New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-11-30
CAPTAIN DENERY INDlClEp
FOUR CHA RGES AGAINST HIM.
THE GRAND JURY SUSTAINS DIR PARkHuRSi
AND HIS SOCIETY.

TIE ACCUSED OFFICER. WHO - ~ W.
CAGo.I IN CouRT-CRIME FLoURIsHED
uNREpREssED IN THE ELEv-
ENTH PRECINCT.
The Police Board paying no attention 10 MS
charges against Police Captain William -
Devery. Of tn, Eldrdge-st. station Dr'
porlburst laid them before the Grand jury
That body took prompt and decisive acuo"
II Yesterday indicted Captain Devery. fou'
true bills were found against him. He Is III
Chicago. and was therefore not arrested AS
Superintendent Byrnes promised to have MN re-
turn TO the city at once. Recorder Smyth uu "o'
issue a warrant for his arrest.
No one was allowed to see the indictments a'
the defendant not in custody. IL Is p.
fectly we'll known. however wherein las 'e
Captains offence. The Society Tor the rrc'e"
ton of Crime found that a large numper vi
houses of Ill resort were flourshing openly Ill
the Eleventh Precinct. Vice did not even h'e
its face and the inference that there was
an understanding with the police ions 'i''
of such places sent to the Police boaiu III
August. Captain Devery made a written state
ment that the accusations were untrue 'ie a'.
that many Of the houses were vacant and that
the rest were tenantcd with respectable Peop'e'
4 visit to the precinct would show any one
that this defence false.
RECOURSE TO THE GRAND JURY.
Dr. Parkhurst last month called the attention
Of Mayor Gilroy to the state Of affairs in the
precinct but accomplished nothing by TINS.
Then he went to the Grand Jury. That body
was busy until Monday with the Madison Square
Rank cases but on Tuesday DIR. Parkhurst,
Captain Wishart an agent OF the society ana
SUPERINTENDENT Byrnc5 were before IT, fester-
dav the indictments were handed down.
II Is likely that the offences charged are Vio-
lations of Section No III Of the Penal CODE
which provides that any public oihcer VINO
neglects 10 do his duty shall be guilty Oh
misdemeanor. The society secured the convic-
,ion In Special Sessions Of five keepers OF dis
orderly houses Four OF the places had been
reported TO Captain Devcry. but he had taken
no steps to arrest the proprietors. When they
were convicted owing to the efforts OF Captain
Wshart. 1t was proved that Captain DeVery
had failed to do his duty.
THE PRECINCT RICH PRIZr.
II may surprise many people to know that
the Eleventh Precinct is considered the most de-
sirablc In the city for a police captain 10 COM
mand II ~ now really the Tenderloin pre-
cinct Of the city the Nineteenth having given
way to IT, Captain Cross was formerly at the
head Of the Eldridge-st station. but was trans
ferred 10 Leonard-st In the spring. captain
Devery succeeded him In EIdridge-st.. getting
the plum. II understood. for securing the
| conviction OF Charles W. Gardner. agent OF the
| Parkhrrs1 Society. for extortion. Captain DeV-
| cry had previously been In command OF tne
| West Thrty-seventh-s station.
Fate brings about strange reverses' Nine
| months ago Gardner wn- sentenced To prison
| for extorton. and Captain Devery WAS re-
! jolcing In the downfall or his enemy. To-day
| Gardner Is free man. and the police officer
| IL under four indictments himself
| Frank Moss counsel Of the society. sald that
| Ii. Ixsx had haan "A
since Nav shortly before Captain Devery was
tran ~nrred To It. Twenty-Five convict for
keeping a disorderly house might have been
secured instead Of five. had the society desired
It, The four cases reported To the captain on
which convictions were secured were MT, Mfs
Werner OF No. l09 Forsyth-st: MrS; ne,ci
No 20 f,ldridge-st.: Mrs. Welsh. No. 81 Eldridge-
St. and Mrs Berger No 4s Forsyth-st
SUPERINTENDENT ByRXrs TALKS.
Information Of the Indictment Of Captain
| Dcverv reached Police Headquarters early in
the afternoon. and 1t caused no surprise because
the officials had been expecting something OF
| the kind on account Of the reports that had been
in circulation Superintendent Byrnes said
'If knew the cxac, nature OF the indictment
I might have something to say on the SUBJECT.
but at present have nothing to say relative to
the finding Of the Grand jury. learned of tne
! indictment a few hours ago. ana immediately
sent a message To Captain Devery. ordering him
TO return To the city and report To me. lie Is
absent his vacation. but doubtless ne Will re-
turn Immediately and face the music
President Martin. of the Police Board. said
Captain Devery will appear at the Office OF the
District Attorney as soon as possible ana give
hail I hope he will ask for speedy trial. and
trust that the Distrct-Attorney will have the
case brought TO trial as quickly as possible
Commissioner Shechan said: TT is not pos
sbe TO criticise the action OF the Grand Jury u
the absence OF definite information about th'
indictment. but II must be remembered that th'
Grand Jury hears only one side OF the case. ant
tbar. hae hsel
CAPTAIN Deyory to defend himself. His recort
| in the departmcn has been good.
The Indictment Of Captain D"vcry may be re
gardcd as an accusation against the entire % ue
partment When Dr. ParihuTsf first called I'M
attention Of the Commissioners 10 the disorderi!
places In Captain Devcry's precinct. IN August
! | Insnecior Conlin was IN temporary comman'
| Of the force as the Acting Superintendent ~
caused Captain Dcvery to make an investiga
| tion the result Of which was that the captain
| Whitewashed himself. Inspector Williams als'
made an investigation. and declared that IN
places mentioned In the communication of III
Parkhurst either were not disordcry or ha'
been closed by the police. inspector Conlli
= also made a personal investigation. and reported
, that he could find no disorderly places open u u
the precinct After Superintendent Byrnes re-
turned 10 the city he caused an ndependcn
investigation to be made by detectives OF IN
Central Onice. with practically the same IT.
suit
DR. PARKnUHsT's STATEMENT.
DR. Parkhurst when seen at his home. No
133 East Thirty -hfth-st. said: by way
preliminary ! wish To disavow any ahiH'oS''
, against Captain Devery. There has been "
, persecution and the prosecution has been solel!
I I'm behalf of public morals. About six month
, ago the society made preliminary canvas
covering a large part Of the city To ascertain
| in what sections dsorderly houses and gafnbn
7 houses were operated most hagranty Whii
we never had any thought that these wee
would be utterly exterminated. we nevertheless
have the right to insist that they shall not D
| In,
| or tant the children. After that preiminar
Q survey we acttled upon five precincts as
j field OF operation. and for immediate wori
G | narrowed the field still closer selecting onl
n one Of the five / am not at liberty to desig
: nate the five precincts
1T Is well known that the one precinct sc
7" | lected was the Eleventh. commanded by CAP
!, | tain Devery. we reached the CONCLUSION
4 that 1t was the field in which we could glea