The Portland daily press., 1894-10-30
A Police Commissioner on the
Gridiron
AND THOROUGHLY ROASTED BY
THE LEXOW COMMITTEE.

Witness Touched on Several Raw OTIS
| New York. October 29-Police Commission
er Sheehan was again before the Lexow
commission today. Mr.. Golf referred to the
trial of Capt. Slevin, charged with allowing
| dlsorderly houses to run in his precinct.
The witness said no decision was reached
| in Slevin's case. He was anxious to give
decision, and so was President Martin. but
| Commissioners McClave and Mclean left
| the board at The time and they could not
! set quorum. He could not tell how many
gases were untried when Commissioner Nc
Lean had gone out of off1ce.
"Do You remember d henious charge
against Officer Peter E. Lynch, January 3,
1892, of assulting woman in a hospital2''
81 never heard of such charge"
II find the same officer dismissed for a
breach of discipline in July, 1894, while the
| first charge was untried.''
"That may be if the record says so.''
Mr.. Golf read other cases of similar nature
where no decisions were ever arrived at.
sThese trials,'' said the witness, took
place before one commission and papers
were sent to all of them.'' The witness
said in some cases wheL an officer was
found guilty of charge which amounted
to felony, the attention OF the district at
torney was called to the case. Mr.. Golf
| asked the witness if he remembered the
case of a policeman " no arrested a saloon
keeper NAMED Kress for not paying him $25.
Yes said the commissioner. The wit
ness denied anybody tried to influence his
decision regarding Captain O'Connor and
Slevin.
Mr.. Goff asked about wo detectives who
fought in O'Neilrs restaurant at Sixth
avenue sometime ago. why were not
charges formulated against these ofBcersf"
The superintendent reported that there
| were no grounds for putting the officers on
trial. did not believe all that was in the
superintendent's report. The superinteLd-
| ent may not have got all the facts of the
case when he was investigating it,"
Chairman Lexow asked: .Have you
| heard, Commissioner, of any specific case
within the past two years of money being
!! paid to the police for protections"
II have read such things in newspapers
''Do you believe there is corruption in
| the police department?''
II believe there has been corruption In
| the police department the East twenty
years.
'sYou are quoted as saying in an inter-
view you were against DR.. Parkhurst, the
same as any other bowling Republican who
was bowling against the Democratic party"
Whatever said ] meant
do you believe Mayor Grant, who says in
his letter of acceptance today that the
ice:departmen must be reorganized, is
bowling down the Demoratic party?''
Il haven't read that letter yet, but I
know it must be an able document ss
! How do you know it is able?"
Everything Mr.. Grant writes is able"
"Oh, verything that emanates from his
brain (aocentulating the his) is able.'
well. when he was mayor" bang went
the gavel of the chairman.
I'VE don't want any politics. said Chair
man Lexow.
81 won't hear my friend, Mr.. Grant, in
| suited in my presence" retorted Mr.. Shee-
han.
| The chairman got angry. 81 want you to
understand that you will have to do what
| the Chair says
''And say will hold my end up
| Mr.. Golf went back to the report of In
spector Williams and asked the witness if
| he thought the report true that five disor-
| derly houses were raided short time after
| it was made.
'sDo you think Inspector Williams report
| true in the face of this raid?"
''It is possible that the disorderly houses
were not there when the report was made.''
do you mean to say that the houses
| were placed there by the Society for the
Prevention of Crime to prove Inspector
| Williams liar?'
'.Ethink the society would like to do so.'
| The witness said the police board assumed
the superintendent was doing his duty.
| 'Did you ever hear that protection was
paid any special policeman by the pool room
| keepers?'
''No sir.'
| MI. Golf tried in vain to get the witness
| to name any specific policeman who got
money from pool room keepers.
sDid you continue the line of investiea-
| ton when you heard from the rumor that
| the police were getting paid for protection
| and that money was going to the superin-
| tendents;'
| ..Yes, sir, tried to get as much informa-
| tion as could
Ibid you send for Superintendent
| Byrnest'
mo, sir, would not insult him by asking
him such thing unless l had proof
| But you sent Tor the pool sellers. Did
you consider it just to hear the report?''
II did. found no evidence at all against
the superintendent. The witness said he
about the rumor that Byrnes was receiving
| money. Adjourned until tomorrow
| Are"Good Indians"Now,
Calistoga, CAL, October pa message