The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-04-20
The Ex-Clerk Adds to the
Tale of Bribery.
CHARGES MANY OFFICERS.
A Queer Story of Robinson's
Promotion.
CROWLEY SAYS 1T is WRONG.
Remarkable Activity Shown by the
Present Chinatown Squad and
Its New Sergeant.


day. Then. silence becoming too painful
to him. he unburdened his breast and told
of the awful corruption he has had to
witness for years. He implicated Ser
geant Robinson. the newly appoint ed
Chinatown sergeant. in the charges he
made. Robinson is one of the band soonest
men on the force. and for years was de SIX
man of the Southern police station. He is
well educated and of some artistic ability,
and does not give one the impression of
being the constituencies william Hall has
pictured him TO be.
Mr. Hall has opened his mouth, as he ex.
presses it, to set himself right before the
public. He makes some extraordinary
statements. duplicating q number of off,
GERS for matchmaking, and poses as purst
himself of the first water and much ma
igned man.
My trouble arose primarily" he says,
through reporting that certain police Off
GERS and detectives were in the habit Of
'pinchiDg' thieves and criminals out OF
their last dollar on promise of immu nifty
from arrest and prosecution. When
made those statements to the Chief he
demanded my proofs and referred him to
Officer Dawes, my informant. The Incl
dent / have narrated occurred about three
weeks ago, when the Chief was at home
sick. Subsequently he told me he had
locked into the matter and had concluded
! was right and he would take decisive ac-
tion. Instead of doing so. however, he
has thrown the odium on me and Dawes"
Then he states that about the same time
he received Information from Sergeant
Robinson, who was raised from the ranks
n 0tfIaara IT
and Allen and Sergeant Coles were re-
ceiving from $500 to $500 month from
Jack Mailman and other men running
Illegal games. He notified the Chief, and
understood the Chief ordered him to as
sign Cleary and Allen to other duty, which
he did. Afterward the Chief censured him
for doing so.
Sergeant Robinson comes in for a good
deal OF attention. The deposed clerk
states that Robinson, few days subse-
Quent to his promotion, called upon him
aud expressed the wish to get in and
make some money. Robinson told him
that Henry White, the faro dealer. had
offered him $40, but he had declined it,
and White had told him that he had had
Sergeant Coles on his payroll for years.
Hall asked Robinson il be had reported
the matter to the Chief and he said he had
NOT
Hall says he informed the Chief of their
conversation and the Chief instructed him
to use Robinson and through him learn of
what games were in operation. Hall ac-
cordingly ordered Robinson to see Dawes
regarding the punching" Of thieves By de-
tectives.
Robinson a few days later told Hall he
had talked with the Chief, who wanted
him to unearth the rascality of Coles and
Witham. who had been charged with re-
ceivlng money. Witham in Chinatown and
Coles from HallinaD, White and other
gamblers. Robinson told Hall of the
Chiefs plans and said the Chief had told
him that Sergeant Barney Harter had been
reduced to rhe ranks because he was too
familiar with gamblers.
When Robinson was assigned to China
town lew days ago he went TO Hall and
said he would like 10 be posted about that
section. and told him that Dodge of Spill
lanes squad had given the bribery bust
ness away ana had exposed Chinatown
crockedness to the Chief. Robinson de.
elared that the Chief had instructed him
to get all the information possible, aud
asked Hall what he knew about China
town.
Hall says he told him all he could, and
If there was sack it was not coming 10
him, but that he believed money had in
times past been given to members of the
department. Robinson then said, IF l
can only get in and make any money.
Hall. I'll give you half" Hall replied
that If he did he would be bonanza, If
what was said about Chinatown were true.
II then warned him." continued Hall,
against allowing anybody to approach
him. and told him there was so much envy
and malice in the Police Department that
officers we're stabblDg each other. He said
he would do the right thing by me. and l
asked him what he meant. and with
wink he said. We'll. you know how to keep
81 I Told h irf1f hcro mo pofb
ing to do but to take all he could get, that
everybody else was making money, and he
might as we'll he In the swim.
"Officer Dawes reported to me that he
had told Robinson all about the Mailman
games that were running. and Robinson
told him not TO say anything 10 the Chief,
as he would not know anything about the
places and that they could run with ease.
as he was new sergeant and not supposed
to be on to all the tricks.
"The day following my dismissal Robin
son sent Dawes to me with message TO
meet him at the corner of Dupont and
California streets. | called there to see
what he wanted. He took me into a hail.
way and told me that - was popping
and be was sorry was the first one to go.
l said. Robinson, l am sorry that the
Chief should put uU any job on me-.
well he said, the Chief called in
Dodge and he has given the thing away.
| have been working with him and offered
him some money received from Halnan's
few days ago. He was ''0nto himself, f."
however, and too scared TO take it.
Chief Crowley, when seen last night.
pooh poohed Halls statements He said
Sergeant Robinson was most valuable
man and had raided Whites game three
times during the period he has been
sergeant, little over month. He claims
that there is no value to Hairs charges
aud that Robinson was one Of the best Off
GERS on The force.
1t may be only an disqualification of the
old pr0verb that "a new broom sweeps
clean." but certainly the Chinese gamblers
have been more harassed since Sergeant
Robinson took charge OF he Chinatown
squad than for many a long day. But few Of
the games are running, and those that are
have watchers out in all directions, and
the very advent of strange face is suffi-
cieut &c start shouts of warning.
Sergeant Robinson kept out If the way
of reporters last night. His squad pro-
fessed entire ignorance of his whereabouts
and diligent search of the Chinatown
district failed to bring him to light AS
rule the Chinatown sergeant can be found
in a dozen different places. 1t is hard 10
say whether it was RobInson's zeal that
kept him out of The way or his desire to
avoid publicity.
Tolioa Comn, sionar n N p,rn, -