Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-06-21
POLICE BRIBERY.
WITNESSES READY To TESTIFY
AGAINST THE OFFICIALS.

/ Lexow Committee Eneourag ed Over
/ the Work Thus Far Done, and More
Startling Discoveries Expected.
I New York, June II. The release of
Mrs. Lena Cohen, Who proved such
an important witness before the
LeXoW investigating committee last
week, from the Tombs, where she was
imprisoned for keeping Il disorderly
house, has encouraged a large num-
Der of keepers of similar resorts to
appear and offer to so on the stand
Nh. Golf has assured them, Just as
Chairman LeXow has assured every
witness on the stand, that ample pro-
lection will be guaranteed by the COM
mittee against every charge except
perjury.
Mr.. GOtf's office yesterday was
/. crowded with men and women who
are anxious to testify against the po-
| lice department. Not one of them
would say anything for publication or
even mention his name. They all kept
Mr.. Golf busy for hours listening to
the details they tod about the pay
! ment of blackmail to officials for per-
mission to carry on illegal business.
Police Commissioner Sheehan will
probably be examined before the COM
mittee this week. This is indicated
by the committees request for the
production Of the books and accounts
Of the PeQuod club, that famous Tam
many polihco-social organization, OF
which Commissioner Sheehan is pres
ident. But Mr. Golf yesterday would
| neither deny nor affirm that Mr.. Shee-
han is soon to be called to the wisness
| chair.
Police officials were kept busy yes.
terday denying the rumor that a num-
Der of captains had formed a pool and
put up $4,000 to send dangerous wit
nesses out Of the state, where the
LeXow committee cannon reach them.
The story was, that three captains
got together last week and put up
$4,000 apiece to be used in buying off
witnesses subpOenaed to appear before
| the LeXOW committee.
All this is denied by the police of
ficialS. They characterize it as bun
cOmbe, and say that even if they
wished to buy off witnesses the
LeXoW committees subpoenas are
served so secretly that they have no
means of finding out who the Wit
nesses are. AS against this, however,
it is to be remembered that Maurice
Jacobs testified on Friday that Police
man Finan threatened to arrest him
and club his head off because he in
tended to testify before the committee
Charles krumm, Of 1871 Chrystie
street who has been famous for years
as the keeper of various concert sd
| looms, has issued a printed statement
i'll reply to Captain Allaire's answer
to his testimony before the LeXow
committee. Krumm says: Il am will
ing to testify to these facts before the
committee: When Captain Allaire
could not get any money out Of me
his ward man, Frank Wilson, both
cred me day and night that l should
take some books from the captain for
500. He told me that every saloon
keeper and druggist took some
Il told him that l could not afford
to pay 500 for books. l sent the cap
tain $50 for five books, but to my as
constituent he sent it back with a let
ter, saying in it that he was thanking
me for the kindness, but was not do
ing business that way. l was very
glad to get my $50 back, but in ten
minutes after, to my establishment,
Wilson came in with five books and
told me that the old man sent him
for the $50 and to deliver the five
books.
when Mr.. Hewitt was mayor this
Captain Allaire gave me a bad report,
so that l could get no concert license.
[ went to the mayors Office to find out
what was the trouble. The mayor
told me that the report was not favor
able. | was aStOnished and exclaimed:
What! this captain does this to me?
Then Mayor Hewitt said: I guess
you did not pay him enough, or he
would have given you a better re-
port
The members of the LeXow commit
tee expect to discover more startling
facts this week than any they have
thus far unearthed. They feel proud
of their record already. They have
| so far uncovered more corruption than
any other legislative committee that
| has ever probed into municipal ad-
ministration in this city.
Senator Daniel Bradley spent
goodly part OF the afternoon making
| tour of the BOwery. He would stop
in front of each concert hall and
seemed to be doing a little personal
| investigation as to whether there were
any violations of the excise law.
The order of Superintendent Byrnes
that the Sunday liquor traffic in the
city must cease was not generally OBJ
served last Sunday. One hundred and
ifty-siX arrests for violation of the
excise laws were made.