Los Angeles herald., 1890-04-12
The Charges Against Police
Officer Craig.
A Case Where Drinks Were
Said to Be Free.
The Testimony Offered on Both Sides
of the Case.
The Officer Denies the Story of His Ac.
cusers, and Says the Saloon Was
Very Disorderly.

Yesterday afternoon the special COM
mittee of the Board OF Police Commits
sioners, consisting of Messrs. Knox,
Lewis and Dexter, held an investigation
into the charges preferred by F.
Paglinstri and Frank Smith, proprietors
of the saloon on the corner of Upper
Main street and Bellevue avenue, against
Officer Craig, and also into the cross
complaint preferred by the officer
against the saloon. Captain Knox pre-
sided over the investigation, which was
held in the Chiefs private office, and
there were present, in addition to the
commissioners, Paglinstri, his attorney
and three of his witnesses, Officers
Craig, Stewart, Fay, Baker, Bowler and
two other witnesses for the defense.
The proceedings commenced with the
examination of f. Paglinstri, the pro-
prietor of the saloon. He testified that
Officer Craig went into his saloon
at all hours and interfered with his busi-
ness, by frightening his customers
away. Since April 1st, when he assumed
control of the saloon, he had never heard
of disturbance in the place, and no
more noise was made there than at any
other place of like character in the
vicinity. His customers were of a mixed
class, but they always behaved them
selves. On the I'd day of April Craig
came into the saloon in the evening and
took drink but did not pay for it.
Frank Smith, the next witness, had
been in charge of the saloon for four
months past, in fact since the place first
opened. He and his ''old woman" worked
there. Craig was in the habit of coming
into the place ''as if he owned the
house," by day or night, and took some
times as many as three drinks day, but
never paid for them. When asked how
many drinks the officer took, the witness
produced new pocketbook in which no
fewer than sixty-fiye entries were made
to the credit of the officer, while he was
off duty. Captain Knox informed the
witness that an officer had right to
drink when off duty, to which Smith re-
torted that he had also the right to pay
for them. When Craig came in for
drinks while on duty and was asked to
pay for them he told the witness to
"write it on the ice-"
Mrs. Smith stated that she had per-
sonally served Craig with liquor while
on duty, and had not asked him to pay
for it; and turning to the officer she
sternly ordered him to look her "square
in the eye and say if such was not the
case, if he dare" She warmly repudi-
ated the insinuation of the policeman
that she herself was not beyond reproach,
but freely admitted that she danced
with negroes when it was necessary to
fill up "set.'' Giaccomo Riscotti and
Tomas Nicolassi testified that the officer
had received liquor without paying for
it. None of Craig's witnesses were able
to testify to the reputation of the house
since April 1st except Officer Baker, and
he was unable to cite any particular in
stance when it was noisier there than at
any other saloon in the neighborhood.
Officer Craig then took the stand on
his own behalf, and denied that he evel
entered the saloon except ON business
and that he owed bill for drinks
denouncing Smiths account book as q
"cooked-up job" He admitted having
called there on one occasion with 9
brother officer and taken a drink al
Smiths request, but both were off duty
at the time. He then denounced the
place as the "worst joint in the neigh
borhood," and the examination closed
The commission will make its report tt
the full board at its next meeting, OF
Wednesday,