The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1894-09-26
SUPT. BYRNES
CUTS LOOSE.
He Intends to Enforce All
Laws Regardless OF
Existing Rules.
SAYS HE'LL WAIT NO LONGER.
The Commissioners Given Ample
Time to Act Upon His
Report.
NO MORE SUNDAY SALOONS.
Excise Ev 'dence Will Be Gathered
by Policemen in Citi-
zens' Dress.
NO MORE SUNDAY SALOONS.

Supt. Byrnes has thrown down the
gauntlet to the Police Commissioners
and declared open war.
He will. he says, go ahead, regardless
of any rules laid down by the Police
Board, and will gather evidence against
saloon-keepers who habitually violate
the Excise laws. He has, he declares,
been hampered long enough by the rule
which governs the collecting of evidence
In such cases.
In an interview to-day Supt. Byrnes
made the following statement:
propose u cut loose from every
thing that has heretofore prevented me
from exercising what 1 have considered
TO be my pain duty In the enforcement
OF the Excise avs.
THE Police Commissioners. bd a resolu-
ton which mentioned in my recent re-
port to the Board. setting forth the rea-
sons for the failure of the Police Depart
ment to enforce proper respect for the
Excise law. hampered the Police Depart
ment by forbidding police officers from
Obtaining evidence against saloon-keep-
ers while in citizens clothes.
Il have l think, waited a reasonable
length of time for the Board to act upon
my report, and now ! have determined
to exercise my own Judgment. partlcu-
larly in the matter of excise violations"
Mr. Byrnes was most emphatic in his
He would now, he. said, get evidence
in any way he could, regardless of the
rules prescribed by the Police Board.
II it is necessary for a policeman to
wear plain clothes to get evidence,
plain clothes will be worn.
The Superintendent said that he had
already begun the war upon the excise
Asked If he proposed to enforce more
rigidly the Excise law with regard TO
the, Sunday traffic. the Superintendent
I'VE will certainly do the very best we
can. II an officer of this Department
finds a saloon open and doing business
on Sunday he is liable to dismissal If he
fails to report the fact to the Captain. l
don't think that any policeman will here
after take any such chance"
When Mr.; Byrness,s def was made
S1Tv hS'd bla TrS"th " vas like the
hush which precedes a storm.
Il.en tiIeIe ~e.c whispered interroga-
dons as to what the , outcome would be.
ton was INSTRUMENTATION of the most
hagrant character, and that there could
be no other result than that he would
be disciplined for this open defiance OF
his superiors.
Commissioner Kerwin, when asked II
It were probable that the Superintendent
might be called upon Ito to s answer to
1T appears that he has violated rule
made by the Board for the government
Of police officers in obtaining evidence
excise cases ann ana h wl Stand " be
| hind him in the most vigorous enforce
ment of the law that he can reasonably
suggest. ,, :
milty of an act of insubordinat ton in is
suing orders such as he Is said to have
Issued to-day. 1t will raise an issue In
will be very, severely dis
|ciplined for this overt act.
Commissioner Kerwin intimated that
Inc sympathized with the position taken
4 D,,., nd % wnlllH n
port him In his fight against any mem.
bers of the Board who might attempt
to prevent him from doing his duty.
what he thought the probable action of
the Board would be. 1t is claimed that
he also was in sympathy with the
but ss he he s not 70 Know
that the order of the Superintendent
| was contrary to any rule or resolution
Of odr the d. Department but If 1t was he was
It is not unlikely that Supt. Byrnes,s
action is the result of the warning ut
tered by DR.. Parkhurst at the meeting
Of the City Vigilance League on Mon
| day night. 1t was then that the reVer-
end Ieformer made use of the following
| words:
| IF Mr.. Byrnes would step squarely to
the front and say, Il am going TO carry
me by virtue of my position, and II the
Police missioners get In my way !
am going to let the public know ~ IN d
way they cannot misunderstand'nif Mr.;
Byrnes would come to the 'front.' ana
say that, and say 1t in way that
would make us sure he meant TO do IT,,
the response by the community would be
something thrilling" ~
Then DIR. Parkhurst made the toiioW-
Ing significant utterance;
But / want to say, too, that II ne
does not do that pretty soon ne Will
not have an opportunity to do II.
Following so closely upon this state
ment from DR. Parkhurst 1t would seem
that his open defiance of the Police
commissioners is something more thah
coincidence.