New-York tribune., 1894-10-31

Low THE INvEsTIGA-
TIoN CLOSELY.
Police Commissioner John c. Sheehan, az .
witness before the i-exow Committee yesterday,
caused sensation by refusing to produce his
ba nix books for the examination OF John w. Goff.
Of the committees counsel. The books were
wanted, OF course. to enable the counsel to find
out how much money the Tammany Commits
soner has placed In bank since he has had the
privilege Of appointing captains sergeants and
other policemen on the force The declaration Of
the Commissioner that he would not produce the
books was made near the close Of yesterdays
session OF the committee. and he not asked
to give the reason for his refusal, but IL was
understood that he had been advised that the
committee could not compel him to produce his
private accounts and that he was prepared to
make fight II there an attempt to commit
him for contempt. He will be witness before
the committee again to-day and there may be
some sensational development If he persists IN
refusing to allow an examination Of his bank ac-
counts.
The testimony Of Commissioner Sheehan yester-
day was marked by more outbursts Of passion
lie declared that Henry NJ. Taber, the foreman
OF the Grand Jury for March. 1892 had lied when
he had declared that backmail amounting to
nearly $4,000, 900 had been paid annually TO the
police Later. when asked what he thought OF
an estimate published in newspaper that the
amount was sl5.Oo0,oOo. Mr.. Sheehan would only
say he thought the newspaper had been mis-
taken He ready again TO shout lie when
Mr.. Gof asked about A report that the liquor
dealers had been paying tribute to Tammany
Hall After telling the committee that he had
originated the "shake-up' Of the police captains
hoI % nj. fha n
by the liquor dealers to the police. he declared
that the liquor dealers might have stopped such
payments because they thought there were two
good Tammany Commissioners at Police Head
quarters to protect them" II then that Mr..
Goff inquired about a reported meeting OF Com
missioner Martin ard Richard Croker with some
Of the liquor-dealers at the Hoffman House, at
which there had been an arrangement that the
l!quor-dea,ers should pay money to Tammany
Hall instead Of to the police. Mr.. Sheehan de-
clared loudly that the report was lie
There was more testimony by the Commis-
sioner to the effect that the entire duty Of en-
forcing the law in the city lay with the Supern-
tendent and that upon the Superintendent also
devolved the duty TO investigate all complaints
which were brought to the attention OF the COM
missioners His constant reference 10 the super.
intendent raised the question: What 90 tho
Commissioners do to earn their salaries, amount
ing 70 $4,000 a year,"
The two Tammany Commissioners had voted
against a resolution offered by Commissioners
Murray last week the witness said. because the
Superin tendent had power TO assign policemen
for duty at the polling places on Election Day as
he saw fit. Mr.. Sheehan had no desire 10 inter-
fere he said and he was In favor or honest elec-
tions He declared that he had not followed tho
reports of the testimony taken before the COM
mttee so far as TO know OF the cases where the
Tammany district leaders had been able 10 have
pet policemen assigned to polling places 10 SUIT
them. He even had not read the testimony ABOUT
Hussey. the policeman who threatened 10 put
a bullet into the head of a witness before the
committee He admitted that nothing had been
done to rectify the evils disclosed by the testi-
mony taken before the committee on the day
when many policemen who had been convicted
OF brutal clubbing were placed on review:
1t was shown that in recent report 70 MS iei-
low-Commissoners about the need OF better po.
lice signal system Mr.. Sheehan had "crioped
some passages from the advertising circular OF
Boston signal company and when MEMBER OF
the committee remarked that the Commissioner
might be accused of literary piracy, Mr.. CON
declared that If the piracy had been connned 70
literature there would have been no need lor
the committee to be brought into existence
A resident of silver Dollar Smiths dlstricr
cast of the Bowery. told another tale OF oppres-
sion.