Smyrna times., 1894-10-10
Highest of all in Leavenng Power-Laet u S. Govt Report
R@!azalI! q! BSkasgF BBakiRg
ABSOLUTELY PURE
New York Police Brigands.

The disclosures which are daily be-
ing made by the Lexow Senate Com
mittee in New York city, in the course
of its investigation of the police de-
partment there, are astounding. They
reveal a condition of affairs ten times
worse than the Rev. DIR. Parkhurst
even intimated, and for which he was
so roundly abused, even some of the
newspapers joining in bitter criticism
of his attitude. DR.. Parkhurst's state
ments have beet more than corrobo-
rated, and the further the committee
goes the worse the case against the
police department becomes.
On Wednesday evidence was brought
out to show that on that very day
police officer had attempted to lew
blackmail, proving that in spite of the
committees disclosure the evil has not
been destoyed. During the meeting a
policeman by the name of Hussey was
identified as the man who had brutally
treated a Russian woman, having not
only levied blackmail upon her, but
also caused her arrest upon a trumped
up charge, which resulted in her two
children being taken from her and
placed in home from which she could
not get them released. When Hussev
left the stand he cursed and threatened
one of the committees witnesses and
declared that he would shoot him.
When recalled to the stand again the
officer denied the threat, although sew
eral persons sitting in the room heard
his words and testified to that effect
fHho ..fT1 81, l.
the most despicable kind. Another
feature of the investigation this week
is the record of scores of officers who
have been retained by the police com
missiOners, being merely punished by
a fine of three or four days pay.
The entire police department is now
discredited, and those who have suf.
fered at the hands of the officers are
taking courage. They are coming for
ward in squads, volunteering to testify
before the committee. The revelations
which are made day after day make it
clear that the grand jury of New York
will not be doing its duty if it fails to
take cOgniZance of the charges which
are made against the members of the
police force and find indictments
against them. There are scores of po-
licemen who should be doing time" in
the prisons of the State. They are
guilty of blackmail, brutal assaults, in
timidatiOn, false arrests, perjury, and
numerous other crimes for which any
private citizen would be promptly pun
ished. The peace officers of New York
city are to a considerable extent H.
censed and commissioned brigands,
who live by what they can extort
through blackmail. The police com
missioners, who recently dismissed
several captains and sergeants, evi
IDENTIFY did so in order to cover up their
past Indifference. 1t has been shown
by the Lexow committee that the com
missioners have been suspiclously
lenient with offending members.
The efficiency of the police force as
at present constituted is gone. There
will have to be an entire change.
Enough has been revealed to warrant
complete reorganization in the man
agement of the force, from the commits
siOners down to the roundsmen. This
condition of affairs is the outcome of
the hold which Tammany Hall has had
| upon the city for so many years.