St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-04-06
The Foreman Of New York's
Grand Jury Makes Start
ling Assertions.
Seven to Ten Million Dollars
Of Tribute Levied on
LaW-BpeakerS.
Intimidation by the Police
Alleged to Make Convic-
ton Impossible.
Heads Of the Department
Enter a General Denial Of
the Charges.

New YORK, April 5.-"There is at
least 100000 collected annually from
the keepers of gambling dens, saloons.
concert halls and houses of ill-repute,
and distributed among the members of
the police department. say at least
s7.000,000 for calculation shows that the
amount is probably nearer $4,000, 000."
Henry M. Tabor. foreman of the March
grand jury, made the above startling
accusation in an interview with re-
porter at his home last evening.
Against what members of the police
do you direct this accuSatiOnT" asked
the reporter.
81 direct it against the entire force,
from the superintendent to the patrol
men,"
do you exclude the commissioners"
"Yes, the grand jury was not able to
find any evidence inculpating the police
commissioners"
Mr.. Tabor was asked why, in view of
this damaging information, the grand
jury did not find indictments in place
OF the indefinite presentmentS against
the police department.
I'VE had" said Mr.. Tabor, "Chlef
Inspector Byrnes and Inspector Will
Jams before us. Both of these officials
were more than match for us. | never
saw more clever men than Inspectors
Byrnes and Williams. They know how
to cover themselves, and. to use vul-
gar expression, they 'fioored' us, but
should haved liked to have had Supt.
Murray before the grand jury"
And why did not you?"
I'VE sent for Supt. Murray but he did
not come. We subp9naed him, and he
sent certificate from his physician that
he was not in condition to appear before
the grand jury. We believed this to be
true. We knew that Supt. Murray was
sick man. While we knew that he
could as we'll come to the jury room as
realized that he was not in sufficient
health to endure the ordeal that he
would have been called upon to face in
the grand jury ROOM"
Did you not have sufficient evidence
against the captains or their subordl-
nateSp"
Yes. we had presumptiye evidence
enough to warrant the indictment of
many police officials, but while the evil
dence was convincing to the grand jury,
we could not rely on its presentation
before trial jury. Witnesses who
could give satisfactory evidence against
the keepers of dlsorderly resorts were
deferred from doing so by fear of call
ing down the vengeance of the parties
eXposed-a vengeance in the execution
of which the police would afford every
opportunity and assure absolute protec-
ton"
''Do you infer that these witnesses
believed themselves in danger of assas-
sination in case they gave evidence be-
fore the grand jury?"
Perhaps | should not 20 so far as to
say they feared deliberate assassination,
but they certainly did fear bodily haru,
and do not know that the line between
the two can be we'll defined. At all
events the police system i'll this city is
such that no one can deny the danger
one is subject to when he has incurred
the enmity OF any member of the force"
Every TIan Denies 1t
The interview caused something of a
sensation in police circles. That a
foreman of the grand jury should come
out tlat-footed with the statement ''that
there is at least S7,000,000 collected an
nually from the keepers of gambling
dens, saloons. concert halls ard houses
of ill-repute ana distributed among the
members of the police department" fell
like bomb in times of peace.
Inspector Williams was seen and
asked in reference to Mr.. Tabor's
charges. The inspector waXed wrothy
over the implied and direct charges.