The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-12-19
Even "Honest" Inspector Steers, Now
Retired, Received 50 Per Cent. of
One Districts blood Money.
ROTTEN STEAMBOAT SQUAD
HOW ~PROTECTIoN TRIBUTEv WAS
DISPOSED OF BY wARDMEy.
Captain schmittberger's Attempt e.
Bribe an Agent-Creeden's $4,000
-Martin Too HI tn Testify.

day there were present in the court room
police captains Cross. Allaire and Creeden,
all in full uniform. Father Mcdonald. OF
Brooklyn. was an interested spectator. In
opening. Senator Lexow said he had been
officially informed that the suspension OF
Captain Creeden by the police board had
been revoked. Mr.. Goff remarked that. In
his mind, there was some doubt as 10
whether not ii is an indicfable offense
for anybody. even the police board. TO
bring an action against a person who has
given evidence before the committee. The
fact that they had given the testimony.
guaranteed them immunity. "a person who
does testify against himself" continued
Mr.. Goff. lis absolutely exempt from any
indictment and from prosecution based on
that testimony"
Captain Strauss was the first witness OF
the day. He testified that his wife's name
was Barbara, and that neither he nor his
wife had a bank account He also said
there were no real estate mortgages in
his wife's name.
John w. Reppenhagen, the man who
handled Captain Creeden's $4,000. was the
next witness. He reiterated his testimony
of Friday, to the effect that Smell gave
him check for $1,000. and that Martin
knew he had this check Then ne deposited
July l6 1892. He admitted that 5000 was
paid to him as a bribe for his influence in
the matter. 1t was a custom for the saloon
keepers in his vicinity TO give small loans
to the police, say s. or SO at a time, and.
as result, the police were not so strict
about the enforcement OF the excise law
They were also assessed TO make a Christ
mas present for the captain every year
STEAMSHIP COMPANIES ASSESSED.
Policeman O'Neil was then called to thu
stand Sergeant Taylor and Captain AL.
laire were also called and sworn aisd re-
quested to leave the room while oNeil
testified. The witness was then told that no
action could be brought against him for
his testimony and was warned Of the dam
ger of perjuring himself. O'Neil said that
he is now member OF The steamboat
squad, having been assigned TO that sery-
ice in lSs2, when Captain Cassidy was In
:"While you were on the steamboat squad,
ala you ever receive any money from the
Ten dollars a week and my meals"
out of the $40 per week did YOU have TO
pay anything1'
Cannon for C&ptain schnlftberger.'
Onncer Beck, another 1henber OF the
steamboat squad. was the next witness.
squad. slo which he had Received for extra
work for a steamship company. He had TO
John o. Mahoney, anothyr member of the
He had been on the force fwenty.five years. years.
promotion because he was poor and knew il
would cost too much. He had received so
month from the Baltimore & Ohio rail-
| yards. Witness testified that officers Ball
| and Cannon and Sergeant Taylor got $40
| a month OF this money from him for Cap
| tains Ailaire and Schmittberger
Oscar X. Conchis, general agent OF the
| French Steamship Company, testified that
| pany was offered $1,000 IL ne would refuse
| to show the books of his company in which
an entry of 500 paid to Captain schmitt-
| Officers Murphy, Brady, McGeorge. Con-
nors and Moran testified that they had been
tains M Allaire, Schmitfberger and GastIin
| they had TO give up half OF this money
| every month to the different wardmen-
| EX-wARDAIAN BALLS STORY.
| Ex-wardman Ball, who served under
Captain Gastiin, was the next witness.
81 believe you will not deny that you
collected the money from these oficersY'
| mo"
"who did you give 1t tor
| ITO Captain Gastln."
| "And did you ever collect any for Captain
Schmittberger?
"Yes: / was under Schmittberger for only
/ two months
Witness then said that when Captain
| Schmittberger first assumed charge or the
steamboat squad he wanted the men TO
| turn over all extra money to him Some of
them agreed 10 this, but others objected.
What money did you ever collect for
II collected $50 from agent Townsend, OF
| the Pennsylvania line for the captain. L
also went to Hoboken once and got some
| money from one OF the ferry lines there"
How much did you get?'
Fifty dollars"
! you collect for Captain Schmittberger dur
| ing the first month he was in the squady'
1.-TWO hundred and ten dollars"
And that was the regular monthly col
lectiong
Sergeant Taylor, another collector for the
captains OF the steamboat squad. was
Sergeant, how much did you collect dur
ing Captain Schmittbergers captaincy?'
What did you 10 with thisg"
INSPECTOR STEERS IMPLICATED.
II paid the most OF 1t to Inspector Steers
| at headquarters"
A buzz went around the court room at
this answer and everybody suddenly be-
came attentive.
| what became OF the other portionr'
II kept IT,"
"And how often did you go there
headquarters, 1 neanr
| Every month"
1 And why did you pay TO himy'
| Because he ordered me 10 do So"
How much did you pay TO Inspector
| Steers? What per cent p?
| Eighty per cent"
And you kept 20 per cent?
| Yes"
| After Schmittbere-r left there and YOU
took charge did you continue TO divide
with Steers"
| YES"
When Captain Allaire took charge. what
did you do with the money you collectedy'
well. put il in envelope and laid IL
on the desk I'm the station house ard never
saw IL any more i wrote on the envelope
'Street-cieaning Department and left II
| on the sergeants desk"
Did you continue 10 put the envelopes
on the desk after McAvoy came in2'
Yes"
well. to whom were you responsible for
the collection of this money!"
Il don't know; l merely continued as
had been doing
DIR. Joel Wilson Wright. who is in at
tendance on Honest" John Martin TO
whom Reppenhagen gave the $1,000 TO Sc
cure the appointment Of Captain Creeden.
was next called. He testified that Martin
was seriously III: that ne could not move
without assistance. and that his affiiction
was paralysis in the left side.