New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-03-19

has This inactivity of the force Itself proved
s)Lrce oc difficulty. but its attitude Throughout
has hindored lis far more. The impression was
created, and supported by most convincing Iac,s'
that our labors in ferreting DOT ana enaDhng me
prosecution Of unfaithiul officers lnstdd 81 pc
ing approved by the department, was an attack
upon y.
AGAINST THE DETECTION OF CRIME
They whose duty 1t was to aid in detecting
crime have united 20 prevent its detection The
Influence of this apparently recognized nntago-
nism upon a large number of the witnesses called
before Us manifest. Many persons thein-
selves law breakers who mad beeh the NcIinS
81 extOr,On and blackMail in the past ledreo 10
sneak being apprehcnsiVc that their disclosures
would be- punished by greater persecution the,t
after The correction and punishment %, eutN
members of the Police Department would go lar
toward removing this just ground OF dppltH'i-
sion. Other witnesses II this class Were cfarN
actuated by motives OF personal adNahtdt''
deeming an attitude of friendness to the police
a means of securing immunity Tor iu'uIc w.
fences. 49,,
c., fic,ted with this condition Of affairs hld oH
Investigation been attended by honest ana s'n-
cere cooperation If the officials whose GUY II
and who have the power To direct the serves
Of the entire force. Marifestly the talthlui'
dnigent and untrammelled efforts OF the men VIZ
comprise the force-ncarly 1000 IN nu Ir DEL,
would have resulted i'm theii FURNISHING SUM
legal evidence tending to assist us. 49,.
We believe from the testimony before uS t'ias
the subordinate force is in the main Just as
onxions as the community at large to root out
the wckednoss and vicious system ol SoIIut
ton that have SO long prevailed III the oepait-
ment and the existence on which necessary uis
graces every one Of them-n many instances we
believe. unwarrant1by and unJustE' no,a,
During our entire session no police ofnc:a,'
biob or low has volunteered one particle OF aid,
nor has eny evidence whatever been forthcom-
ing from police circles, except such as mas peoh
drawn from unwilling witnesses ana ailet per
sIstent effort Members of the force, with no
aihsr apparent motive than desire to sheid
their super.ors have prOtessed an ignorance "l
wronedong with which evidence showed them 10
be familiar. 49, ..,
Another embarrassment has arisen from testi-
mony given by those who have appeared 10 DE
inspired by an luminosity against the ponce anu
whose willingness to testify has created suspl-
cion that their purpose was not so much 10
serve the public interest as to Vindlcate SOM
personal spite or satisfy some long -standihs
elrldge We deem it proper to say. that IN no
case has testimony of this character been the
basis uf indictments
ALL EVIDENCE CLOSELY INSPECTED
We have. of course recognized the rule OF
law and of public policy requiring evidence
additional 10 that of the bribe-giver 10 warrant
the placing of the recipient upon trial 1t Is
not our purpose to comment upon this rule OF
law or to intimate that the rule is not Wis
arid proper one but do deem it proper TO
say that direct and positive evidence mas peeh
drawn out before us in a great many cases
showing the giving and accepting on prloes'
,typon which are as yet unable 10 take dC'oiI'
We have kept in mind Your Honor lhlunc-
witnesses OF disreputable character. ana Where
we have felt "A doubt of the trustworthiness OF
evidence We have deemed II III the Pupi'c HI
tefest to reject il in its entirety. 80,
The evidence has left no DOUBT In our Hllu 'iii'
for years 1t has been the practice OF many ponce
CAPTAINS in their respective precincts To receive
money as brihes for protecting Vlolators ~ law
and to extort money from law-abding ciuzehs as
the price of exemption from police interference
and ANNOYANCE. We believe that this practice
has been carried to an extent unprecedented IN
the history Of the city. Clear cases nave Deeii
presented in which, by reason alone Of lapse OF
time the law has preCluIed us from hndlne IN
dictments The enjoyment by the executive head
Of the force Of a considerable fortune accumulat.
ed as a result o. favOrs granted IN recoghiu9h Oh
the performance # official duty may well nave
caused decentralization in the force under ms COM
mand. The distinction between the receipts OF
such favors and the taking OF direct graiultieS
for official service Is not one that ms suO'IdtFS
are likely 10 appreciate
The existence Of the evils 10 which we nave re-
ferred evidences the absolute necessity oil ran,
cal reorganization OF the lVICc ny He" 4iViA anu
new methods.
BY the Grand Jury.
FRANCIS II. LEGGETT. Foreman.
EZEKIEL c. NJ. RAND, Secretary
New-York. March IS 1898.
Appended is list Of the Grand Jury:
Francis H. Leggett, foreman Hotel Renaissance;
sT sSbnv SP Walden, Banker No 30 Broadst
Jonathan Thorne, leather, No 2 East Forty
'" george L. Jewett metal. No q ClTst.
George De F. Grant, No. Ii Gramercy Park. -.
Aexander Patton real estate no, ~ Whte-s''
s snfEa2If Gohn. o %o s3l East sxythrds,
harls GGqaTd broker no. RT F2sdway
G GaHcs g. g. De Noi Forest. 20 g. Wiism-s
s MSnuef H. S MiSapf 10 30 o. Il Pnesi
Theodore Harris, No, IS Cedar-st
yhomas J. French, No iss West Eightyarst-st.
ATthsr & Wat Watson, merchant No go churchs
szekie! { u Rand. No, IS BrosdH9y;
eiSs RGnfd KrR RSrfr O N Sc
Louis p. Sondhem, No 52a Broadway
COMPLAINTS DISMISSED.
In addition TO making the presentment. the
jury dismissed the complaints against A. F.
bennett, A. f. Whitney Joseph Liss and Sam
uel Cohen. made by Detective Jacobs and Nc
Manus charging them with conspiracy. The
three complaints made by the officers against
I.ss for offering them a bride. were dismissed
all on the ground that they were not warranted
by the evidence. 1t will be remembered that
at the time the two detectives appeared before
the Grand Jury Assistant District-Attorney
Lindsay refused TO subpoena the witnesses Of
the two detectives but admitted all those OF
the accused persons. Their counsel, Mr.. Howe
of the firm of Howe & Humme says he will
take the matter before another Grand Jury
1t was learned from authority that can
not be disputed. that twenty seven indictments
were returned
A messenger of Superintendent Byrnes de-
cIared that the latter had said at Police Head
charters that no arrests would be made there
as all the indicted men would go to the Cour,
of over and Terniner and surrender them
selves.
THE sUpERINTENDENTS COMMENTS.
Superintendent Byrnes. after reading the
Grand Jury's presentment, said: THE Grand
Jpry saws that l am the head Of the depart
ment If were in truth. there would have
been~no need or occasion for an investigation
Tie kind of men / would have appointed 10
command OF would have promoted would not