Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-31
Adjournment without Date Of the
LexOyv Committee.

LexOvv Committee.
supt. Byrnes of the New York police force
has resigned. His resigna ton was written
on the 18th instant, but was not made pub
lie until 1t was read before the Lexow COM
rlittee On Saturday. The letter was as fol-
lows:
Police Headquarters, 500 Mulberry street
NEW YORK, December IL. 1884.
To Col. w. l.. Strong.
Dear Sir: i appreciate as fully as any
man can the tremendous responsibility
that Will come upon you when you assume
the duties OF mayor, and undertake the
reform OF the various departments Of the
city government. l desire not to be an
obstacle or an embarrassment to you In
anything that you may propose to do with
the police department. On the contrary, 1
wish to aid you IN any way that cam
l assume that you are now considering
what action you ought to take at the out
set of your administration. and what leg
islation would be required to make such
action practical. l therefore now place in
your hands my request to be retired from
the post of superintendent, to be used by
you or not at any time after the first OF
January. as you see fit. And let me fur
Their say that you may be entirely free TO
command my services, advice and informa-
ton at any time in regard to the affairs OF
the police department. with which have
been so long connected Your obedient
servant THOMAS BYRNES.
Mr. Byrnes testified that he was worth
several hundred thousand dollars. mostly
made ir stocks. through the advice and Il id
of friends, the GOuids especially. Regard
Ing his feelings toward DIR. Parkhurst, he
said, as to the suppression Of disorderly
houses:
Il want to give DR.. Parkhurst all the
help 1 can, although he is pounding mo
every time he gets a chance. DIR. Park
hurst has created a public sentiment which
would never have existed in this city II 1t
had not been manufactured and without
which 1t would be impossible to have COM
PEELED the owners of these houses to give
up their business as they have DONE"
Mr. ByrneS also complained that his
hands had been tied. His administration
OF the department had been hampered by
the police commissioners. .He then dis
cussed the excise law, and said that 1t was
impossible to detect violations if men went
IN uniform, but that the commissioners
would not allow them to act otherwise
Regarding the booksellers, he said that his
hands were tied until the mayor instructed
the magistrates to convict pool sellers. As
soon as this was done he broke their bust
ness up.
The Interference OF Commits sioner Martin
with the captains at the time Of the 1892
election was then referred to. and Super
intenGeut ByrreS described the meeting as
follows: commissioner Martin told me he
was going TO attend the meeting Of tho
day before election day to instruct them AS
to their duties. / told him / thought 1t
better for him not to come there. He in
sisted and 1 asked Mr.. McClave, the re-
publican commissioner. to come, but he re-
fused. Mr.. Martin came and Insisted on
addressing the captains. and told them not
to allow tho United States Tarsfais to in
terfere with them. l objected TO this. and
instructed the men as to their exact duties.
But Commissioner Martin sH ore he went
there at your request.
lie swore to what was false"
And that you had asked him to address
the men,"
THAT is also false. When 7 refused to let
his Instructions go to the captains they
were SO pleased that two of them came and
kissed my hand
The committee adjourned sine die Sat-
urday night. Senator Lexow, the chair
man, thanked ali who had aided in the
work OF the committee, and Mr. Golf,
counsel to tho committee, made a speech
In the same line. and requesting that the
detectives who had been employed By in
terested persons to watch him would tell
at once publicly all they had found out
and not try to stab him In the back Mr.
Golf added that he was no better and no
worse than the average man. ard that he
entered upon his work before the commit
tee solely as lawyer. and not as a moral
ist or a refornler.