit an offense Take the
case of Young Hyjeck for instance That boy
worked like a slave to get homo for his
mother, AID she then mortgaged it for al 200
to start his saloon for him. He has run
nice, quiet place and there has never been a
complaint against HIM. That man Hudson,
who informed against him, got a bottle of
whisky on Sunday only after making two
visits to Hyjeck and begging him to let him
have the liquor as his wife was dying and he
revoked his liceuse, and it is now a case of
paying that 81, 200 by days work."
What of the charges against the force in
generalln
81 don't want to try this case before we
get to it; but there will be charges enough.
Ii can be shown that the police
have been carrying things with a
high hand 1t has come to such pass that
If laboring man is out of u Job for q few
days he is arrested as a vagabond or q sus.
picious character. One case that / have
knowledge of was that of a man who worked
on sewer contract all last summer. He
was out of a job when winter came on and
could not find work. He lived next door to
member of the police force who kept
bounding him and finally told him that If he
did not go to work he would be arrested.
The fellow could not find work and moved
to Denver to avoid the offclous coppers
persecution. That is one case out of many
The committee will meet shortly and will
hold daily sessions until we get to the bottom
Of the complaints made if il takes us all sum.
mer"
'There are several things would like to
know" said member of the council, 'about
the workings of the police force, and think
l will take advantage of the proposed in,
veStigatiOn to find out"
The reporter expressed surprise that there
should be anything that a councilman didn't
know and asked out of curiosity what tho
points were upon which enlightenment was
desired.
zone thing l would like to know" was
the reply, sis why the police allow the King
woman to run her bagnio on Capitol
Avenue, near Fifteenth, while the other
keepers of houses of i'll fame are required to
move out of the prescribed district. OF
course am not putting in plea for the
other women, but l simply want to know
why the police authorities make such dis
elimination. Then, would like to know,
too, if the police commission is aware that
member of the board has house of his in
the prescribed district that is occupied by
women of illrepute. hope the investigat-
ing committee will furnish me the informa-
tion l am thirsting after"