Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1894-12-15

ruption upon men who have held some Of
the most responsible offices in the gift of
the community, The affair not only in
wolves and duplicates men who have filled
some of the most important positions in
the police department, hut vcrifl,S and
cnrruburatc~ the gravcSt charges of Official
corruption that were ever preferred against
the cnnStnhulary of New York city.
From the Harlem to the Battery. from
the slums of the east side tn the brown
stone mansions Of the west side, the city
i ringing today with the news uf thCS.'
extraordinary developments before the.
l-cxow committee.
The inquisitorial senators have gone
higher up They have almost reached
the climax nf their investigating laburs.
But public ccnsurr is not hcapcd ON
Crecdcn'S head. Ii falls on those who are
supposed tn have induced him into tho
deal.
Captain CrttlCn has served in the local
police department for 3O years with honor
and distinction. He j. u war sCarrCd vet
Gran. whose prurd shows that in % en-
gagCmcntS of the civil war he harCd his
bosom for his country's cause. In all his
30 years of police service he was fined only
six days pay for trivial and minor dcrcliC-
tions- And the captains one fault is for
gotten by the popular mind in sympathy
for his past dCTi~.
Succession of Sensations.
The day was rrplctc with exciting and
dramatic incidents in consequence Of the
Icxuw committee prK1srIingS throughout
the official channels that b,ar relation tn
the public departments involved in the
investigation.
At the criminal court building in IElr-
ticIIlar the excitement was intense. Many
and sensational wen, the rumurS that
gained currency In that cdificC with refer
rnCt' tn Captain CrJSNIcn'S confession One
uf thcsr reports which lacked Cunfirma-
tion and Cr,siihility. however. was that
Justice NoOrhis and John ". Rcpprnhagcn
had bcrn indicted 10y the grand jury for
completely in the sale and purrhas, nf
Crccdcn'S C:Iptaincy.
Another rumor was that MIR C;ofT and
District Attorney Follows had been in con-
sultation and that Captain $ChmittbcrgeT
had agp''d tn pICh" un his superior off
GERS in consideration ri immunity for
himself
And still another rumor WIS that the
four police commissioners and Supcrin-
tcndcnt Byrnc~ would bc promptly indict
cd for contempt III the senate committee.
their Offcn~,' hcing Cr,SNlcn'S suspension
for his testimony before the senators.
Z =
sion ran like n flash through police head
quarters. 1t carried with it CONSERVATION
and dismay. Men who have aged and
grown gray in the exciting pursuit Of pol
itics palcd with surprise for the first time
in years. Everywhere there was the inn
press and tingc Of some extraordinary oc-
currcnce.
Superintendent Byrncs and Commits
sioncr Martin refused to he seen. Com.
| missioner ShCChan. when told of CrcCtlcn'
statement, asked:
Who got the money
When told that this point had not yet
been fully developed, he said:
That's what they want to find out II
they keep up their investigation long
enough. / guess they will. -
But the scenes in and around the meet.
| ing room of the committee in the old
Tweed courthouse were intensely dramati,
and sensational. Men were moved b,
passions and emotions they had never fell
/ before.
The courtroom was filled with NOR,
| than 500 pcrsOns-witncssCs interspcrseI
with representative citizens, who were dc
sirous of hearing the testimony.
Captain Crccdcn had said Thursday o
the witness stand that he paid no none
| for his captaincy. But yesterday, ate
| Captain Schmittbcrgcr, who is under in
| dictmcnt refused by advice of his couns,
To answer Mr.. COTS questions, Crccdc
was allowed an opportunity to tell tn
truth. And he told it.
He had been reared in that part of Ir,
( land where the role of an informer wa
deemed the most dcspicable OF huma
characters. He had .prefcrred to sacrifiC
himself rather than implicatc those VIII
he supposed Were his friends. but he ha
thought the matter over during the Nigh
and decided to tell all he knew.
The witness spoke slowly, with down
cast eyes He was moved by conflictin
emotions, and the sympathics of his NJ
ditors went out to the white haired We
eran. In n straightforward though sham,
faced manner he told how he had rise
from the position of patrolman to n sal
gcant
Friends Raised the Money.
A captaincy was offered to him-f,
money The expense OF educating his eigl
children had been very heavy, and /
wanted the position of captain, with Il
increased emolumcnts. But he had Fiil
United tho matter 70 his friends. THO
raised the money. ..-.. +.
Tho amount necessary 20 secure che ~
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