The record-union., 1895-11-12
NEW YORK POLICE SCANDALS.
Gamblers Pay Tribute to Run Their
Games.

NEW YORK, NOV. lI.-CnrlStan w
Schaeffer testified before the Commits =
sioners of Accounts this afternoon that
he had given X-Superintendent of Po-
lice Thomas Byrnes quarter of the re-
ceipts of keno game which he ran at
No I23 Broadway. The witness also
swore under oath that his partner had
informed him that he had paid black
mail to eXFire Commissioner Scannell,
who at the time, it was said by wit
ness, had just been let out of prison,
and went around to gambling houses
collecting tribute from the proprietOrS.
The name of eX-Police Inspector Nc
I.aughlin was also dragged in by the
witness, who swore that he had paid
him protection money.
Schaeffer did not testify readily. At
one time he caused a smile by remark
ing: Why, Byrnes came as regularly
after his money as the landlord He
first met Byrnes abOnt 1872 or 1913. He
had just been made Captain of the
Fifteenth Precinct The witness said:
'He passed by one night when l was on
the stOOp, and said: You seem to be
presumptious. You are keeping open
here in way that 1 don't like. I want
to let you know that | am king here -
Then the witness told Byrnes that he
would see him in a day or two Scfaet-
fer then went to see Police CommlS-
SiOner Nichols, whom he knew and
Nichols told him that he would tell
ByrneS that if he closed Schaeffer up
that he would have to close up every
house in the precinct He did not tell
Byrnes and told him that he would give
Byrnes and told him that he would give
him a quarter OF the profits from u
keno game that he was running.
Byrnes made no objections, and he gave
him his quarter. He met Byrnes per,
sonaIly and paid him; he gave h n
between $1,000 and $4,000. He paid
him as long as he ran the keno game,
which was not so very many months.
Did he come regularity"
Well said the witness, she came as
regularly as the landlord" There was
70 gO-between, and ne thought that he
was the only police official with which
there was no gO-between. He ran the
keno game fifteen months, and paid
ByrneS regularly. When he stopped the
keno game he had to pay the police for
allowing him to run his other games.
He was in the gambling business
twenty or twenty-five years, and he
paid the Captains in nearly all the pre-
cincts in which he ran games. The Po-
lice Captain who did not want money
was a rarity. He mentioned the names
OF three Police Captains who did not
send to him for money.
Mclaughlin got a check for 5000 and
500 besides. The police often got half
of what he made. Witness said that
his partner, Jackman, told him he had
paid eXFire Commissioner ScanneIl
500, as collector for police blackmail.
Commissioner of Accounts Terry then
] read a letter addressed to Schaeffer.
dated December -. 1894. asking him as
a friend not to give his testimony, as it
would be bad for the writer. and to
leave the city until matters were settled.
The letter also says: DO not hesitate
TO ask for money, if you are in need -
The letter was signed, II. S. P, p O.
box 1146
The witness said he received the letter
about the time that the Lexow Com
mitttee was at work. He said that he
| had acted on the suggestion and gone
out of town. When he returned he
tried to discover who had sent it. He
used every means consistent with a
quiet inquiry, but failed to find the
author. The witness said he had
| trouble at 1l66 Broadway. A man who
had run up against his game quit 5000
loser and complained to Williams Will
( Jams sent for witness and he turned
over 500 of the 1920 to the CAPTAIN.
That was the only time he had paid
any money direct to Williams. He
said that when the police wanted TO
make believe that the gambling Joint
was closed, he got the tip in advance
and put the stock on the roof. and
when they called the rooms were Va
cant The Jordan to whom he referred
/ in his testimony was superintendent
Jordan. He said that Byrnes' share Of
the keno game was between 200 and
$400 a month
The Investigation then adjourned