The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-06-14
MONSTER THIEVES
Most Stupendous Case of Official
Corruption
Known to Modern History is
Exposed.
EIackmailing Carried On in a
Systematic Manner
BY THE POLICE FORCE
Of New York City Under In
spectOr Byrnes.
TenMilliOns Year DrawnFrom
the Lawbreakers
BY TIE BLUE COATS
AS Hush Money and for Immun-
ity from Arrest.
Disgraceful Even to the Foulest
City in the World.
TenMilliOns Year DrawnFrOm
the LawbreakerS
BY THE BLUE COATS
AS Hush Money and for Immun-
ity from Arrest.
Dfsoraceful Even to the FOulest
City in the World.

New YORK, June IA New York
paper which has heretofore been re-
Rarded as favorable to Tammany, prints
over a column under the head of "Police
Revenue"
1t is sought to be shown in this article
the amount of illegitimate fees said to
have been received by the police of New
York annually, and this showing is based
upon the testimony thus far taken be-
fore the Lexow investigating committee.
The paper starts out with statment of
the number of men employed on the pO-
lice force, which is 3,49O
The fact is cited that the amount ap-
propriated by the board of estimates in
the budget of 1894 is $5,139, ,147. This
amount is entered up as the legitimate
sum received by the police force for its
maintenance. The paper introduces its
showing as follows:
Lexow Investigation
<'The testimony brought out by the
Lexow investigating committee shows
that the police, in addition to their sal
aries from the city. have had an addi-
fional income contributed by the keep
ers of disorderly houses, saloons, gamb-
ling houses, merchants and pushed cart
peddlers This extra income is called
paying for protection by those who pay.
BY the public it is blackman. The po-
lice probably call it perquisites-
If the testimony is true the police
were very vigilant in locating all persons
who could be forced to contribute to this
extra fund for their benefit
t'W While extra estimate of the in
come OF the police from these sources is
impossible at this stage of the investiga-
tion enough facts have been made pub
lie to show that it was enormous, ap-
proximately correct as figures can be
made
Millions on Millions.
The fact is cited that there are 1000
saloons in the city of New York and the
paper alleged police charges for protec-
tion for side doors open on Sunday is
$40 week for each saloon. Allowing
that only half of the saloons paid these
charges, the total of one year is arrived
at to-wit: 81 1.S2O,0O0.
The paper quotes in a conversation
held today an official of the police de-
partment who estimate the number of
degraded women in the city to be 45, 900.
Upon the basis of the last estimate of
five persons to q house, made upon this
basis, it is stated that the $4,000 immoral
women in New York, are quartered in
1900 disorderly houses.
According to the alleged police sched-
ule of prices for opening disorderly
houses, the income to the police from
this one source is estimated by the paper
to be $3,6OO,U00 After the opening Of
these immoral houses according to the
evidence before the LeXOW committee,
the keepers of the houses are required
to pay from $50 to 800 per month, and
the paper making these estimates reck-
Ons that from this source the police
receive an annual income of
$S,1O0OO0- Four hundred and fifty
thousand dollars a year is estimated as
the amount of the alleged extra charges
for special favOrs and protection from
the police. The estimated income from
gambling houses and policy shops is
$165,O0U year.
RlackmnII from O.her Sources
There are reckoned to be other special
rates levied upon merchants for the
privilege of putting boxes upon their
sidewalks. merchants who want to keep
open on Sunday and push carts and
peddlers who want to evade the city or
dinance that prohibits them from standin q
more than i've minutes in one place.
The paper which is quoted states that
200 new policemen are placed upon the
force each year, and estimates upon the
basis of the alleged rate of $500 to get
on the force. that the income from this
source is $60.O00 year.
The grand total made up on the basis
OF the testimony presented before the
Lexow committee including the legiti-
mate appropriation made by the state to
maintain the police and the other items
above referred to aggregate $I5, S54. .147
Inc following are the items which
enter into this total:
From the city 50, 139. .14764; disorderly
houses IS, 12O,0 900; saloons $3.50, 600:
gambling houses $165,OOO merchants
and peddlers $4,000; new members of
the force 100000; grand total income
15,354, 147.64.