Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-12-22
sc1MITTBERcER TELLS HIS sroev
The Noted Gotham Police Captain Makes a
Clean Breast

'oe"oGN tcIIS HIS STORY.
Ahe Noted Gotham Police Captain Makes a
Clean Breast.
NEW YORK, Dec. 22.-Maxim,lian G.
Schmittbergcr, captain Of police and now
In command Of the ''tenderloin" district.
made confession before the Lexow COM
mtttee to the effect that the entire police
system Of New York city, with the excep-
tion OF Superintendent Byrnes and a few
Others was rotten to the core; that black
mail and bribery, extortion and corrup-
tion were o,mmOn crimes in the depart.
ment, and shat mercenary methods alone
actuated his fellow officers. His chorycs
Implicated Inspectors Williams and Nc
Avoy, ex-lnspectOr Steers. Police Com.
missioners James B. Martin and John c.
Sheehan
Came to Tell the Whole Truth.
Captain Schmittbergcr's first words al
most were that he came to tell the whole
truth and they caused sensation.
Schmittbergcr said he joined the force in
1874 and was before that confectioner.
He paid nothing to be made patrolman.
He was first assigned to the Tendcrloin
Knew the precinct well. His duties OF first
were on account of a pull he had with the
sergeant ut the desk. He said that ward
politicians had a good deal to do with pro-
motions, and nc had heard of cases where
| patrolman paid a sergeant money to be
| assigned to light work
Names Some % the Go-Isetweens.
Now, captain, testimony has been taker
here that there are IA number of men in
this city who are known as 'go-betweens.
Vhey are really not connected with the de-
partment, but in order to get an appoint
mcnt Is 1t necessary to go to them. Do
you know any of these men?"
There is Charley Grant, Commissioner
McCiavcs secretary, and Il man named
Meyer, tailor on Broadway" He said
officers defled ri,les of the department and
! were sustained in il by the Tammany
| Hall club, of which Commissioner Shee-
| han was the president. Witness is men,
| Der of the club, rs are also Captains D,v-
cry, Price and Strauss. He admitted that
| in his precinct the excise law was openly
violated and that disrcputable women
and criminals did as they pleased. They
could not, he said, have done this without
special arrangement with the police.
Captain SchmittSerger admitted that
owing to political influence many of his
subordinates We're able to defy him. There
was IA tacid understanding for the protec-
| ton of fast houses and lawbrcakers.
| The captain went on to tell what he
knew of several dives in his precinct
which We're frcquentcd by ali the Grim
inals of New York. He said further that
no prctense of observing the excise law mt
| these places was ever made, and the fast
| women and criminals did rs they pleased.
| Golf asked about the famous Clotelle and
art gallery attached thereto, which be-
| came SO notorious before it was sup.
pressed. Witness acknowledged that the
| dive had not been closed before because II
was under police protection
Has Faith in Voorhis' Honesty.
! Witness reviewed his services rs Ser.
geant briefly and came to his appoint
mcnt as n captain. He was appointed by
Commissioner Voorhis, did not pay a cent
and believed Voorhis was honest and all
the charges against him false. He had
heard of the dock contributions. Ward
man Vail told him of it. l told him
did not want to keep it up, and he told
me that / was d-n fool; that men hat
Just as soon give it up as not and might
as well get it." And he had finally agreed
to the scheme.
O"And Vail was your collector, l be
lieveg" Eyes, for about two months, ant
then Cannon was appointed. l would
like now to brand Vail as n liar for saying
on this stand that wanted all the money
from the men" Vail collected about sl9t
q month, but the captain did not have t.
give any of it up to other officials. Wit
ness then went on to say that he had hat
o conversation with Inspector Steers. WHIT
told him TINT there was little money il
the precinct and he could have it all. HI
did not like the precinct and at his owl
request was transferred to another. Herr
there was only policy shops to bleed.
There were ten shops and he got $50 ,
month from each. The Bohemian LiquO
Dealers association paid $50 a month ant
he got so per cent. of it, But he was callet
upon to divide in this precinct, and tn
audience was thrown into n commotiol
when he said that the man he divided
with was the celebrated Captain Williams
who got go month"; except once when h
got slbO. Then there was n "shakeup'
and Schmittbcrgcr WAS transferred again
Policy shops here paid $500 month ans
pool rooms goo.