Sacramento daily record-union., 1889-09-06
POLICE VS.. PARsoN.
Chief Lees Rejoinder to Rev. Mr.. Need,
hams Statement

Chief Lees Rejoinder to Rev. Mr.. Need
hams Statement.
A Bee reporter yesterday interviewed
Chief of Police Lee in regard TO statements
contained in the letter of Rev. a T. Need
ham, published in the RECORD UNION, and
the head of the police department is re-
ported to have said
II see that Mr.. Needham refers to a
'painstaking investigation of Cone That
is not true. They could not have made
such an investigation, or they would have
found that there is not a single transaction
that this man has been connected with that
was not crooked. And l will say, open and
aboveboard, that think that any man who
has any dealings with Cone is crooked.
- will show him up before get through,
to the satisfaction of the Law and Order
League. | have no objection, of course, to
the Law and Order League having their de-
tectives, but let them appoint decent men.
Mr.. Needham says: The case of the
Chinaman who was said to have charged
Detective Cone with fraud the committee
found to be capable of very different in
depreciation from that put upon it in the
newspaper reports.
will Cone deny that he robbed that
ShlhdLhSi VI TCO nhCA NC gave u1Il
badge and pass to ride free anywhere,
or that EdGy and he did not rob that poor
fellow Peterson of $50, as he stated under
oath, when they told him that $40 went to
Washington, and that be would get Sc q
night from the League? The investigation
Mr.. Needham and these men speak of, con-
sisted of an interview with Mr.. Cone, as
any one can see. Let them interview his
former companions, or the men who were
in the business with him. Ed NJ. Martin,
who was one of the original Directors in
Cones Association, told me the other day
that it was only through some very expert
bookkeeping that Cone was saved from
States Prison.
"Mr. Needham states that it is a little
singular that the most enthusiastic SYM
pathizers with the defense in the gambling
suits were policemen. When Mr.. Need
ham makes that kind of statement he
says what he knows to be false The police
officers, Arlington, Carroll, Franks and
myself, were subpenaed as witnesses for
the defense, but we were not put on the
stand. We supposed that we were there
to impeach the character of their 'detectiUe, ;
w. w. Cone" said the Chief ironically.
District Attorney Bruner knew enough
not to put Cone on, however, as he knew
that his character could be too easily i'm
peached. If we took that case as Joke it
was only because it was the hight of ridic-
ulousness to see those detectives fail in
recognizing their own prisoners"
:" And as to my position" said the Chief,
" am going to do my duty to the best OF
my ability, but am not going to be die
tated to by lot of cranks as 10 what nv
duty is. l have no doubt that there are
good men in that League, but they have
been deceived. | intend to consult with
the District Attorney to determine what
games are illegal, and l am going to call a
meeting Of my officers on Saturday night,
and tell them what expect them TO do l
will assign them to their respective beats,
and shall instruct them, both verbally and
in writing, that they must stop gambling.
Our men are disheartened; they have re-
csived no salaries; there is talk among
them now to resign in a body-and now il
the Law and Order League want to assist
my force, let them name their men and
they will be appointed. But they must not
be men of the Cone stripe, for when get
information | want it from a man who will
not be impeached when he comes into
Court with his case.
d" l will say this much for my term of
office, said the Chief. In my first wear !
have secured more convictions, and sent
more men to the State Prisons. than any
of my predecessors ever did IN their whole
term. And there have been many more
since the acquisition of extra men to the
force"