New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-08-15
TO HEAR THEIR FATE TO-DAY
TRIAL OF THE FIVE POLICE SERGEANTS.
THE COMMISSIONERS RESERVE THEIR DECISION
-DEvERY AND CROSS WILL BE put on

George c. Iiebers Felix McKenna and Charles A.
Patterson were tried by the Commissioners at the
Central Office yesterday afternoon for receiving
money from Mrs Augusta Thurow and permitting
her to be the bcndswoman for girls who were ar
rested at her Ill orderly house in Second-aVe' 'aAt
year. FIVE hours were consumed in the Uiais VI
the five sergeants and at the end Inc TOUT Noi"-
missioners reserved their decision. Assistant Dis
trict-Attorney Wellman, who acted as the p'oSe
cutting officer before the Commissioners. adopted
the unusual method OF trying the five sergeants
separately and yet al the same time ana ne was
opposed with a great show OF vigor by Frlehu q
House. the lawyers representing four OF the SCI
geants. and by r. j. Swift. who acted as counsel
for Sergeant McKcnna alone. The lawyers ioi
the defence acted throughout the trials as II .ney
were convinced that the Commissioners had luiiy
determined in advance 10 dismiss the serseah's
from the force They made objections at every
point where u possible to interpose any APP
parently for the purpose Of having them on record
when they might begin contest In the courts Ao'
the reins tatement of the sergeants
II was 1870 D. m. when the Commissioners took
their seats In the trial room. and the five sergeants
walked mp 10 the railing and answered 10 'her
names Commissioner Martin presided at the
trials with Commissioner Murray on his right
hand and Commissioners Kerwin and Sheehan on
his left Assistant District Attorney Osborne sat
beside Mr. Wellman The sergeants were In plain
clothes, because they were stu under suspension
from duty. They looked as If they felt the dis-
grace Of their position and believed that their case
before the Commissioners was hopeless Mr. House.
for the defence AT objected to having the
sergeants tried Jointly. He declared that every
possible effort would be made to prevent or delay
the trials and the Commissioners and MI we'll
man might as we'll understand that at the start
Mr. Wellman then sprung the announcement
that the sergeans would be tried separately. In so
far that the testimony In each case would be made
TO stand by itself. but that each witness for tho
prosecution would be kept on the stand untl the
testimony regarding each of the sergeants had been
given. Thus, after being sworn and examined IN
the case of one sergeant. the witness would be
again sworn and examined in the case of the next
sergeant and so on to the end of that witnesses
testimony and the separate trials or the sergeah's
could go at the same time.
MR.. WEIIMAN'S PLAN ADOPTED.
The Commissioners agreed to Mr.. Wellman's
plan and overrued the objections OF MI House,
who contended that 1t was only another way or
irving the sergeants Jointly. Mr.. House made
long argument against the legality OF the trials
because the sergeants had been ordered at short
notice 10 appear yesterday. after having been in'
formed that they were TO be tried to-day "heh
his objections had been overrued he moved TO
have the charges dismissed on tho ground that the
Commissioners did not have the jurisdiction to try
men for bribery. II the sergeants were TO be
tried on the ground that they had been brfbed
to accept Mrs. Thurow as bondswoman for her
girls, he said. then the Commissioners were assurn-
ing the right try the men on a criminal charge
but If 1t was admitted that the sergeants were
not bribed there cause for complaint as
the sergeants had been compelled by the rules
of the Department and by the law TO accept ball
Mr.. Wellman simply retorted that the sergeants
were being tried for conduct unbecomng ofncers'
not for felony. and Mr.. Houses motion was
denied
M sw lSe r Gaf U
sad that after receiving notice 10 appear for trial
tod Me- d.
as his counsel. Mr. Adams had gone away some ne,
where to for a1 o M p ane TO appear
yesterday Mr. Swift also cited the case a oI
from the force for alleged perjury. and was rein
stated by the courts on the ground that the ON m
ssse G eT n05 en whe1 Mr.
tec,ions had been overrued the hands OF me eoek
been consumed in argument by the lawyers. The
case of Sergeant Clark was then called.
CLARK THE FIRST WITNESS.
Mr. Wellnan astonIshed the other lawyers by re-
questing Clark to be the first witness against MINI
self and identify the entries In the police oiotters
which he had made when he accepted Mrs Thu
row as bondswoman for her girls In the Flfth-st
police station Mr. Friend declared that such re-
quest was preposterous Mr. House SHOUTED maj NAV
necessary to defy the Commissioners Mr.. Well
man said the Commissioners were nquiring INTO
they could Justly demand that he answer questions
to entries which he had made In the o.oue tier; IN
Commissioner
which entries in the bloters could be identified?
Mr.. Weman-Yes.
Mrs. Augusta Thurow, was then called to testify;
She stated that she had kept the disordery house
accepted by Sergeant Clark as the bondswoman for
two Of her g WIG Wesn called 'hs her
ton to the entry in the hotter Of the Flfth-st
station for that dae showing g that she r mad Gs been
desk duty at the time as another entry shoE go
ali commander
20 be allowed 10 give ball in such cases. and now
desk for each bail bond which she was allowed to
sign. She mentioned 'other cases In which Clark
tries in the boter were shown Sr her. ana
he was jealous OF her. When her husband said he
was no, jealous Clark nandes rose 10 her as se
Crossexamned by Mr.: House the witness s. said aid
hand. and she did not know what became Of the
money after she left 1t on the desk. o,,o.. Ma
Thurow to testify against Sergeant ldebers there
objections by the lawyers 81 for the de-
into pigeon hole OF the desk in front OF sergeant
Liebers several occasions when she naa pen an
lowed to get her girls out OF the police STATION on
'"'" PUT s. IN A BOOK.
When Mrs Thurow was tes,ifying against Ser
seant Jordan she said that on one occasion she
vas ssnt into the back ROOM where Jordan met
her and had her sign the bail bond. She then laid
the S In book which he held in his hands That
incident she said TO Mr. House she had not told
before when she was q witness for the Lexow Com
mittee and on the trial of Captain Doherty be
cause she had not remembered II unti yesteraay
morning The lawyer vainly tried to wiring from hef
a confession that somebody had suggested such
story TO her. . ,,,-o Ma
AS witness against Sergeant Parkerson MIS-
Thurow said when the girls we're released from
the police station on her bond they immediateIy
went back TO the house in Second-ave. she con-
cluded her testimony by telling how she had Deen
accepted as bondswonan number oil times ny
Sergeant Mckenna. .,, G
The next witness was Inspector AieNanuer nj, -.
face was we'll bronzed by exposure TO the weather on
handwrtng of the sergeants in turn as the entries
In the blotter shown to him. 60.
Clerk HAYES of the Essex Market Police court
was called and questioned about the ball bonds
which had teen signed by Mrs. Thurow and had
disappeared in the court after thp girls for whom
she had given bail had appeared in court. He ex-
niained that the bonds were of value when the