The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-10-22
What HAS CLARK TO SAY
Clara Weichel Charges Him with Ex-
tOrting Hush Money from Her.
PAID HIN FIFTEEN DOLLARS
lie Wanted Twenty but Made Rebate or
Five Dollars for Cash-In Conse'
quence of the Present He
Did Not Prosecute Case.

There Is little doubt that LeXow IN
vestigating committee would find
plenty of corruption If it got to work in
Lackawanna county investigating the
conduct of the sworn preservers of the
peace and enforcers of the law.
The conduct of many of them is to
say the least peculiar.
They seem to think that an official
commission is license to commit al
most any outrage against the law and
public decency, and many of them have
become so emboldened by success that
they make little or no effort to disguise
or cover up their unlawful acts. They
look upon disorderly houses, gambling
dens and tippling houses as institutions
which should be allowed to thrive for
their special benefit. If "a proprie-
tor refuses to be liberal then his place
is at once found to be menace to pub
lie morals, and arrest speedily follows.
Knowing the unlawful nature of his
business the defendant dare not face a
jury in court and must perforce settle
at the terms of his prosecutor, and If
he has any money left he proceeds to
embark in the same business again.
Every little while the public prints re-
late, the raiding of some bagnio at the
instance of q constable or special Of
ficer, and hearing of the arrested per-
sons before some suburban alderman.
In nearly every case Of this kind black
mail is the object.
Cases In Point.
Last Monday Constable James Clark,
of the Eighteenth ward, swore out war
rants before Alderman Hore for the ar
rest of Clara Weichel and Cora Oliver
John Gilbride, of the South Side, at the
same time and before the same alder
man, lodged information against
Charles Thiel. These persons were
charged with being the proprietors of
houses of i'll fame located in Cen
ter street. Constable Patrick Hen
nigan was the constable who
served these warrants and the
prosecutors fixed the witching hour
of midnight for the hearing before
Alderman Hore. Cora Oliver was not
found, but Miss Weichel and Thiel ap-
peared at the aldermans office on EN-
met street. His record shows that the
case against Miss Weichel collapsed for
want of evidence, and that Thielwaived
hearing for his appearance at court.
quent hearing Miss Weichel tells the
following story:
In the early part of August Con-
stable Clark paid visit to her place.
Later he told her that if she would give
him 500 he would be blind to what he
saw, otherwise the law would have to
take its course against her. She re-
fused to be bled by Clark, she says,
and the next time she heard from him
he spoke in the shape of warrant.
Took Fifteen Dollars.
When she arrived at the alderman's
office Clark met her before entering,
and wanted to know If they could not
settle the case.
"How much money do you want?"
she asked
Twenty dollars" was his reply.
After consultation with her attor-
ney she offered hin SIS, and he agreed
for that amount to drop the suit.
Alderman Hore, when asked why the
proceedings against Miss Weichel were
dropped, said that Clark offered no tes-
timony that would warrant him in
sending the case to court and he mad
to let the prisoner go.
On Thursday afternoon Gilbride
according to the assertions Of Thiel,
sought out Thiel and wanted to make
a bargain with him. The latter spurned
all overtures Of settlement and defied
him to carry the case to court. How
ever, at o'clock in the evening in a
saloon on Penn avenue, into which
Gilbride had followed Thiel, they set
tied it for the paltry sum of 81 in the
presence Of several witnesses.
Gilbride, an hour later, had become
,,.,lr ffn., .Nal a. H.
kept by Miss Weichel. The door was
barred against him and that ruffled his
temper. He became engaged in an en-
counter with that adjunct known as
'the bouncer," but when the officers ar
rived his antagonist took to flight and
escaped. Gilbride also tried to evade
the officers, but Patrolman Day cap
tured him at the corner of Penn avenue
and Spruce street. The next day Alder
man Fuller discharged him with a
reprimand.
What VIII Be Done?
Clark's connection with the cases Just
quoted should not be overlooked by
the proper authorities. The travesty
upon Justice witnessed at each session
of the grand jury when constables
make their returns and swear to the
freedom of their respective bailiwicks
from tippling houses and other forms
of law violation dwarfs into insignif-
canoe alongside the vulturous methods
employed by those officials who offer
protection to these dens of infamy for
a consideration. 1t is little wonder that
in parts of the county lawlessness is
rife when the preservation Of the peace
is Independent upon men whom bribe
can induce to overlook any offense, and
who deliberately plot to levy blackmail,
becoming willing abettors of all kinds
of debauchery when their iching palm
of debauchery when their itching palm
has been properly crossed.