The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-01-02

bsfore the committee that while serving as
ACHING Captain of the Steamboat Squad he
lseefyed orders from Inspector Henry v.
Bfsars, now retired on an annual pension OF
$3.50, to collect the money received by
I poficemen from steamship and ferry COM
paniss, and that in obedience to that order
he carried eighty per cent. OF about S20O TO
Police Headquarters every month and gave
4 Into the hands OF Inspector Steers. Ser
geant Taylor said Inspector Steers allowed
him to retain twenty per cent. commission.
When Captain Allaire took command, the
Heegeant said, he left the money, by order
of Inspector Steers, In an envelope marked
s.Btreef Cleaning Reports" In the Captains
+ dmk, and supposed Il went to Police Head
quarters The practice was continued after
Inspector Steers retired and was succeeded
b. Inspector Thomas :. McAyoy.
81 couldn't swear, !" he said, when he was
asked who took the envelope and who then
Noe the money.
81 couldn't swear" he said, when he was
aGksd who he thought got tt.
He, however, continued to get his twenty
per cent. He went out OF his way several
ames to tell of Inspector McAvoy's integrity
and OF his belief that the Inspector was not
the heir to Steers's scheme OF blackmatl, as
Ae was the heir to the command OF the dis
eict. 49,,
Reward Man Robert y. Vail confessed to
the committee that he collected regularly
Aalftbe money received By the policemen of
The Steamboat Squad from the steamship
and Terry companies, and gave 1t to Captain
Gastlin and then to Captain Schmittberger,
who succeeded Gastlin. He said that
8dhmittberger ordered him to collect all the
money received by the policemen, and that
thsy demurred. Sehmittberger then told
him to give him List OF those policemen who
would not, give up all they got, and such
vere transferred.
vail testified that he once went to Ho
Dokenand collected ESQ for Captain Schmitt.
freight dock. In the courseof q year, Vail
rn3d, he collected $4,000.
Oscar r. Cauchois. Freight Agent OF the
French Steamship Company, told how Cap.
fsin Schmittberger's friend, NJ. Wolff, Of
1sred to secure the return OF the $500 which
Agent FORGET gave to Schmittberger. with
snadditionaf bribe, the thought, Of 8 1000, for
! tho oornpany's books containing the record
sfthe original fve-hundre red-dollar transac
i non, and how he declined the proposition.
Then there was q procession OF policemen
testified that Captain Schmittberger demand
Cd all the money they received from steam.
shtp and railroad companies as compensa.
tica for extra work at pliers. They said II
Vas customary for every Captain from Cap
tain Gastlin to Captain Ailaire to levy
ncnfhly tribute upon such perquisitas, but
fhaf they were all, with the exception OF
aEchmittberger, content to accept hah. When
Eahmittberger's demand was made known to
them they objected and were transferred to
1oss eoneental posts.
John w. Reppennagen was again on the
StRnd and gave some additional testimony
ahctsk Sha ,>ox,r, gpf NJ (soptuin "Hpaadan's
o16,00 to John Martin for Police Commis-
nfoler John r. Voorhis, who promoted him.
u fhe committee declared that Captain
Creeden had BEEN protected from punish
) msnt at the hands ofthe Police Commission
I e8 Tor his confession to the committee that
Z he had paid els 900 for his office. John R.
yoorhis, now Police Justice, was before
the committee, ready to testify that he had
ncf received any Of Creeden's money. and
I the committee sent physician to examine
John Martin, the man who was declared to
have received $40. 600 Of the sum.
Aidermsn Philip Benjamin. who Is
vas impltcated by the testimony OF q man
who declared that he had received So from
the Tammany politician with ths under
Il standing that he was TO vote the Tammany
s tdckes three times at the last election. The
K witness, however, declared that he had torn
: up the pastors given him by Benjamin and
had voted only once, and then had vote the
3 Republican ticket. Another witness told
similar story:
Policeman Hermann Intem IN returned to
! do witness stand and took back the testi-
mony that he had given. He admitted
that he had been in the habit Of sur
rendering $25 out of the $40 he received
every month from the steamship company,
. and explained rhat fear OF his superior OH.
eers had caused him to perjure himself
Captain Anthony j. Ailatre was examined
at great length by Mr.. Goff, but he withstood
the ordeal well. and left the witness stand
y without having been disturbed for one mo.
mont.
Mr.. Gofi heard that Police Captain Schmitt
b1ger, who has been implicated by mum.
( Der of witnesses and has hasn indicted for
hibery on account OF the $500 which he re-
eaSysd from the agent OF the French line,
vas making ready to escape from the
Z country, and he communicated with the Dis.
Mict-Attorney. Schnittberger Was arrested
ON bench warrant late In the afternoon,
and bis bail was increased to $4,000. At a
kte hour he secured O bon1sman.
The most important piece OF news that
came to light before the Lexow Committee
vas the probability that Mr.. Golf would con
kinue to act as the committees counsel
during ths~frst month Of his term as Re-
fo-deE. i..