Birmingham age-herald., 1895-03-19
Rotten to the Core, Says the
 Grand Jury.
HIGH AND LOW INDICTED
And Many Others Yet to Come Under the Rod-Grand
 Jury's Report.

NEW YORK, March 1S.-The extraordi- nary grand jury today dismissed the charges of conspiracy brought against Agents E. A. Whitney and Arthur Ben- nett of the parkhurst society by Deiec- tive Sergeant Jacobs.
 Similar charges against Charles Liss and Samuel Cohen were also dismissed. The grand jury says that in it's opinion the great body of subordinate police officers are honest and capable men aud their assis- tance in the jury's investigation would doubtless have proved most valuable had they (fhe jury) been able Do command 1t. The presentment then continues:
 "The impression was created and sup ported by most convincing facts that our labors in ferreting out and enabling the prosecution of unfaithiul police officers, instead of being approvei by the deplrt- ment, was an attack upon it.
 "rhose whose duty 1t was to aid in de- terring crime have united in preventing it's detectIon. The inference ot this appar- ently recognized antagonism upon large number of witnesses called before us was. manifest.
 .sMany persons-themselves law break ers-wbo had been the victims of extortion and blackmail in the past, feared to speak, being appreheusive that their disclosures would be punished by greater persecution hereafter.
 s.It is manifest that we should not have been confronted with this condition of af- fairs and our investigation been attended by honest and sincere cooperation of the officials whose duty it is and ss Te0 se9Scss sSys 6s 6 bs entire e oree Srss
 During our entire session no police cffi ciai, high or low, has volunteered one par ticle ot aid, nor has any evidence what ever been forthcoming from police circles, except such as has been drawn from un- willing witnesses and after persistent ef- forts. Members of the force, with no other apparent motive than desire to shield their superiors, have protessed an ignorance of wrong doing with which evidence showed them to be familiar.
 "Evidepce has left 10 doubt in our minds that for years 1t has been the practice of many police captains in their respective precincts to receive money as brlbes for protecting violators of law and to extort money from lawabiding citizens as the price of exemption from police interference ald annoyance. We believe that this prscuce has been carried to an extent un prs cedented in the history of the city. Clesr cases have tesn presented in which by reason alone oi lapse of time the law has precluded us from signing indictments.
 ''The enjoyment by the executive Lead of the force of considerable fortune &C., cumulated as the result of favors granted as a recognition of the performance of off, cial duty may well have caused demorali- zation h the force under his command.
 "The distinction between the receipt of such favors and the taking of direct gratu- ities for official services is not one his subordinates are likely to appreciate.
 "The existence of the evils to which we have referred evidences the absolute neces- sity of radical reorganization of the force by new men and new methods.
 Al least eleven police officers were jn- dicted, more than one indictment having been found against some Of them. The in- dciments, which, it is reported, charge the indicted men with bribery, and the present. ment are only partial result of the inves tigation. but will continue its session until the end of the term.
 Among the officers ofthe department who are believed 10 have been indicted are: William w. Mclaughlin, inspector; Jo- seph B. Eakins, captain; M. J. Murphy, captain; James K. Price, captain: Jacob Siebert, captain; William Strauss, captain; William Schultz, captain.
 It was also reported tha. indictments had been found against Michael Doherty, ex- chairman, and John r. Stephenson, cx- captain.
 ments filed against Inspector Mclaughlin, and that no indictments had yet been flied against Inspector Williams or Captain Meakim, who it had been expected would bs amoug the first indicted.
 Bench warrants were issued for the in- dicted men aud sent to Superintendent Byrnes for services. No arrests were made today, but all of those against whom in- dictments have been found have been uoti- fled to report at police headquarters at 9:30 o'clock tomorrow morning. Trey will be taken to the court of oyer and terminer at Il o'clock. It is generally believed that twenty-seven iuuictments returned by the grand jury today represent only about one- half ihe number contemplated by them and the remainder will be handed down in few days.
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