The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-10-31
THE MORNING NEWS, !
ESTABLISHED 1850. INCORPORATED 1855. 7
J. II. ESTILL, President
SHEEHAN AND HIS SALARY.
The Commissioner Refused TO Produce
His Bank Books.

Admit That the Commissioners Con
adhered Proper Enforcement of the
Rules Among the Officers as Second
arv to the Expenditure of the SIS, ooo,-
600 Annual Appropriation - He Ex-
Mains the Difference in the Punish
ment Melted Out to the Police Gap
tains.
New York, Oct 9O.-Commissioner shee-
han was on the stand again to-day before
the Lexow committee, and, as usual,
good deal of hot talk passed between the
witnesses and Counsel Goff. Half an hour
before adjournment Mr.. Sheehan was ex-
cused for the present, and another wit
ness took his place.
Counsel Golf drew the commissioner out
in reference to his ideas of the duties of
the police board. First and foremost the
witness claimed that the duty of the board
was to see that the IS, 900, 900 annual appro-
priation was properly expended. The
board must also see that the officers on
the force did their duty. Mr.. Golf en-
deavored to make telling point by get
ing the witness to admit that the board
considered the proper enforcement of the
rules among the officers as secondary to
the expenditure of the S5,0OO,0O0 appro-
priation. The commissioner, however,
would not admit the truth of such an in
ference.
In the afternoon Mr.. Golf spent con-
siderable time questioning the witness
about the New York signal service. The
commissioner admitted that the service
was greatly inferior to that of Chicago,
Boston and several other large cities, but
he could not explain why this was the
case. At the conclusion of Mr.. Sheehan's
testimony for the day, Mr.. Golf told the
witness to bring his private and public
bank books tomorrow. This the witness
positively refused to do.
Some of the incidents of the day follow:
What do you do anyhow for your sal
ary?" Mr. Golf asked.
Il work for my salary"
Il want a specific answer to my ques-
ton
I'VE have to see that the money appro-
priated by the city is properly expended;
we have also to see that the police force
does it's duty and a thousand and one
things"
What else?"
1--WE must see that the laws of the city
of New York are enforced"
Have the police commissioners seen that
the laws were enforced?"
Yes sir, the police commissioners have
given the citizens of New York the best
protection they ever had, and the people
are satisfied with the police force. There
may be a few dishonorable men on the
force but the remaining members should
not be held responsible for their acts"
Il have no doubt, Mr.. Commissioner"
said Mr.. Golf, sarcastically but that a
certain percentage of the citizens Of New
York have had ample protection"
Chairman Lexow then asked the witness
whether, in the Cross trial he had not
said he would not believe the evidence of
woman who kept disorderly house.
The witness said he was not prepared
to express any opinion on any trial unless
it was before him.
Il am not going to say whether I would
believe a witness or not" said he, until
the entire evidence is in
But you took the evidence of pool
room keepers"
There were many decent men among
the pool room keepers. They gave up the
business when it was declared Illegal
Mr.. Golf referred to the case of Capt.
Price, who was tried for allowing dis
orderly houses to run in his precinct.
What was the verdict in Capt. Prices
case?"
He was fined five days pay"
We'll, Capt. Martens was tried for the
same offense and fined thirty days pay,
while Capt Doherty was dismissed on the
same charge. Explain how these different
sentences came about for the same Of
Tense"
Capt. Price was tried on the charge of
allowing a disordery house to run in
his precinct. This house had been closed
long before, but two detectives managed
to bring women in there. He was fined
Tor not being vigilant enough. / was in
favor of reprimanding him, as believed
the house had been closed
Why did you vote for his conviction"
We'll, in order to make him more vigil
liant; if two detectives got into the house,
other people could also get in. The evil
dence showed that Capt. Price did his
best"
why was he convicted then?" asked
Senator O'Connor.
Because, suppose, he did not do bet
ter"
The case of Capts. Westervelt and
Hughey were then referred TO. They were
both fined for allowing disorderly houses
TO run in their precincts.
In the months of July Capts. Cross,
Devery and Doherty were dismissed from
houses to rum while Capts. Price, Mar
tens, Hughey and Westervelt were only
lined for the same offense; please explain
the different sentences"
The cases against Capts. Cross, Do
herty and Devery were en-
ers. The three captains who were dis
missed were also convicted of taking
money for protection from the keepers of
disorderly houses"
rs it not a fact that those captains
who were fined belonged to what Is known
as the Sheehan- Williams ring?"
Il never heard of such a ring"
Have not certain commissioners taken
pains to protect certain captans2'
II never heard Of it,"
Mr.. Goff then read the presentment of
the grand jury In March, 1892, calling for
the suppression of vice and the wedding
out OF corruption from the police force.
That Is a general Indictment" said
the witness Il believe II was learned
afterward that it was based on the re-
ports Of the newspapers"
Why the superintendent himself was
before the grand jury"
oh yesi I believe he was"
Have you heard that Mr. Tabor. the
foreman OF the grand jury, said, In an