Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-11-02
TOM PACKER TALKS.
he Absolutely Denies That He Prac-
ticed MaIfeasance in Office.
CONsTABLES ARRAIGNED TODAY.
Porter Waived Hearing, But Had no
Fight With His BOndsmsn.
roRTER sECUREs ANEW YORK WINES

Alderman Porter waived hearing before
Squire Hyndman, yesterday, for court
trial. The hearing in the case Of Thomas
Packer, constable of the Fifteenth ward,
Lige Shepard, deputy constable of the same
ward, and ex-Constable Daley will take
place to-day at o'clock before Alderman
Hyndman, of East Liberty. Mr.. Packer
was interviewed at Alderman Porter's Office
last night by a DISPATCH reporter. He
said:
'I never made an information at Alder
man Porter's Office. except one disorderly
conduct case was not connected with the
detective agency which had its headquarters
at our Office. Any informations made by
the detectives of the Porter agency it is
possible that may have served the war
rants, and arrested the guilty parties. This
part of the business came directly within
my province because 1 was constable for
Alderman Porter. When the warrants
were handed over to me, it is possible that
may have given them to one of the deputy
constables, and in this way We have all got
mixed up in the conspiracy cases.
81 am in total darkness as to the details
of the Indictment against me. The only
statement on the writ was conspiracy. It is
peculiar for the plaintiff to make an infor-
nation against me, and have me arrested.
There is not thread of evidence which can
in any way connect me with the agency, or
prove that
DEFRAUDED Oh BLAcKMAILED
anyone. certainly will pl1ad not guilty,
and propose to substantiate my plea.
my connections with the Office has ex-
tended over a period of three years. During
this time not a penny beyond my legal costs
did ask or extort. The two clerks who
have been in the Office since my election will
be on hand to-day to corroborate my testi-
mony. They allege that there has been
malfeasance in Office. How they are going
to prove the allegation is a mystery to me.
The whole business is trumped up.. They
think that bV arresting us we will 'squeal,'
but they are mistaken, because we have
nothing to squeal about"
Squire Porter was subsequently seen
about waving hearing for court. He
said
WHAT PORTER SAYS.
"a statement has been floating about that
it was my intention to waive hearing, and
that my bondsman had asked me to release
him from the obligation and that we
quarreIed because of his action. The cause
OF my changing my bail is that had asked
Mr.. Casper Bauersmith to remain on my
bond for hearing. When waived hear
ing that released the gentleman from his
responsibility, and I sought a different
bondsman for court trial. 1t is reported
that Mr.. Bauersmith was interviewed yes
terday, and he made public statement re-
hecting on me. The interview IS false, and
1 am willing to bet $50 to S. on my
assertion.
"AIy Office is a police headquarters. As
such never lock my Office door or any of
the drawers My books and papers have
always been open to the police and if. /
had been illegally conducting my business,
surely someone would have found me out
before II years passed over"
Mr.. Schriver, an old resident of the ward,
but now of Rochester, N. Y, said: ST was
arraigned before Alderman Porter several
times for illegal liquor selling. I have
often made overtures to him to compromise
the case, offering him large sums Of money
to do it, but in every case he has peremptor-
lily refused, assigning as his reason that he
was not authorized BY law to dispose of
them in such manner.