The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-01-03
finds FAULT With COFF
Mr.. Moss Not Entirely Satisfied with
Byrnes' Examination.
WANTED TO HEAR FROM GOULD
Opposition to the Proposition TO Entrust
the Reorganization of the Police Force
to Byrncs Increasing Daily-A
Slap at the Goulds.
BY the United Press.


announced his willingness to fetlre at
any time the mayor might elect. Com
missioner Sheehan has not as yet FOL
lowed the good example by the presl-
dent of the board.
Commissioner Murray and Superln-
tendent Byrnes had half an hour con-
ference today After it had been con-
cluded, neither would say what had
been the subject of their discussion.
Commissioner Murray could not say
whether the board would favorably
consider the LeXow committees re-
quest that Captain Creedon be imme-
diately allowed to retire on pen
sion.
Lawyer Moss, member of the eXecu-
tive committee of DR.. Parkhursts So
ciety and Mr.. Goff's associate counsel,
was very positive in his statement that
Byrnes would never never be permit
ted to have a hand in the reorganiza-
ton of the police force. He delivered
a number of backhanded slaps at Mr..
Goff when asked why George j. Could
was not called upon to verify the super
intendent's stories of quickly gotten
wealth.
Opposition to the proposition that
DuDcllIltilItlt 10y lito NC iiiti
with the task of reorganizing the police
force is increasing daily, as the public
mind reacts from the temporary senti-
ment of generosity impelled by the
shrewd superintendent offer to resign,
and as the gravity and moral aspect of
certain of his admissions before the
senate investigating committee are
considered. The Society for the Pre-
tt, Do.
hurst is president, is Overwhelmingly
against the idea and refuses to enter
tain the proposition that Byrnes have
anything to do with the reorganization
of the force. This was announced by
Counsel Frank Moss today, who fur
the" stated that the organization would
fight from now on, if necessary, every
proposal of this nature which might
b. nade.
DisagTccs with Icxow.
I'VE don. intend that Mr.. Byrnes
shall be the man to direct this matter"
said Mr.. Moss ''and he will not be that
man if We can help it. The members
of the LeXow committee take the posi-
ton, apparently, that because Byrnes
passed through the inquisitorial fire
and emerged without being scorched,
as others We're, is true and should be
canonized without delay. Well, we dis
sent from this. assuming that had Mr..
Byrnes been put through the same or
deal that other officials did, he would
not have come out unscathed. In this
is seen the logical necessity of DR..
Parkhurst's letter.
Mr.. Moss had nothing to say relative
to individual members of the committee
and when asked what questions addi-
tional to those propOunded might have
been put to Byrnes. replied:
II have no criticism to make of Mr..
Goff or his methods. / don't wish to
say word which might reflect on Mr..
Goff. Instead / declare distinctly that
he doubtless exerted his utmost efforts.
Mr. Moss, on being pressed to say on
what lines he believed Superintendent
Byrnes' examination should have been
continued, finally replied:
1T came out that Byrnes had had
dealings with the Goulds. Why should
it be assumed that he told the truth
respecting these dealings any more
than it should have been assumed that
Mclaughlin or any other person who
came before the committeeman told the
to have examined George Gould on this
The Goulds We're never given to giving
something for nothing, and if they have
departed from this rule for once, the
public would like to know about it
The Goulds, in elevated railroad mat.
ters, grabbed up the streets and the
city's property without police interfer.
ence, and whole sqads of our acute city
guardians proved unable to do thing
about 1t. 1t was their place to, though
for this was before legislative grants
had been made. Why was nothing
done?"
Considerable stress was laid by Mr.
Moss on the fact that Superintendent
Byrnes, when he testified before thI
committee, did not state that his Who'll,
fortune was $35O,000, but defined it a,
being fully that.
'He placed the value of his house a
Shrewsbury at $25,O00," the lawyer wen
on, but a talk with the builders an,
others would, / guess, bring it up t,
$4,000. In the nature of things, Mr.
Byrnes gave elaborate answers an,
these were taken. DR.. Parkhurst fel
1t imperative to show that the superin
the fire, and this he set out to show il
his forceful, picturesque way.
Byrncs' Fairy Tales.
II think great deal has been game,
by the examination of Mr.. Byrnes," MI
Moss went on, land think Mr.. Goff de
serves great deal of commendatio
for having brought out many interest
Ing points without rufiilng the superin
tendent. Byrnes came before the com
mlttee with the expectation of tellin
his story in his own way, and Mr.. Gofl
comprehending the feeling entertaine
toward the witness by the committee
so shaped the examination, withou
alarming the former q" provoking oppc
sition from any quarter, that the polio
chieftain was allowed to hang himsel
by his own rope. For this Mr.. Goff dc
serves much credit.
Had the matter gone further. an
had the superintendent been handle
after another STYLE think 1t quite cor
ceivable that he would have hedget
During the two hours he was on tn
stand Byrnes rambled about and tol
all sorts of fairy tales to the destructio
of the time. A great thing accomplished
however, lay in the fact that Byrne
was the first police official of note I
admit that the department to whic
he belonged was corrupt. In order |
enable his own virtues to stand OF
clearly, he seemed to think 1t necessar
to paint black background. OF hig
Importance was this. the position an
unequivocal statement that the depar