The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-07-16
Special 10 the Scranton Tribune.

Special 10 the Scranton Tribune.
TROY, N. Y, July Is.
SPHERE was prosecuted in this
city last week, by special com
mitttee of state senators. all ia
u quiry scarcely less interesting
in its way than was the famous prob
ing Of the LexOw committee into tue
official rottenness of Tammany.ridden
Gotham. While it concerns directly
only the citizens of Troy, it indirectly
concerns all who are in favor of honest
municipal government and who do not
believe that the policemen whom tax
payers are taxed to support should get
their incomes in part from blackmail-
ed keepers of gambling places, dis.
reputable saloons and houses OF i'll re.
pute.
The testimony began on Wednesday,
and may be we'll summarized in the
following language from the Troy
Daily Times, q journal whose campaign
for law and order, spurred on by the
wantOn ASSASSINATION last spring by q
Murphy machine tool Of reputable
Republican watcher at the polls, Rob-
ert Ross. is in many particulars unsuT-
passed in American journalism: 1T
was shown" SAYS the lines, that dis.
orderly houses flourish by favor of the
police and because Of liberality in deal,
ing with those officials. Business in
terests with influence at headquarters
have used that influence to protect
the disreputable houses dealing iu
their goods Dive keepers who were
arrested found no difficulty in securin z
bail on payment of a generous bonus ia
friend of the police. One man was
forced under threat Of being closed up
TO purchase of the superintendent of
police at an exorbitant price a piano
long since past its day of usefulness
| Payments were made for licenses to
sell liquor which were never issued.
Disorderly houses were shown to be
open on July 4, although the public
has the word Of the superintendent
Of police that all such places were
closed permanently weeks ago. AT
other dates since the closing order was
so ostentatiously promulgated detec :
tive found large number of the pro
hibited class of places running in semi
secrecy.
POLICE RAPAClTY.
ain one or two cases witnesses testi.
fed to payments which they under.
stood provided for police protection,
and nearly every witness who had kept
a disorderly house showed that the
police had o fondness for borrowing
small sums which they never returned.
In one instance, according to the testi
mouy, the police aided in job to gel
$40 from the inmates of disorderly
mouse, taking half of it as reward
Police officers were accustomed to stoy
Mt these places, whether on duty or not
One witness charged an officer witt
robbing a man whom he took to al
alleged hotel on River street, auC
money which the man left in the car,
of the hotel keeper was taken by thu
police and never returned.
"Some Of the most damaging evi.
dence was given by the clerk Of the tx
else board, He said that the board wa
not allowed to issue licenses to disor
derly houses, and he then admitted
taking $50 each from q long list o
keepers of such places, the money GO
ing to the charity fund, whatever tha
may be. He supposed the excis,
board knew all about tho transactions
rs no secret was made OF them, and a
last he confessed that he made the col
lections without authority of law
That the police looked upon these as
sessments IS permits is shown by thei
failure to close the houses which cOuit
produce receipt from the clerk of th,
excise board. 1t should be borne il
mind that this system OF special polio
license is testified to. not by u disgruu
tied keeper of y disorderly house, bu
by paid official of II city department
LAW BREAKERS AS POLICEMEN
tin some cases the testimony of wit
nesses was not as free as their prelimi
nary statements Counsel for tn
committee found the reason In the fac
that police officials had called upon tn,
witnesses and threatened them will
punishment il they dared tell all the,
knew. AS in New York, the polio
thought to baflls inquiry b
bulldozing. They succeeded i
part but they failed to suppress al
the damaging evidence. 1t was clearl
established in spite of the threat
that the keeper of disoederly hons
could obtain protection by paying So
for license which never was issued
by buying his beer of q certain firm, an
his cigars Of another, by contributing
freely for presents for police officers
and by lending police officers money o.
application and never asking the re
turn Of the loan. It appears, also, that in
dictment for crime or misdemeano
constitutes no bar to availability 0s
police officer, The records show tha
eleven members of the force have bee
indicted for various offenses without i
the least interfering with their worl
: as alleged guardians of tho peace,
The senate special investigation int
Troy affairs lasted only day and ouC
half, being then adjourned to awsi
the preparation of evidence along
new line; but in that brief time suf
iicient facts were proved TO warran
the conclusion that the official rotten
ness which exists iu the city governe
by agents of Uuited States Senate
/ Edward Murphy differs in dimension
but not in principle from that whic
characterizss the administration of tn
affairs Of New York city under tn
system until recently captained b
Senator Murphy's bosom friend an
political co partner, the Honorabl
Richard w. Croker.