New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-04-02
HOT SHOT FOR THE POLICE.
ROUNpLY SCORED BY The GRAND JURY
DIR. PARKHURST UPHELD IN EVERY PARTICULAR
NOTHER PRESENTMENTS.

needed any confederation, II was gwen IN mO>b ell
phatic and sweeping terms yesterday by the Grand
Jury Is a strong presentmcnt That body fatty &C.
cused the police OF failing to do their duty in the
cases OF many disOldery and gambling houses and OF
barrooms at which the Excise laws are persiscntly
violated. II pointed out that the police almost
never made raids such places of their own volton,
but nearly always waited until private persons or
societies secured the evidence and obtained the neces
sary warrants About the police protection OF liquor
stores the preS6nment spoke strongly and clearly.
Financial considerations, it said must explain the I'M
munity from arrest enjoyed by hquor-Seers VINO Vio
lated the Excise laws publicly and repeatedly These
facts nave been common talk fol- years. but their ap-
pearance official guse cannot but he OF great lnhu
ence.
ri. Grand Jury also handed in two other present
uents dealing with various subjects The enact
ment of the so-called "spies' act which would Ntu-
ally prevent policemen from getunS testimony concern
ing violators of the Excise law was opposed Inc pub
ucaton Of vicious advertisements in newspapers was
severrIy condemned 1t was urged that owners of
property used for immoral purposes be held to strict
accountability under the law. The Grand Jury did
not n-hce its words about the Leak in the Tombs
Police Court which frustrated the raid on "Dnk
Davs's gamblin house. Bernard Malone. clerk OF
the court, accused of having warned DAVIS ana
he would have been indicted had not DistrictAttor
new Nco declared that the evidence against him was
insufficient. The Grand Jury also proposed remedy
for the crush of business General sessions, but was
not OF the opinion that fourth part of the court was
needed.
The Grand Jury filed into Part l of the Court OF
General sessions at just O'Clock. Henry NJ. laOer
the foreman said Il have some preeentments here'
Mr.. Recorder. Is it your pleasure tRat reoo INe'
or simply Land them TO youE
Il prefer that you read them, SAID kecOruer oniS '
The foreman then read the following;
tn tbe Honorable the Court OF General sessions, and
the Honorable, the Recorder tlSdelloA oin3yon Loo,
Owing to public and general charges haNlhs o15n
made AGAINST The efficiency OF the Police Department
i'm suppressing vice and arTcsting mwbreakers, llie
Grand Jury has spent considerable time III nvesusa'
1t is conceded by all that the Police Department is
splendidy 9rsnled ana Is mUs Safv Of travel
and freedom from disorder in the streets are evidence
II tY must however be as fully conceded that certain
crimes such maintaining OF gambling houses ana
very prevalent and that they are not seriously inter
feled with by the police. .. ,.
The usual excuse is the dihcuity Oh eh,I n Inv,
such places although easily accessible 70 tne pupo
and OF procuring legal evidence. An invest SatSh OF
the facts shows that few raids upon shlhohk anu u
orderly houses made by the ponce oil thelr VWn
volltiOn and rarely II ever by the captain persoaR
end In neatly all cases, aclion Is taken Dy Pnvate
citizens agents of societies, upon which "aIlah'S
The police provide for regular report, by cap
tains Of police to headquarters Of AL gambling and
dsorderly houses in their precincts ouCh reports are
regularly made and there 10 at Ponce eTc
location and the kind OF business conducted III c''oh
Of them. ,.,,,..,.. ,o u,,,,,uas tho
police carefully to observe and inspect all such
prcmises, and 10 reprcss them In such cases win OF
section $50 OF the Consolidation Act gives each
policeman the power report u the superintendent
any such premises and 70 state the reasonable grounds
for believiIg that law violated upon them, where
upon the superintendent may Issue his own warrant
without any necessity Of applying 70 a police justice
upon which warrant his O1cers may break INTO the
suspected premises and arrest any persons found voa
ing the law and capture any apparatus used In sucn
unlawful business
A large amount Of testimony has been presented
showing the existence and the violation OF law In large
numbers OF these places The Grand Jury HAS Indicted
the propetorS OF some Of these places ana thy nave
been arrested under such indictments aCd nave PLEADED
In these very cases further testimony has been pre-
scented showing that there was no abatement In tlee
premises OF the same disorderiy pIscuce. ana upao
there was no appearance Of police interference;
With the facts before Us that the'e places 90 exet
In large numbers; that they are well known " .ne
police that their location and special kinds OF busl-
ness are recorded by the department aud that very
ne police to inspect aud rpress these places secon
2s2J and that extraordinary powers OF breaking INTO
rants are allowed the police in order that they may
perform such duties section ESQ ana with the lact thd
those powers or apply 70 magistrates for warrants
70 carry OuNher legal dutes there are presented IT,, to
Us the best reasons for conocning The inaction o. the
inoonpeseM 70 DO What Is frequently done by private
individuals vita imperfect facilities Tor s9ch WORK na
snoh hsct,on which are Illegal and corrupt. The
Il is our belief that the latter suggestion Is the
PLANTATION Of this peculiar inactivity. $3.50
In reference 70 eXC-e Violations, the proofs when
have been produced and our own observadim clearly
show that the existence Of open saloons. ana Iie
general rule, ard II Is clear that there is very VtIe
attempt by the police 70 interfere with these pruc
The present atuaaion certainly warrants the con
domination Of the Police Department n the msucrs
WORK Of enforcing the law They do enforce the law
n sny rePects in superior Tsnner Gs tome, ,ney
Of crime for rcasons weknown 10 Themselves theic
Is telling where the same couIe Will lead them TO
and testimony offered have tended to show financial
80 sn & ne fS T for Lax M Is
and the immunity from arret enjoyed BY the law.
+ Obvious that when a coafesSIGn BY law treakes
Of payment for protection wonh subject him 10
aiso for hrbe diving it is extremely aiicur to col
tct Trustworthy evidence In direct proof OF snch
nrne 10 90 90 further Than 10 make this general
preseDtment that the courts and tie residents
against the dangerous evil that Is in the midst Of
The foregoing was nn91mcusly adopted;
HENRY VI. TABER, Foreman
When Mr.. Taber finished reading the document he
said: "There IS another paper which l will ask Mr.
Mead to be kind enough to read. Ny voice IS giving
OUT Frederick Mead, !r., then read the following
To the Honorable, the Court Of General SESSIONS and
to the Honorable Frederick smyth, Recorder.
Presentment.
Whereas. The attention Of the Grand Jury has been
called 70 bill before the Legislature known as the
spies" act; and, whereas, such bill Is, In our
opinion, entirely In the interests Of the law breaking
Class and against the Interests Of all good citizens III
this city and county, the Grand Jny, do therefore
most earnestly protest against the enactment Of any such
bill a law and request your Honor have this pro
test forwarded 10 the proper authorities In the LeGis
lature.
We recommend the adoption Of "a rule by the Police
Comm TO the effect that where special reason
exists " the contrary, any prisoner desiring be
allowed immediately upon his arrest TO communicate
with his family and friends In order " notify them
thereof
Among the many branches OF vice which have
examined is that Of dsreputable advertisements In
some Cd the daily papers. 1t incredible that
newspapers which 20 into the homes OF city, and
which are largely circulated among the young and un
wary, should should make themselves the pad
ot advertising houses prostitution We have specl-
ally investigated the personal column Of morning
newspaper. There have been usually "A large number
Of advertisements Of this character daily In that col
We have examined witnesses who have