The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-04-06
bE;;::EI| 81: b;;:::I K: !: FOR 100000.
3isnally
Rosy -------
Hbo,
New 70, ,sho ports Pay That Much for
f,neG.
Inns t1ity From Police
Interference.
The Entire Force, From superin.
tendent to Patrolmen, Divide
-.. Hush Money.
Worth Ones Ltfe to Incur the Enmity OF
An Oficer--A Grand Jurors
au Statement.

NEW YoRK. April 5.-"There ia at least
~, 100000 collected annually from keepers
OF gambling dens, saloons. concert halls
and houses OF ill-rspute and distributed
among the members OF tho polios depart
ment. say at least $7,000000 for a calcu-
latioA shows that the amount ID probably
nearer $1O,000,0o0." According to morn
ing paper Henry NJ. Tabor, foreman of the
March grand jury, made the above start
ling accusation in an interview last even
ing. Against what members Of the police
do you direct your noousation?" Against
the entire foree. from superintendent to
patrolmen." The grand jury was not able
to find any evidence inculpating the police
commissioners. MIR. Tabor was asked why
tho grand jury did not find indictments in
place Of indefinite presentments against the
police department.
eve had Chief Inspector Byrnes and In
spector Williams before us. Both these
officials uero moro than a match for us.
They knew how to cover themselves and,
to use vulgarism, they 'hoorsd' us. We
had presumptive evidence enough to war
rant tho indictment Of many police Off
cials, but while theevidenoe was convin oinR
to the grand jury, We could not rely on it's
presentation before trial jury. Wit
nessss rsfrainsd from giving evidence from
fear of the vengeance Of the EXPOSED par
ties, a vengeance in the execution of which
the police would give every opportunity
and assure absolute protection
do you infer that witnesses feared as
sassination?" ...-.5
"Perhaps should not 60 SO far as to say
feared deliberate assassination, but they
certainly did fear bodily harm. At alI
events tho police system in this city il
such that no one can deny the danger one
subjects himself to when he has incurred
the snmity OF any msmber Of the fores.'
The general sessions grand jury, which
has had ths bsneht OF the Rev. DR.. Park
hurst's ministratiens. rsjes ted on Thurs
day three separate and distinct forms Of
pressntment that their foreman. had die.
tnted to their sfisial stenographsr. When
they met in thoir spacious rooms in tht
general sessions at IL e'slook next day they
fell to work again. Runner Aongsrs were
busy in tho corridors, whioh wers throsRsd
with policemen in plain clothes. and sport
ing mon in clothes that were the reverse OF
plain. One well-knowR gambler, who has
haunted the corridor outside of tho granc
jury room for ten days to got good lool
ut Dr. Parkhurst and his dstsctivss. wore =
Harlem. The rumer-monRers had it that
the grand jury had nst only intended &c
mako ps sentiments, but oontem plated in
dieting all tho higher police officials, from
the commissioners down TO sorgeants, and
also proposed to als SCORES Of indictments
ngainst saloon keepers, keepers of disor-
derly houses and dives and gamblers.
AZ 2:55 the warden of the grand jury and
his ofNosrs appeared in tho doorway Of the
grand jury's outor rsoM, and followed by
Foreman Tabor and the grand jury led the
way to part one of the general sessions
whore Recorder Smyth presided. The court
officers in the court room had cleared TWEEN.
jury, and they seated themselves for mo
ment. Then Foreman Tabor, who carried 4
sheaf of type-writtsn rages in his hand
arrived. Tho grand jurors atooa Mp also,
and Foreman Tabor, addressing Reeorde
Smyth, said:
II hold in my hand, your honor, some
presentments. Il it your plesAure that
to your honor?'
"Ishould prefer" replied Recorder Smyth
''to have you road thsm.'
Foreman Tabor thon read this present.
ment: Pressntrnsnt No. |. Owing to pub
lie and general charges having bsen made
against the atlioienoy OF the police depart
mont in suppressing vos and arresting Law
erable time in investigating these sccusa-
tions. 1t is conceded by all that the police
department ip splendidly organized and i,
not sxcelled in its ability 10 cope witt
crime. The comparative safety of travo
and freedom from disorder on the streets
H. Ia, ~ %l>
1t muss, however, bS fully conceded thai
certain crimes, such az tho maintenance oi
gambling houses and disorderly houses and
the violation of excise law arc very prevAlen,
and that they are not seriously interfsrec
with by the police. -..s,.
The usual excuse ia the difficulty OF en-.
trance into such places (although easily &C
legal evidence. An investigation of the
facts shows that few raids upon gambling
and diEoraerly houses are made by the
police of their own volition, and raroly
II ever. by the captain personally, and in
nearly all cases, action il taken by private
citizens or agents of societies upon whict
warrants wore issued and raids made. The
police rules provide for regular reports by
captains of police to headquarters of al
gambling and disordsrly houses in thell
precincts. Such reports arc regularly made,
and the,e 10 at police headquarters lonG
list of houses OF this character, giving th6ll
exnot location and the kind of business
conducted in each Of them. Section 2S2 OF
tho consolidation act requires the police tc
carefully observe and inspect all such
promises and to repress and restrain al
unlawful conduct in them and gives them
the power 10 make arrests III such cases
with or without warrants.
Section 2S5 of tho consolidation act Rlvel
each policeman the power to report to the
superintendent any such premises. ane
stats the reasonable grounds for believing
that this law il violated upon thsm, who're
upon tho superintendent may issue hi!
warrant without any necessity OF
applying to 4 police Justice, upon whiok
warrant his officers may break into the sns'
pscted premises and arrest any personl
found violating the law, and capture any
apparatus ussu in such unlawful business
A large amount of testimony has bssn pre-
sontsd showing the existence and tho vio-
lation of law in large numbers of these
places. The grand Jury has indicted tht
proprietors of some OF these places and
they have been arrested under such indl0t
ments and have pleaded. In these very
cases further testimony has bsen presented
showing that there was no abatement il
those pre IN iaes Of the same disurdvrly prac.
ticss. and that there WAS no appearance o.
police Interference.
We recommend that the owners OF til,
property ased for immoral or illegal pur-
poses be held TO 4 strict accountability un
der the law. and that. 70 facilitate suol
work and 10 aid in ths invsatikatien Of fu
ture grand iuriss. 4 register OF the nams
and addresses OF snch owners be kept b,