Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-12-28
II was busy with other things.'
ssf-hen vo,, y,,itxt have becn ue11i1aS

VH account Oi tlt ChafNCter OF tne men
who were on the committee Of the Board
OF Education"
What interest had you In protecting
the owners Of the houses"
II had no interest"
why did you refuse thep?"
II did not want their names to be pub
lishcd; the Inquiry was not an honest
one"
The witness. IN reply TO Senator OCon-
nor. said he did not know the eighty-three
houses reported were disorderly.
They were alleged disorderly houses"
said the Inspector.
That's chestnut" said Mr. yofy
Res0n1ing his order. Mr. Con said: "You
refused to give the names OF the occu-
pants OF these houses; why did you do
so?"
For the same reasons"
By the way. did you ever know OF an
honest investigation In this city, and do
you think the present committee Is an
honest oneY'
Yes sir; think II Is honest"
DID you ever know OF an honest charge
preferred against your" (Sarcastically)
Yes. sir" with q smile
In reply TO Mr.. Con, the Inspector said
he dh not think dlsorderly houses in the
vicinity OF schools had a bad effect on
| them or upon the children
And you, Inspector Williams. have the
audacity to say that? DO you still say
| that?"
Eyes. sir; l do
do Seu remember being called by the
newspapers uniformed bully?'
"No. SIR
CHAMPION CLUBBER.
''You remember also being called the
| champion clnbberr'
Yes. sir" (Slowly)
"Do you remember the charges made
against you by Thomas Wilde?"
Yes. SIR
do you remember saying to him that
one man In a place made a mob?"
"No. sir"
You were found guilty of that charger"
81 don't recollect."
But you were reprimanded?"
The Inspector looked down, and ad-
| mtted II.
Mr.. Con- then asked Williams as to his
| knowledge of the houses in the Eighth
| Precinct once the subject of trial before
| the Police Board. There was no reference
| 10 the trial in the records of the board,
| and Williams could find none in his re-
| cords.
MIR. Goff said the keeping OF these re-
| cords had been a gigantic fraud.
| After recess, Williams's memory was
| fresher, and he admitted having heard of
panel house in the Eighth Precinct,
and then Mr.. Goff gave him bad quarter
| of an hour, cross-examining him upon
a report made by Sergeant Green upon
! this subject and upon other kinds of dis
| orderly houses. Wllliams's memory was
again at fault. and no direct replies cou.d
| be got from him.
The examination OF the Inspector was
| then suspended to allow Louis S. Street
| TO be sworn. He said he was indicted in
! June co. 1889. for a felony in connection
with green-goods.
| "There were two indictments found
against your" asked Mr.. Goff.
| 'Yes, sir" replied the witness.
| "Now, were you in the green-goods bus-
| ness"
"No. sir"
Had you any connection with the
| case?"
mo. sir"
| The witness then explained that a man
| OF the name Of Edward BeclSthOld rented
| office from him at No. SO Beekman
street. Anthony Comstock," said he,
! "came 10 my office a month afterward
and asked me to tell him the name Of the
| man who rented the Office. I refused 10
| tell him"
| The witness further said that Beckthold
| gave his wife 5000 as bail for him. The
| bail was finally reduced to $1,000. and
| Street was released from the Tombs.
MONEY GIVEN CoMsToCK.
| "Beckthold told me-" said the witness,
che gave $3.50 TO Anthony Comstock 10
\ square an indictment in the United States
| Court"
! The witness said he went to Europe,
| and when he returned the indictment was
| still hanging"
| II went to see Anthony Comstock." "
said he, "and he said he was the only
| man who could get the indictments dis
| missed. / called to see Mr.. Gomstock
| again in August. 1890. and l paid him
| 81 900 In cash 10 get the State Court in
| dictments dismissed. He said when he
was taking the money. Remember you
| are not giving me this 81 900 as a bribe.
| but as a donation to the society,""
This testimony created a sensation In
| the court
"Now. are you sure you paid this money
| 20 Anthony Comstock?'
| II paid him sl,00 to have the indict-
| ments dismissed and to secure my
| liberty"
| Mr.. Goff offered in evidence the two
| original indictments, which had been dis
| missed as the Endorsement showed.
| How does this relate TO our inquiry?'
| asked Chairman LeXow
| 1T is very material" replied Mr.. Goff.
| "as / shall proceed to show"
| He showed that the indictments had
| been dismissed on September 30, 1890 by
| Recorder Smythe, whose initials were
| signed on the recommendation of the Dis
| trict Attorney
"Who was the District Attorney" asked
| the chairman.
| Colonel Fellows" replied Mr.. Goff. AT
| least, his name appears on the paper"
| The witness said he had never been
| tried on these indictments, but that Com
| stock had subsequently had him indicted
| on the same charge and the case was now
| pending on appeal to the United States
| Supreme Court.
ComstOck, the witness said, compelled
| him to swear to an affidavit which he
| knew TO be false on the threat of bring
| ing no the United States Court indictment
| against him.
The witness told rambling story of
his dealings with Comstock and Beck
| tholl. and finally stated that Beckthold
| had informed him that he had given $1,000
| each to Comstock and Assistant District
| Attorney Mott to get the original indict-
| ment dismissed.
Mr.. Goff stopped the witness here, and
| moved that his testimony about what
| Beckthold had said to him touching the
| payment of this money be stricken from
| the record.
street went on 10 tell about his second
| Indictment. but Mr.. Goff stopped this.
too. Then the witness said he had writ
| ten 10 President Cleveland, confessing
| all about his relations with Comstock.
| and had received letter in reply. He
| was stopped again when he produced the
| letter. which, he said, was only from the
| Presidents private secretary and was
/ merely an Acknowledgement OF the letter.
Street tried to tell what Judge Benedict,
| OF the United States Court had done
| when ne heard that he Street had writ
| ten 10 President Cleveland, but ne was
| shut off here, too, although Senator
| Bradley wanted TO see the letter.
| Robert Street. hotei-keeper. was then
| called.
| "Did you visit Anthony Comstock's Of
! fice with your brother in August. lSso!'
asked Mr. Goff.
| Eyes. sir"
| what did you seer"
| II saw my brother pay 5000 TO An
| thony comstock. There was an agree
| ment between them to get the indictments
II tAAr