New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-09-07

Commissioner Sheehan called the attention or
the other Commissioners to certain ruIes oi .ne
department IN which there was nothlng, ne sdu'
which mace Ii the duty OF the superintendent "
give information to the Commissioner as TO the
existence Of disorderly houses ana sa."o haS
houses in the city. Apparently the rules hau
been made with view TO keeping the CoinhhS
sioners In ignorance az 10 the existence CT sucn
places. he said. He suggested that the ru.es pe
amended so as to make 1t the duty or the
Superintendent to furnish copy OF the reports
about gambling houses and disorderly houses ~
that the Committee on Rules would consider the
matter.
THE END OF THE WARD MEN.
Commissioner Murray then presented the eso-
Iu,ions to abolish the office of ward man IN 'he
rorce He said in explanation Of the resolutions
that II had been shown at the recent ponce ulais
that when a captain was transferred iIoi' o"o
precinct to another he would take MS "''u ''
with him. . .os ,ba
"Thls ward man." said Mr.. Murray. was 'he
confidential agent and collector OF the captain
If such an evil exists 1t IS the duty OF the roice
Board to remedy it,. g.,
The resolutions were read ana duop'eu 90 "
lows:
Resolved That the position of precinct tsne
commonly known ward man be ana inc sd dIinS
the position Of precinct detective doing duty AS
such be remanded to post and be assfeI The 70 Spsr
duty and assigned TO other precincts by t"e sup
ResoVed That. when in the discretion of the
EXISTS in any precinct he is hereby authorized TO
of an oficer or officers. from men connected win
the detective bureau TO lerve in onsrs to be re-
manded TO uniform dut" at any time oy '"e Do''N
of Police.
The action of the Board reduces 10 pa''oi
duty in uniform all officers at present de'aiieu
as precinct Diet ctives Hereafter when the ser
vices of a detective are required in pIecinv''
member of Inspector McLaughlins stan VIII DC
dot aiia
are needed for special duty. such as OBTAINING. ,i3
evidence against disorderly houses, oIhce'S WIN
he detailed by the Commissioners. at the suS-
geston of the Superintendent. and Will be re-
manded to duty in uniform when their services
are no longer required.
TO CONSULT CHAIRMAN LEXOW.
Mr. Murray also offered a resolution when
was passed without comment. authorizing fres-
ident Martin to consult with Senator LeXow
as to the propriety Of continuing the trials OF
captains at the Central Office after the LeXoW
Committee resumed its sessions
Major Kipp again took up the report OF gu
perintendent Byrnes as there appeared to be
no other subject for the Commissioners 10 con-
sder but MIR. Martin announced that the COM
missioners would have an executive session
After the reporters had left the room the Com
missioners listened to the reading OF the super
intendents report in full as follows:
Police Department Of Of the S of
No 500 Mulberry-st September 6. 1894
To the Board of Police. ~
Gentlemen: In compliance with your resolution OF
JlEe 1894. directing ne 20 Investigate tne con-
dition and efficiency of the police force anu any
violation of law existing, countenaoed or permitted
therein. ard to report the result thereof 10 your
Immediately upon receipt of your resolution set
about complying with its requirements ana seec ecu
SQUADS of two or more. and assigned to each squad
several precincts in which TO make the required IN
June I. 1894, and have been made daily and nightly
from that time up to date In addition nave mace
from such inspection and observation. together with
the reports received by me from the o S no2Se
laws generally well enforced except the EXCISE
law The number of cases in which VACATIONS OF lhe
Investigations from June ! last TO date in saloons
on during prohibited hours. is g. 400.
ONE CAUSE OF THE BIG VIOLATION.
This shows that the Excise law in this city is
tinually yiolated-a fact which, apart from the de-
termination Of large numbers Of citizens to drink
intoxicating liquors during prohibited hours as well
other times Is due TO the very great difficulty
which is encountered by officers in their efforts to
procure evidence against violators Of this law.
difficulty which was greatly increased by action of
the Board Of Police in September 1891, on recon-
mendation of organization Of citizens known as
\ the New-York Citizens Alliance, which in effect,
forbids policemen in civilians dress obtain EVIL!
dence in this class cases That resolution far
as 1t relates to the Excise law. is as follows:
Resolved That the communication received from
Alliance be received and placed on file. and copy
referred 10 the Acting Superintendent, with an ex-
lice that. while it all occasions expects and
quires the police force to discharge its full duty. it
dsapproves in general OF any action on the part
of the force pariakng of the character of sneaks or
es or OF afnS u nd IN the
tempting or inducing by the police force Of persons
1t will be readily seen that this resolution to
great extent confines the work Of o6taring evidence
however perform
arce of their duty. find 1t next to impossible to OBJ
tain entrance 10 liquor saloons during prohibited
hours. as there is usually sentinel on guard at
the door TO give notice of the uniformed officers
against him. And. If uniformed officer sue
eeeds In gaining entrance to a saloon where the
magistrates will not hold the prisoner unless the
to the intoxicating qualities such liquor This will
make II apparent TO your honorable Board that
evidence of the character required by magistrates
upon which TO mold violators of this law.
THE COURTS LARGELY AT FAULT
Another and one Of the most potent of for
the large number of Excise law violations is the
lerIency with which the courts deal with the Of
tenders. who, If they do not wholly escape punish
ment, rarely II ever punished to such extent
as to make their arrest by the police deter them
from further violations. 1t makes but little differ
TO offenders against this law how often they
may be arrested they Simply furnish 800 bail an re-
turn their places Of business repeat the offence
and thus this department cannot efectua.y enforce
the Excise law until such times the courts Will
look upon violations of 1t they do upon other
offences prohibited by statute and punish the Of
tenders in the manner prescribed by law
AS to gambling. my investiga tons have shown
that there is no public gambling in this city at
the present time. There may be isolated
where gambling is carried on behind bolted and
barred doors. but in large cosmopolitan city like
ours isolated cases of gambling will always exist
and run along quietly and secretly uft the police
obtain knowledge OF their existence when they
can be suppressed.
AS to policy. it is a species Of petty gambling, de-
grading in itself, but difficult entirely 10
eradicate. 1t is at the present time practically
broken up confined TO itinerant vendors OF policy
slips. and to obscure places. chiefly in tenement
houses. in back rooms OF liquor saloons and cigar
stores. and on the street corners. and ia so
stealthily secretly and guardedly conducted that
II is well nigh impossible for persons not well
known TO policy writers TO obtain slips: md. in
many cases. even when the player IL we'll known
LII