New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-10-03

STILL on THE FORCE
LAwBREAKERs WITH
IMMUNITY.
Yesterday was police clubbers day before the
Iexow Committee and the large room on the
first floor Of the old brownstone courthouse was
iammed full Of policemen who had been con-
ylcted by the Commissioners for assaults on
citizens I'm recent years As the policemen had
not been dismissed from the force but had been
LOT off with fines for such assaults they still
wore the uniform Of the department. Most "f
them were coarse featured and brutal-looking
men, and the- looks did not belle their records.
Collectively they made good object lesson for
the committee and John w. Gor and Frank
Moss. OF the committees counsel. made strong
impression when they proceeded to show what
had beca IN, effect Of keeping such men on the
police force.
Mr. Goff told the committee that very few
nolicernen had been dismissed from the force In
recent years for brutal assaults on citizens.
MANY of the policemen present had committed
assaults amounting to felones. for which citizens
would have been sent to prison. he said. II
had got TO be so that a policeman could almost
brain an unofrending citizen and be reasonably
sure that he would get Of with small fine No
attempts were made to punish policemen by the
onerat,on Of the criminal courts after they had
heen tried and fined by the Commissioners. The
svstem by which brutal policemen were protected
from the operation Of the law and kept on the
force Mr. Gofr also declared, encouraged them
IN ralse swearing Policemen would go before
the Commissioners and swear that they had nor
committed tho acts charged. and although they
were found guilty Of the charges no attempts
were made 10 convict them Of perjury
Mr. Moss tool, tho witness stand 10 tes'HF
about the conduct of Police Inspector Alexander
6 williams at time when he was captain a.
the station In Vest Thrtieth-st. ana was
known as williams the cluboer Mr. MOSS
told how he had prosecuted Williams al a r'a'
before the Commissioners. and now the tlld' "du
resulted In nothing because of tie vo'e III 'hf
Police Board Inspector Williams was not pres
on. 70 hear the testimony but his record was
laid before the committee to show how often
charges against him had been dismissed.
Policeman Thomas Coleman. who had testified
in a policc court that George Apo. the commit
.oo,s .ubnoeua server. had confessed to an at
,,r,n, q, suicide. was called to the witness
chair and COMPELLED 10 admit that he had been
,vte. convicted II assault. When tried before
the Commissioners Colen An testified. ne had
escaped with nnes. and although he mac oeeh
once held IN $1,000 bail FOR trial In criminal
c,ur, On the charge ~ assaulting l!itle girl ne
had managed 20 escape trial
In the afternoon number of the policemen
,rceau, were called - testify that they had been
convicted ~ assaultng citizens ami had escaped
win nurs The fines a.'cd from two days pay
- ten davs' pny In most ,ases while few p'.ic'-
mon hal lost twenty o. th.r;y days pay FOR as
s,,lfs ON citizens one policeman who had been
oroa for assaultlng q woman in a liquor store
,r,.tr, ., ,aor OH, her teeth and threatening 70
sh,,, har and who also had been fined for
threatening to shoot p car conductor because the
c,ndu.tor hal lntcrfcrel u prevent most as
graceful conduct In the ear confessed that ne
had been tried before the Commissioners no less
than twenty-four times fIr admitted tha' many
pollccmer who were called for trlal at the Cen
tral once thought they were saie :" I"Ns "S
they had pull , ,oo
nnlceucn who had been convicted oi assaults
and other crimes amounting t. feioh'' nm,
January | 1891 only four had been dismissed
fr IN the fore and nlLety-twc oi them St!'l pre-
tho police uniform. ore policeman had kil'd
= man by the careless handling OF ms reV"Ner
and had escaped with a fine oi Ten Jay pay
Another policeman had been dismissed from lh'
force for being absent from inc r"h'"lI' =, ,,o ,"D
nol,cemcn convicted Of exactly The same offence
Committed 4, the same time and sam" p.aC'i Nh"
was dismissed from the forcc anp the o'"'' s''
off with the loss of three days pay
In addition 10 the policemen on view the com.
,ri,t.. had another object lesson In the person ot
n Young man Thomas Lucas. VINO had peeh
dubbed numerically by poIiceinan W .h'
stree, on Sunday night Lucas deciarea INA TIA
money which had been stolen from nm.
new line of inquiry will be taken up by IN"
committee to-day
For detaiis the examination OF "H"e'"'' s" f''' IL