New-York tribune., 1890-05-27
POLICEMEN AND BRIBERY
BOLDLY CHARGED WITH SELLING rRolhO
TION TO WRONGDOERS.
.nn,r1oyAL EVIDENCE TAKEN BY THE fNs'
s,,rr INVESTIGATING COMMITTEE ABOUT

EXCISE MISMANAGEMENI'
r,. State senate Committee on ClucS No'",u'
,ddcd ~ its already large store "' ., al
the weak and inefficient administrator y, =, rho !
and inefficient Excise Department oi Nc" rui,s
committee got plenty Of new eVdei'o " -, com,
NJ the system In the testimony oi cN S,.,, On
missioner Andrews who Is in favor OF excise
a., ,rco,,n, limos of sunday opening ana ""-hEt'
Honor s-1nr I'm the market and printing ho">o "oIe
bor,oods and in others where men "orK !" ,,'1
boursr and who would like to sec " 'P -,
Court established to deal with eNclSe ,'' :.
ID. J. Whitney, of the society io' - wv on,.,c,io,s
Crime an outspokcn man WIN s'ro"s ',.,
- ,,,,ors ard che courage of them, the 'omHh''cc
- r,ai,,v stated what has been hinted al before
that IN. notice on whom the EXCISE ho''u '0"'7 y"
rreat c1,ent for information about N'"'"o"N VI uo
Law are hand in glove with the Ia" o''"Nc'N' '''
whitney ro,mdiy charged members VI 'Ie ~ -'','
with taking brbeS and pTom''u " "''P '"' ''"
u,i,,ee to snbstantiate his charHcS' .
rh erst witness called was Inspector byrncs' iie
uas .sNed by Mr.. WINS what he thought OF Ward
detective Curry's testimony. tha' ne hao ohN seen
g.. a crooks ON the BowcIy In his four or hve years
experience a an onicer'
aU n. only saw two crooks. you call It. sir. in
that ner,od Of time. he certainly is unfit for the
,,.ce he holds said Inspector Byrnes promptly
A thoroughly incompetent MANI
aYes. sir without he is nears sighted or blind
The Inspector graphically described the Bowery as
g he
said he had nothing AZ all 10 DO. curry Is directly
responsible TO his captain.
In every case asked Mr.. wins. {" the question
whether is disorderIy not. and whether the
Excise law is violated will fall in the first instance
within the jurisdiction Of the captan!'
Yes. sir"
~who Is responsible to the inspector in charge Of
that distrctl"
"Yes sir
And the inspector Is responsible in turn to the
superintendent
Yes. sir"
Tx-Excse Commissioner Andrews submitted
10 an exceedingly long examination some OF the
ouestons asked OF him and the answers he made wcrc
a. follows:
Q-Suppose you were personally u 60 to place like
Geubossv's accompanied bv two fellow Commission
s and were what believed To be loose or dis
rsrnabc women going and coming out and were 10 soc
vonon soliciting drink suppose Were to 70
10 some place, and woman throw loose gown
over her costume and down from tho stage whore
she and from table to another
and ask men 10 drink. and drink with them would tina:
in your judgment enough To justify aud youi fellow
Conmi ia revolving the licenseG Amy proof or
evidence of violation OF law, Whatever IL HshV pr'
would b. sufficient
Q-suppose a man were charged with selling liquor on
election dav the prohibited distance of the polling
nscc suppose the sale explicit and H.
correctness indubtabe suppose that II were not even
denied suppose IL appeared your and records
that the pAce certainly within the limit nNcd by the
satute. would consider that you Excise Com
missioner mad any right disregard these proofs or dismiss
the complaint A.-Certanly not. The law makes II
compulsory upon the Excise Commissioners n revoke
license satisfied upon bearing that ;he law has been
violated II the proof is positive a. you state they
must necessarily be satisfied
Or failed to revoke license ana were charged
with uai,essance Office would b" your plea that you
did no. believe the Witnessed A-N"s str.
o-And you would have other plea A-No sir
A. an example of the working Of the mandamn'
law an art which he said he approved the witness re
fcrrcd the committee 10 the KrINe case in which
license was refused by the Commissioners 10 George Hill
len foT the place FOuFteenthst and University Place
and they had finally TO grant il under a mandamns
granted by Judge Boobstaver in the Court Of Common
Pleas Mr.. could not say that political pres
sure was brought u bear the Commissioners 10 get
them sign the license. but De solicited to DO 5"
by number Of persons. and he heard that very
large fee. high as $4,000, was offered :" any lawyer
who could obtain the license.
who was the attorney ?" asked Mr.. wins.
MFR. Bourke Cochran said Mr.. Andrews.
Mr. Andrews explained that Mr.. Won Claim and ne
had signed the license for Clarks. III slAth ave-
because they were satisfied that the applicant had made
genuine purchase of the place and gave assurances
that it would be properly conducted
IFS this way. isn't itlH said senator Fassett II
Won have 10 know OF place being improper you
give the benefit Of your ignorance TO the applicant
and give him license?
why, certainly, il you put it that way said the
exExcise Commissioner
on being asked by senator Fassctt 10 make some
suggestion, for remedial legislation Mr. Andrews sd
thai the Excise system could be much improved.
The Law in regard 10 closing from to . a. m was no
knew Systematically disregarded in certain quarters
OF the city, and lie in favor Of special licenses
allowing places to e open in the neighborhood OF the
markets printing houses, etc, for the benefit Of the
many people whose business kept them at work III
the early hours of the morning. lie was also in favor
of allowing sunday ceiling. 3" l do not think said
he that YOU will meet the liquor question by hmtng
selling: but by Furnishing the men that abuse 1t.
would suggest special Excise Court 80 that oHehce7
against the law would be tried before some tribunal
provided for that purpose and adequate To uie amount
OF business that came before it,
ID. j. Whitney, who has been for fourteen years the
chief executive Of the New York society for the Pre-
venton Of Crime. said that violations Of the Excise
Law came within the scope Of his society In reeaiu
to violations of the law. they filed complaints with
the Board Of Excise and also brought the offender be
fore a police justice. said he:
In a gr.at many instances We have. by repeated hard
knocks licenses revoked, and before the ink ""' oN
there was a new license granted by the Board In the
Police and Excise Boards and thc DsrctAttorncys oce
We have many obstacle, 70 deal with. We have had no
business present Boafd We have no confidence
in them think you will hnd that in a great many cases
M woodman refused 10 sign the licenses knowing me
characters Of places.
Q-What do you mean Al puohshen fep'f~ m'
tue Of the deal made the hrst place before they went
into Once 1t j. no good at all 70 complain 70 them
o-what public reports 0f deal do you refer ~ A
Reports Of deal By which these men, for certain con'd-
efations appointed.
Senator Fassctt-syc you made any investigation
Of ne 'dives"1 A.-Wbsts the use OF making II when
he police allow them openyl Here i a complaint
gwen Saturday Of place where IN" boys OF me
M,,,sl Te,esraph Company a. quick a they get their
masy 10 and spend 10 gambling and drinking beer
o-where Is this place1 A.-No. 80 Broad-st Inc
osnpsnt comes from party quite high In authority mere
eaid tha. he fsolir
ne habit, Of wnking and putting their hands behid
heir backs. GsughterJ
Senator Fassett-You associating the Police Depart
uent with Of law after complaint mad" by
you IN special casesf A-Ycs sir; want of zeal wan,
OF doirg their duty
o.-There dd N be much enthusa-m7 A.
Not particle not a particle.
Q-Wn your books show you some cssesT ms u