The Portland daily press., 1890-03-26
LIFE IN THE AMERICAN METROPOLIS,
clerks Robbed by the RascaIs who
Gave Them Employment.
How a Policeman With a Pistol
Cleared Crowded Street.
Sheriff FIack Breaking Down and
Will Probably Resign.

| NEW YORK, March 2.-J. Bartlett Cook
| who styled himself president of the Ameri:
can Development Company and occupid
offices at 40 Broadway, has disappeared and
| it is alleged that $500 confded to him by
his employees and others, went with him. j
| B. Tyler, who entered 1 the development
| Company's" employ as chief clerk, says Cook
has $500 belonging to him, for which Tyler
has only worthless stock in the concern 10
show. Tyler and others were induced to put
money into the concern by the names of sew
eral reputable business men appearing in the
list of directors. 1t now transpires that these
men withdrew from the directory almost at
the start and the use of their names
| was not warranted. The Company first adj
vertised the British Commercial Corpora
tion, 81 Landlord street, London. as its Lon
don correspondent. That concern threatened
legal proceedings and the advertisement was
withdrawn.
The company was organized for the pur-
pose of acquiring western lands, ranches,
mines, &c, and negotiating their sale to
American and European investors Cook
hired aud whenever possible induced them
to invest in the company's stock.
BLAZING AWAY WITH A PISTOL.
An Excited PoIlceman's Career After
a Mamie Couldn't Hit.
NEW YORK, March pa wild young civil
service cop. who has been on the force since
last June, caused much CONSERVATION in
Varick street. near King, about 8 o'clock
yesterday afternoon, when the thoroughfare
was crowded, by reckless and unnecessary
pistol practice. He ls Thomas Gormae,
and he was in plain clothes, looking after
the policy dealers in the Eighth precinct,
where ne has been doing duty since his ap-
p0intment.
He was standing at the corner of Hudson
and King streets when two young women
who knew him ss a policeman came up and
said they had been insulted by man whom
they pointed out going eastward through
King street. German ran after the man, who
took to his heels.
terrupted by man with whip, who came
up behind the policeman and slashed him
across the side of the head lie turned on
his assallant, who ran eastward and turned
south into Varick street. The man with the
whip was fleet footed and gained on his pur-
suer. German whipped out his revolver and
fired q shot. folks in the neighborhood say,
directly at the fugitive. German says he
fired in the air Everybody who happened
to be in Varick street and saw the excited
pOllCculdu uIts lldu6 u IuSu lOT open uOOTS.
The sight of a citizen, whom hardly any
body in the neighborhoOd knew to be an un-
uniformed officer, brandishing revolver and
loudly threatening to shoot another man, al
most created panic in Varick street for a
block. The expectation of another shot drove
other throngs of frightened folks into stores
below King street.
The man with the whip didn't seem to
have much respect for the accuracy of the
policeman's aim, as he keep right on. He
1Arh rhAl, Nrkt .oAA w
ick and Charlton streets, crossed Charlton,
and ran up an alley on the south side of the
street. German fired twice as the man en-
tered the alley. He didn't hit the man, who
eluded him by scaling several fences.
Police Captain Thompson will prefer
charges against Gorham for reckless shoot
ing in the street. The captain says German
was not drunk but greatly excited.
Crookedness In Gotham.
NEW YORK, March 25.-The grand jury
came into the court of general sessions today
and handed long presentment to Judge
Fltzgerald IN which the sherl1's office, Is
to Judge fitzgerald ID said tfet etRf RfaR
quiry had failed to reveal single redeemipg
element in the management of the Office II
was black record of violated law, tardy JUS
tice, forced settlements, corruption and
bribery. 1t was now no longer question of
evils. but what must be done without delay.
The foreman asked that copies of the pre-
sentiment be sent to the governor and the
state legislature.
The astounding disclosures made in the
inquiry of Senator Fassett's investigating
committee of the corruption and wickedness
that exists among the suberdinates of the |
sheriff's department. as well as the Testimony |
that points to the extreme Irregularities on
the part of those higher in authority, has
precipitated a sort of panic among the local
leaders of Tammany Hall. One thing seems
certain, and that is that Mr.. Croker has de-
cided to cut short his visit to Europe, and
will return to resume control of the helm and
endeavor to get the organization out of the
scrape in which it now finds itself. Commits
sioner of Public Works Gilroy is authority
for the statement that Tammany Hall has
had no leader in the city since Mr.. Croker
went away.
The Mail and Express tonight says: From
an official source It was learned late this af-
ternoon that Sheriff F'lack is fast breaking
down mentally, as we'll as physically. From
the same source it is learned definitely that
the sheriff will positively resign his official
position, despite reports to the contrary.