The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-11-22
THE POLICE INFAMY.
John W. Goff on the Vile Rule
Of Tammany Hail.
AL CLASSES eLAcKMAilEp.
The Reputable Merchants as Well as
the Traders in Vice.
AL CLASSES eLAcKMAilEp.
District Attorney Fellows. Tsmmany's
Cerrups servant. Cited to Answer
Chargss-Arehbishop Corriran Trfes
TO silence an Anti-Tammany Priest

WssHrssroy Cfry. Nov. ei-John w.
GoH, the prosecuting attorney for the
Lexow investigating committee, who is
stopping in Washington CITY for few
days, has given the EyeafHg Star an inter
esting interview on the work of the CON-
mitiee. He said:
"We know positively that the police de-
partment Of New York vas systematically
oiackmsiiing all classes OF eitixens.
speak within the bounds of my knowledge
when say there was not business man
In New York city who has not felt the
powers OF police blackmailiug. There would
De, perhaps, very few instances wnere
honorable men had refused to give their
tthss OF illegal tax 10 the police, but al
most without exception these men were
forced out of business One peculiar
feature OF the blackmaI Was that il
spared no one Class, however obscure
It's calling. You NAV be surprised
when l say that New York. under the
police department which was controlled
by Iammany Hall, was far worse, as re-
CARDS the individual rights of the citizens.
than 81. Petersburg under its most violent
police regime.
AS an illustration of the tremendous
powers welded by this organization I will
refer TO the difficulty we had in obtaining
Witnesses to go urou the stand and swear
to the facts they had brought 10 US in pri-
vate. AT first this applied to all
classes. both reputable and dis
reputable. When appealed To they
would claim that IL they should
testify the police would hound them cut
OF the city. When asked IL they could not
go elsewhere and establish themselves IN
business they would reply that the perse-
cution OF the police OF New York would
follow them 10 every city in the
asrv ali 4a4
the astounding fact that the po-
lice of New York not only dominated
every city. but every large community in
the country. The lower classes of citi-
zens were made TO believe that the black
mail was lawful and regular. They came
TO consider the captain OF their precinct
as the source of ali municipal authority.
ln effect, he was such 10 them.
"You ask me If think this power is now
crushed? | do most emphaticaliy. |
think that the pubic conscience having
once been aroused and the machinery of
this hauseous system exposed. there
will be a perpetual bar against the de-
veiopment of such organ n.zation in
the future. consider that the great
danger TO our form of government lies in
the possibility OF municipal misrule. The
tendency is too strongly toward the
growth of the urban community at the ex-
pensc Of the rural. This feeds the ma
chine that. If not watched and choSkssA.
will grow TO such corrupt influence as
that which We have just destroyed in
New York. Capitalization, | believe, and
as the investigation has proved. is the
danger of the day. | cannot
speak too highly of the compost
ton of the committee which en-
ployed me as its counsel. Though
appointed by Republican senate
and containing majority of the
members of that body, these men have
acted throughout the investigation like
non -partissns. and they have upheld the
counsel in every move that has promised
to demonstrate the problem, that con-
fronted US.
81 cannot answer the question as to
where the blackmall money went or IN
what proportions 1t was distributed. for
that is a personal matter, which would
force me TO mention names. There are
still many points TO investigate, rounding
up and finishing up, as 1t were. We will
try 10 finish the work By the ist of Janu-