The Portland daily press., 1895-11-12
50 Testifies Christian ". Shaeffer In
New York
IN THE INVESTIGATIONS OF THE
COMMISSIONERS OF ACCOUNTS.

Suggests the Famous Lexow Hearing.
New York, November 11.-Christian W.
Schaeffer testified before the commission
ers of accounts this afternoon. that he
had. some years ago, given ex-Superln-
tendent of Police Thomas Byrnes (then
captain) a quarter of the receipts from q
keno game he ran at No. 732 Broadway.
The witness swore his partner informed
| him he paid b1ackmail money to exFire
| Commissioner Scannell, who at the time,
! it was said by the witness, had just been
let out of prison and went around to the
gambling places collecting tribute from
the proprietors. The name of ex-Police
Inspector Mclaughlin was dragged in by
the witness, who swore that he had paid
him protection money.
Schaeffer did not testify readily, and at
one time he caused smile by remarking
"Why, Byrnes came as regularly after
money as a landlord. The witness said
he first met Byrnes about 1872 or 1878
Byrnes had just been made captain OF
the Fifteenth precinct. He said he passed
by one night, when was on the stoop
and said 'sYou seem to be presumptuous.
You are keeping open here in way that
I don't like. II want to let you know
that I am king here y Then the witness
told Byrnes that he would see him in
day or two. Schaeffer went to see Police
| Commissioner Nichols, whom he knew,
and Nichols told him that he would tell
Byrnes. if he closed Schaeffer up, that ne
would have TO close up every house ID the
precinct He did not tell Byrnes what
| Nichols said. Later he saw Byrnes and
| told him he would give him quarter OF
| the profits from keno game that was
running. Byrnes made no objections ana
the witness gave him his quarter. He
paid him as long as he ran the keno
game He gave him between $1,000 and
$1,000 during fifteen months.
| There was no go-between. The witness
| thought that Byrnes was the only police
official with whom there was no go-be-
| tween. When he stopped the ken o game,
the witness said he had to pay tho police
| for allowing him to run other games.
He was in the gambling b uslness
twenty or twentyfi five years and paid
captains in nearly all the precincts in
which he ran games. Tie police captalL
| who did not want money was a rarity
| He mentioned the names of three police
!
money The witness gave the names OF q
couple of ward men, who had collecte d
money from him for their captains.
Ex-Inspector Mclaughlin sent for him
one time and told him he wanted money.
Mclaughlin got check for 5000 and a
| hundred dollars besides The police often
| got half of what he made.
The witness said his partner, Jackman,
told him he paid exFire Commissioner
| Scannell S100 as collector of police
blackmail.
| Commissioner of Accounts Terry then
| read letter addressed to Schaefter, dated
December 18th, 1894. asking him as a
friend not to give his testimony, as II, II
would he bad for the writer and he
would have to leave the city until matters
were settled. The letter says 'Do not
hesitate for money if you are in need"
The letter was signed ''H. S. P, 2.
o. Box, 1146.'' The witness said he re-
csived the letter about the time the
Lexow committee were at work. He SAID
of town. When he returned he tried to
discover who sent it. He used every
means consistent with quiet inquiry,
but failed to lind its author. The witness
said he had trouble at 1166 Broadway. A
man who run against his game quit S9sl
the loser and complained to Captain
Williams. Williams sent for the witness
and he turned over 800 of the 1926 to the
Captain. This was the only time ne hao
paid any money direct to Williams. He
said that when the police wanted to make
believe that a gambling sjoint' was
closed he got the tip in advance, and plll
the paraphernalia on the roof and when W
they called the rooms were vacant. Inc
witness said that among those to whom
he had paid money was former police
superintendent named Jordan. He stated
that Byres's share Of the keno game was
between 5000 and S400 month
The investigation then adjourned.