Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-27
Inspector Williams Again Put On
the Rack.
THE LEIOV COMMITTEE HARD At WORK
Questioned Closely by Mr.. Golf
Regarding His Career.
THINGS mot IN THE RECORD"

NEW YORK, December 27.-Interest in
the Lexow investigation today conferred
In the testimony OF Inspector Williams.
Prior to that officer taking the stand
Counsel Con- called for Captains Martens.
Meakin, Washburn and Westervelt. Meakin
and Westervelt were reported sick, which
prompted Mr.. Golf to intimate that the
plea was not well founded, but that the
captains were seeking to evade going upon
the stand.
Then Inspector Williams was called to
the stand. He had with him large book.
After little sparring. Golf asked:
viii you swear that Perkins did not get
a check for $1,000 through you when you
were superintendent of the street cleaning
Department."
IT will not"
Everybody who has testified against you
is a periurer or liar. Now, has there
ever been a member of the police force
charged with more corruption than your
II have not been charged with corrup-
ton"
Were you ever charged witt stealing
socks?''
NO"
Mr.. Golf referred to a document and
said: II find that on March 20. 1874, you
were charged by Louise Smith, the keeper
Of a disorderly house. with taking from
her six pocket handkerchiefs, one gold
headed cane one pistol. one pair of slip
pers, one velvet vest and one-half dozen
pairs Of socks"
IT don't remember it," replied Williams.
He could not remember whether or not
he was found guilty on the charge, and
wished to refer to his record
Goff however, insisted upon an answer.
Don't think" he said, that because you
wear gold shield here and are an in
spector that you are one whit different
from other witnesses"
at krcw.I am not"
''win you swear that on April 2, 1875.
you did not go to police headquarters to
81 don't recollect."
'Didn't you swear yesterday you had
been charged with offenses eighteen times?
Can't you remember these offenses?"
mo. can tell you by reference to my
record"
Mr.. Gcff went on to say that up to this
year. when the committees attention was
called to the fact, there was record on
the books of the department Of charges
preferred against Williams by the late
Rev. Howard Crosby and others.
Coming to the time Williams had charge
OF the eighth pred met Mr.. Con asked the
witness If there were any houses of ILL
fame there.
II found them there" he replied.
And you left them there" added Mr..
GcH.
Yes, because they were fashionable at
that time" was Williams extraordinary
reply.
Mr.. Gof then called off the names of
many notorious houses In Mercer, Green
Sullivan ard Blocker streets.
Williams said he had heard of them, and
had assisted the board of education to close
them up. He insisted that they were al
legged" disordery houses, although he had
said at the time that he knew all about
them at the inquiry instituted by the board
of education.
Mr.. Goff got the Inspector to say that LIE
would not give the name of the proprietor
of house of ill-fame to the committee In
ha rod thn ,,,,it
was not an honest one
did you ever know of an honest investi-
eating committee before which you ap-
peared?'
YES"
You said before that committee that
houses of ill-fame do not injure children
going to schcol?'
Have you the audacity to sit there row
and say sop
Yes, SIR"
Typ
Were you ever called the champion
clubber?"
Eyes, sir"
Then as to charges which you do not re-
member. You have committed so many
outrages against the citizens OF New York
, that you don't remember charges"
mo, SIR
do you remember charge made against
you by man in Vesey street,"
THE case was never tried as the COM
plainant found he was in the wrong" said
Williams. Il was captain of the fourth
precinct. and there was a big fire one Sun
day evening in Washington Market. Walk
ing through Vesey street, this man stopped
me and said: Let me introduce you to
Alderman Smith, He took me for a
countryman or a come on took him by
the throat and threw him into the street.
as any citizen has right to serve any
loafer."
You didn't throw Haggerty, the Phila-
Mr.. Golf.
IT did not meet him"
"Oh, yes, you did: he was looking for
you and wanted to clean out the town.
II did not meet him." persisted the in
spector.
"You didn't throw Joe Coburn?"
Yes, / did"
The witness denied knowledge Of any
panel house robberies having occurred in
the eighth precinct
Mr.. Golf then said there was a charge
against Williams. the trial Of which lasted
three days, but there was no record of 1t on
the police records.
Have you any recollection of any recon-
mendation for your dismissal on account of
your disgraceful conduct?"
mo
Don't you know the voting was two and
two?"
There is no record Of It,"
"Who keeps the record?" asked Chairman
Lexow.
Robert Peters," said the witness.
Have you got the charge against the
proprietor of an oyster stand who had
permit? You made the arrest yourself"
1t Is not in the record"
do you recollect the arrest Of a man
named Donovan by officer FitZyerald?
Donovan was brought before Judge Mundell
and said you came behind him and dubbed
him OH the head and neck. The judge dis
charged MIN and said: This clubbing By DO
Hcemen must be stopped"
The witness said he never told lies about
respectable men. He bore a repC Iation Tor
clubbing, but did not think he deserved it.
Did you say at lunch the day after a
meeting Of starving people in Union Square
TINS year that they were a lot of howlers,
anu an You had to do was 10 show your
pistol and disperse them"
Il never SAID such a thing"
Recess was here taken.
FOreigncrs' Right In Japan.
An Associated Press reporter called Min
lister kurino's attention to the testimony CT
Inspector Williams before the Lexow in
vestigatng committee that he owned some
ground i'm Japap and iDoIrira5 what pror,