Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1894-12-19
INSPECTOR IMPLICATED
More Sensational T testimony Be-
fore the Lexow Committee.
STEAMSHIP COMPANIES WE'RE BLEED
Sergeant Taylor's story stirs Up New York's
Police Headquarters and AmaEcs super
Intcndcnt Hyrncs-Tayior said He Gave
steers so Fer Cent OF the Money.

John J. Taylor Of the steamboat squad
testified before the Lcxow committee that
cx-Inspcctor Henry V. Steers had system
aticaily cxnctci moneys from policemen
who were raid for extra work by steam
ship and railroad companies
Other witnesses sworc that Captains
Max +. SChmittbcrgcr Anthony Allairc
and George GaStlin had been guilty of
similar offcnscs.
futile effort was made by Counsel
Col tn elicit from John W. Rcppcnhagcn
additional facts Of Importance concerning
the payment hy Captain Crccdcn Of Si6,-
U00 for his Captaincy.
The days developments before the sen
ate Investigation committee entlnglcd po-
lice headquarters in the net Of official cor
rupt!on Despite this fact, however, pub
lie sentiment is far from turbulent to-
day rs IL was Friday, when Captain Cree
dCn's confession set the city agog with cx-
citemcnt
The meeting OF the inquisitorial scna-
tors had been faught with great possibili-
ties. and hence the intense anxiety which
moved the large throng in attendance on
the session. II was expected that Mr..
COTS ordnance Of exposure would be di-
rcctCd toward hraStwOrks that have hith
crto withstOOd all assaults. and that tho
startling sensation of Friday would he
rendered trivial beside the days events.
And though the testimony ndduccd did
point the finger OF wrong toward an cx-
inspector OF police whose official rcputa-
tion was hitherto regarded rs immaculate,
the popular appetite for sensational dcvcl-
OpmCnts has not been 6ppcascd
Byrncs Was Amazed.
Still in official circles the news Of the
days exposures has brought amazcmcnt
unb0undcd. Superintendent Byrncs, when
FIlI nf INF TuNlpr'S tsscfi asrafpst
cx-InSiSectnr steers, manifested great as
constituent. II am anna grd-astOundcd.
was his only comment. and no argument
con Il induce him TO pronounce an opinion.
Inspectors Williams and Conlin cvinccd
similar feelings.
Sergeant John Harley. who was former
ly detailed /" duty in Inspector STEERS
office said: II have always and do now
consider ln>I.NCtOr Steers n man OF I'M
blcmishCd character. cannot believe that
he ever accepted any hribc money" And
many other officials of the police depart
mcnt cxprr>Scd themselves.
steers FOR many years was captain of
| the city hall squad. He was made inspect
or when Superintendent Murray took
charge of the department and retired two
years ago At that time he was, rs chief
inspector. in command OF tho detective
office. His pension OF -, 500 per annum
gus with the now dcfunCt rank of chief
it's lcCtOr. He is u conspicuous and pop
| mlar memlNr Of the Washington Heights
Methodist church.
The sensational evidence against Steers
WAS not brought forward until late in the
afternoon. Counsel Guff having paved the
WAY with "a number Of witnesses. who
>NOrc that steamship and railroad COM
TanicS had paid tributes tu the police for
guarding their property. One after anoth-
or >trCIm Of policemen Swurs To this
| fnCt, and then the big sensation 81 the
session. was sprung a. a fitting climax to
| the days prurNCiings
Before any business was transacted by
the committee the senators and their coun-
( sci INDUCED in a public discussion. the
| upShot OF which WAS decision that any
action. criminal or civil against Captain
| Cr,rdcn was barred and Illegal; that the
testimony and prNCCcdinGs Of the LcXow
committee arc privileged. and that Cap
| tain CrccGlcn's rcinStatCmCnt by the police
hnard WAS a commemorative procCcding
At the inquest uf Harry Hill. who some
months agu testified that he had seen Gov
| crn"r shepard in diSor,Icrly house in
this city. this testimony was cxpunEcd
| from the rCrurl.
Captain Strauss of the East Sixty sew
cnth STREET police station was the first
witness Of the day. He was questioned
| about his hank account, hut made no I'D
| missions "f consequence The audience
| meanwhile was charged with hrcathlcSs
excitement. and when John W. Reopen
| hagen took the stand even the senators ap-
pCarCd unusually interested
But RCppCnhngCn didn't swear to any
thing that had not bCCn previously shown.
| He related that he had bcCn given IS, 600
Of the Sl5. 600 paid Ivy I. !. Crcc,lcn for n
| cIptaincy; that he had frequently loaned
policemen money; that saloon keepers in
his district frequently paid for police pro
| lection.
Captain AIIaire Implicated.
Policeman Thomas O'Ncil said that he
would prefer not to testify. and intimatctl
that Inc was afraid he would suffer for his
testimony. Finally. however he sworc
that while he was n patrolman on the
White Star steamship dock the company
paid him $40 n week, and of this he gave
! Warlman Cannon S20 month for Cap.
tain Schmittbcrgcr. This practice con.
tinucd under Sergeant Taylor. who was
acting captain, and under Captain Al.
| lairc.
Then Policeman Beck testified that tn,
Providence line paid him $40 n week, and
he gave every cent OF it to war,inan Vail
for Captain Schmittbcrgcr. He WAS at the
American line pier from February to June
of this year and received SI5 n month
| there but only gave up FLO of this money.
Policeman herman Intcrmann WAS an
unwilling witness but he acknowledged
that system Of levying assessments on
railrsSad and steamship companies prevail
cd in the department. but he didn't give
up any of the money he had gotten In thi.
way Ia his captains. Witness had thrcS
hank accounts. He had testified bcfor,
; the grand jury regarding police cases, but
sworc that h. never spoke to any polio,
officials concerning this testimony.
Then Policeman John q. Mahoney sale
he got $50 n month from the Baltimor
and Ohio Railroad company, hut CAV,
half Of this to Sergeant Taylor and Ward
men Vail and Cannon.
Oscar X. CouchoiS, general freight agcn
Of the French steamship line. testified tha
in examining the books of the company h,
found that $500 had been paid to Captain
SchmittbcrGcr; that Mr.. Wolfe, repre-
senting Captain Schmittbergcr, had sine
called ON him and offered to return tn
$500, with 81, 900 additional, ON condition
that the hooks were withheld from the in
SpcCtiun Of the Lcxow committee
, Policemen Murphy and Brady swor
hat they had each been raid sos montl
by the Pennsylvania railroad and gave N
the customary half to the wardmen. Mur
ply had done this for 10 years.
Policeman McGcorgc testified similarly
Counsel Golf wouldn't permit rcccs
for dinner. and Policeman Connors swor
that he was paid $40 week by the Ston
ington line and gave up the usual half.
Peter Moran said he was paid go
month by the White star line; that wart
man Vail asked for all of this, and he r,
fused to give it up Then he was tran,
ferrcd to another precinct. He was place
on tho same beat afterward and gave Sci
giant Taylor ss5 month out of the "a
he received.
Policeman Eugene Boylan testified tha
he got IS n week from tho Baltimore an
Y Ohio company and gave up half of Oh
v money. This with tho other witncsscs
was during the time Captains GastlII
Schmittbcrgcr and Allaire wcrc In con
mand.
At this iuncturc the heavy work con