The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1894-11-07
SHAKING UP SHEEHAN.
4 LIVELY DAY IN THE LEEOW COM
MlTTEE.

MlTTEE.
Counsel e, fl and Commissioner She char
| Have tha Riug to Themselyes-Tsm
many and the L'quor Msn-A Flat Re
fasal.
New YORK, Oct. 3l.-Commissione!
| Sheenan was on Ehe stand again today
| before the LeXoW committee and a:
usual a good deal OF hot talk passed
| between the witness and Lawyer COX
| Half an hour before adj )urnment, MT
| Sneehan was excused for the present
and anotAer witness took his place.
Solicitor Goff drew the commissioner
out IN reference to his ideas OF the du
ties Of the police board.
First and foremost, the Wltnes;
claimed the duty Of the board was tt
see that the S5,00O,000 annual approprl
alton was properly expended: The
board must also see that the officers OF
the force did their duty.
! Mr.. Goff endeavored to make tell
ing point by getting the witness Il
| ADMIT that the board considered tn;
proper enforcement of the rules among
| the officers as secondary to the expen
d1ture Of the So 100000 appropriation
The commissioner, however, would no'
ADMIT the truth of such an inference
| In the afternoon, Mr.. Gof spent con
siderable time questioning the witness
about the New York signal service
The commissioner admitted that the
service was greatly inferior to that o.
Chicago, Boston and several other iarge
| cities, but he could not explain why
this was the case. At the conclusion
of Mr.. Sheshan'S testimony for the day
| Mr.. Golf told the witness to bring his
private and public bank book tomor
row. This the witness positively re-
! fused to do.
Some of the Incidents of the day fol-
low:
what do you do, anyhow, for your
salary?' M. Golf asked.
81 work for my salary"
II want specific answer TO my
question"
1--WE have to see that the money ap
propriaved by the city is properly ex.
pended; we have also to see that the
police force does its duty, and thous
and aud one things?"
"What else?"
owe must see that the laws of the
| city of New York are enforced
"Have the police commissioners seen
| that the laws were e0forced?'
Yes sir, the police commissioners
have given the cltizsns of New York
the best pre- lection they ever had, and
the people are satisfied with the police
force. There may be a few dishonora'
bic men on the force, but the remain
ing members should not be held re-
sponsible for their acts"
81 have no doubt, Mr.. Commission
er," said Mr.. Golf. sarcastically, "out
that certain percentage OF the cltl-
zsns of New York have had ample pro,
lection"
Chairman LexoY then asked the wit
ness whether IN the Cross trial he had
not said he would not believe the eVi.
dence Of woman who kept disorder
ly house. The witness satd ne was not
prepared to express any opinion on any
| trial unless it was before him. "l am
lot going to say whether [ would be-
lieve witness or not" said he, until
the entire evidence is IN.
"But you took the evidence of pool
room keepers.
There were many decent man among
the pool room keepers. They gave up
the business when it was declared ille-
gal"
Mr.. Goff referred to the case of Capt.
Price, VINO was tried for allowing Ills
orderly houses to run in his precinct.
what was the verdict in Cap5. Prices
case"
"He was fined five days pay"
"Weu, Capt. Martens Vas tried for
the same ofonce aud fined thirty days
pay, while Capt. Doherty was dismiss
ed on the same charge. Exp ain how
these different sentences came about
for the same offence"
capt. Price was tried on the charge
Of allowing a disorderly house to rua
in his preclnct. This hous9 had been
closed long before, but two detectives
managed 10 oriag woman IN the house.
He was faed for no5 being vtgliant
enough. IWas 10 favor Of reprlmand,
Ing DIN, ss believed the house had
Deeu closed.
Way Gid you vote for his convic'
tion?"
"Well, in order to make him vi2ilant,
If two detectives got into the mouse
other people could also get in. The
evidence showed Price did his best,
"Wny was he convicted ,then?' asked
Senator OConnor.
Because, 1 suppose, he did not do
better"
The case of Captains Westervelt and
Haughey were then referred to. They
were both fioed for allowing disorderly
houses to run IN their precincts.
an the month of July, Captains
| Cross, Dovery and Doherty were dis
missed from the force for permitting
disorderly houses to run; while Cap.
tains Price, Martens, Haughey and
Wester Velt were only fined for the
saRa of9nse. Please explala the dit
ferent sentences?"
The cases against Cross, DJherty
and Devery were entirely different
from the others. The three captains
who were dismissed were also convict
ed of taking money for protection from
the keepers of disorderly houses"
"Is it not fact that those captains
who were fined belonged to what Is
known as the Sheehan- Williams ring.
Il never heard Of such ring.
Haven't certain com missioner5 ia.
ken pains to protect certain captains? =
Il have never heard Of it.
Mr.. Golf read the presentment of tht
grand jury on March, 1892, calling :or
the suppression Of vice and the weed
ing out of corruption from the police
force. That is general Indictment
said the witness. ~ believe 1t wa:
| learned afterwards that 1t was basec
on the reports of newspapers"
"Why, the superintendent himself
was before the grand jury"
Goa, yes, believe he was"
"HaYe you heard that Mr., TABOR, tht
foreman of the grand jury, said 10 az
interview, taa5 from S7,0OO,0Q0 TO $40,
100000 Was paid annually 70 the poiics
| force tor proJec5lon?"
''If Mr.. Tabor made that statement
be lied"
"Do you mean to say that Mr.. Tabor
respectable merchant, lied"
| ho