The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1894-10-02
Going Up Higher.

Police Headquarters was 4,o59 in 1892,
2 "a and in 1898 400 Previous to the
appointment Of the LeXow Committee
it appeared that no police captain had
ever received any punishment more Sc
we're than "A reprimand.
Mr.. Moss did not read the entire vol
ume. but sail he would offer it in evil
! ience that 1t might be referred to as
/ the investigation went on. a recess was
/ then taken.
/ A summary OF the cases of convic-
tons of policemen by the Board of
Police Commissioners on charges of as
sault, oppression and other serious Of
lenses, criminal in their nature, pre-
pared by Mr. Moss and offered in evil
dence, covering the period from Jan. |.
/ 1891, to May l. 1894. shows total of 100
convictions. OF these, ninety-two men
are stlll on the force and sixteen have
retired.
Crimes and Penalties Inflicted.
The penalties inflicted were as follows:
days fine, s; 3 days fine, ~; days
10 days fine. 5; 20 days hne, $3.50 days
fine. 8: dismissed, 4. OF these, IL were
charged with neglect of duty; 2S. oppres-
sion; l. indecent exposure: Sc, assault in
the third degree; Is. assault in the sec
ond degree; !, burglary /, crime against
nature, and /. attempted rape,
| In 66 OF the foregoing cases the officers
were convicted Notwithstanding their de-
NAL under oath of the charge, and notice
was taken OF the perjury. There were
particularly noted. The number Of mis-
demeanors noted was 81, and OF felonies
49,
Attention is called to the fact that in
all OF these cases the charges contain
definit tie specifications, and the judgment
Is formal adjudication by the Commits
sioners that they are true. 1t also ap-
pears that very few officers above the
grade OF patrolmen have been tried or
convicted
During the five years prior to the
presentment by the Grand Jury of
March, 1892, against the Police Depart
ment only six police captains We're ac-
cused of offenses. and In each case the
complaint emanated from citizens.
Subsequent to this presentment and
prior to the appointment OF the Senate
Investigating Committee there were no
complaints against superior officers by
citizens. but several charges were pre-
ferred by the Superintendent against
inspectors and captains. These were all
decided on Jan. l6, 1893, and resulted in
absolute aCquittals for the inspectors
and simple reprmands for the captains.
, In the period since the appointment OF
the Senate Committee have occurred
ne hrst punishments OF captains by the
An these points We're brought out by
Mr.. Moss when he resumed the witness
stand after the Committee began its af-
ternOon session.
Tried fo- killing n Citizen.
A peculiar case was mentioned by
Mr. Moss, that Of officer John BurneS
who was convicted of carelt ssy handling
ms pistol and killing a citizen on Nov.
-, 1881 Tor which he was fined ten DAYS
pay. This was not included in the fore
. gong schedule because IA Coroner's Jury
decided that the shooting was acct
Z dental
; During the period named there were
I In all siNty-one dismissals from the
force but all but the four mentioned
We're for absence from post or intoxi-
Mr.. Moss then read the history OF In
, sptct9r lIliams AS a police officer from
ne uate of his appointment Aug. 3,
$500 10 the present time, as taken from
the iolce records. 1t showed that nu-
merous and serious charges had been
, made against him at various times, but
that he had uniformly been successful
! In escaping punishment
Among the charges We're several of as
, sault OF citizens, refusing to pull gam
bllnS houses, absence from post, dis
obedience OF orders most OF them being
: made while he was patrolman and
roundSman.
Several other cases were cited by Mr..
Moss, showing how some officers charged
with petty orenses had been dismissed,
while Others charged with the same
onense had escaped entirely.
Rev. John Halls SON TestIaes.
- The first witness called was Lawyer
: holtHn Hall Of Is West Nineteenth
: who related an experience with The
: police of the Church street station.
: ! was passing the station one even.
ing on my way home, when | saw a
I t"ddIers cart with a lot OF banana.
. uGnped out under it standing in front
II went in and demonstrated with the
Seis"ahi' who asked me whether | had
peth drinking mixed ale or beer. | told
A nm ne could see very well that | mad
been drinking neither, and he r.nIisi
n thal ought 10 attend to my own bust,
u ness II had any
= ~, Then he ordered an officer to put me
3ul. ! resisted al first bur had 10 20
= l made complaint % the Captain an
- 70 the Police Commissioners bur nevaI
:. mralt anEthlhE about H. although | was
i Nrsttgattd '"'' 20 il"
III" Assault ON students,
~ James Mason Knox. a Column, SIN.
- T'' III, il described the iiniculty which
- ~ Hopu 'mpTeS had with the police m
a ne evening Of June last, when m,
10 N.'SS hai ITS cremation OF "Iegenlrs'
y on Mr.. Erimmins's lot at SiNtv-eightl
: street ana Avenue 4.
Il ~ ndi permit for proce sslon bu
II Mtnt up 70 tho lot in gruupS affs,
. marching Tor a short distance throuEt
'hr precinct with torches
4 ,i,,i ne aHalr was very slow for 4 crema
|, uoh, and "" were making very IIttI
4 noise when squad OF police, withou
= any warning, rushed into the lot an,
: charged US with niEht-clubs. some o.
h vnr noSS were knocked down and Sc
Il was kicked and dubbed on the head
a put not vefy seriously hurt one feI
o low named Ballantine was kicked In In,
y SUI aha had 10 be assisted to his home
: StrSt. Rice had command OF the squad
/ We tired TO get satisfaction, but W,
Q could not Identify any OF the officer
WHO attacked rs or tell their names
I An OBJECT lesson, showing the result