Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1894-12-21
NEW YORK'S SHAME.
The Police Captain Paid $4,000
for His Office.

The Latest Revelation by the Lexow
Committee---CrOker Paid S42J by
city COntractor---the "BOss" Invited
to Become n witness,
Much damning testimony as to the mon
ey which New York city officials extort for
protection" from those whose business is
vice or crime has been revealed by the
LeXow investigation committee in New
York city, but Il sensation of another form
was reserved for last Friday, when Capt.
Creeden of the police force confessed that
he had paid SIS, 900 to Tammany officials
for his office. Rappenhagen, hunchback
who acted as a go-between for Creeden's
friends and the appointing commissioner,
Noorhis, confirmed the story in all its es-
sential details. This testimony implicated
eX-Assemblyman John Martin and ind-
rectly implicated ex-Commissoner Voor-
his, now police justice, in the BRIDE
Voorhis was chairman Of the New York
Democracy executive committee, Martin
was chairman of the county committee of
the same organization, and Reppenhagen
was chairman of his district committee.
Reppenhagen called upon Martin to aid in
inducing Voorhis to appoint Creeden cap
tain. Martin called on Creeden with a
message from Voorhis, and on the same
day Creeden was appointed captain on the
nomination of Voorhis. Then $4,000
was given to Martin by Reppenhagen, who
retained $1,000, and who testified that his
understanding was that all or part of the
$4,000 which he gave to Martin was for
Noorhis. Martin was the dispenser of the
police patronage controlled by Voorhis
Martin is down with paralysis, and could
not respond to subpoena.
Creeden, himself appears like many an
other member of the force, to have been
quite as much victim of "the system" as
willing bribe-giver. In the Civil war he
served with distinction, rising from the
ranks to first leutenancY, and doing val
liant service in % battles. In the suppress
sion of riots in New York he has done no.
tably good service, and he actually rose on
his own merits to a sergeantcy Then he
coveted, and, so far as his record and civil
service examinations may show, deserved
a captancy. Twice he sought to obtain it
by fair means and failed. His friends
urged him to buy it, and he himself saw
that unless he did so he would end his ca
reer as an officer still sergeant SO at
length he yiel ''' giving notes of hand to
his friends for sufficient loans to make up
the Sl5, 200 that the promotion cost. These
lenders were mostly men of personal and
political prominence on the East side, liv-
ing or doing business in the precinct to
which Creeden was likely to be assigned.
Presumably they expected "the protection
for themselves and their defendants which
the inquiry has made familiar, and were
not unaware of the means whereby cap
tain at 5000 year might discharge debts
of $4,000.
The commissioners, by established prec-
edent, take turns in naming new captains
as vacancies arise. At the time of Cree
denis appointment it was Voorhis's turn.
Whether the etiquette of the board in such
cases required division of the price, or
the appointing commissioner retained it
all, Mr.. Golf has still to snow. Certain en-
tries in McClave's books, when he was
driven from office last May, indicated such
division among three corrupt members Of
the board.
When the committee was called to order
Friday Mr.. Golf said: "We have been
careful in the use of the process of this
committee to confine it within the commit
tees jurisdiction and power. A witness
yesterday, not a resident of this city, testi-
fled to facts which in effect charged Mr.
Richard Croker with constructive eXtOr
ton. That was in relation to a depart
ment of this government this committee
was not authorized to examine into. There
fore in that respect the process of this com
mittee would not operate. Yet, if Mr.
Croker wishes to vindcate himself from
the charge of constructive eXtortion, the
committee will afford him the earliest OPP
portunity possible to do So"
The testimony referred to by Mr. Golf
was that of Tug Owner Moran who said
that he had sent Mr.. Croker, as chairman
of the Tammany Hall finance committee,
six checks for a total of 1925 for campaign
contributions and a Fourth of July cele-
bration during the time that he, Moran,
was doing work for the street cleaning de-
partment. Mr.. Croker says he doesn't
think this requires any explanation, and
that Moran was not asked to make the con-
tributions.
Captain of Police Convicted of BrIb-
cry.
! Policeman A. J. Thorne, for Is years a
| special officer in the Leonard street pre-
cinct, made confession Saturday quite a;
startling as that by Captain Creeden
Thorne was under arrest for perjury and
bribery, but having confessed all, implica
ting eight captains or acting captains, he
was released and restored to duty ThornC
told everything, giving names, dates, sums
of money taken and the general method o.
the systematic collections" at the Leonard
street station for the last twelve years
The owners of policy shops and pool rooms
and bunco steerers paid sums regularly t.
the police and were encouraged to carry OIL
their nefarious work.
The first officer of the police force to b.
tried in court on the charge of corruption
brought out by the investigations of tn
Lexow committee, was ex-Captain Stephen
son. He has been found guilty of briber
and is now in the Tombs prison awaiting
sentence. The extreme penalty is tel
years Imprisonment and $4,000 fine.