The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1895-07-25
Lifting the Lid on:

| who worked for her, among them the
police officers on her street.
do you consider the policemen as
working for your asked the committee.
why, certainly" replied the woman.
She gave each policeman $5every Christ
mas when she made presents to her cook
and washerwoman and the rest of her
servants. She declared over and again,
however, that beyond this she had not
paid for the privilege of keeping disor-
derby house and selling wine without IL
cense.
At this point the memorable examining
lawyer caught her up and inquired if she
had asked a man the evening before
what kind of Bible she would have to
swear on, remarking at the same time
that she did not care shucks for Prot
estant Bible. Here was woman whose
career was about as bad as it could be,
on her own admission. She defed law,
decency and religion, yet she felt bound
to tell the truth if she was sworn on a
Catholic Bible. She was convinced she
could tell any lie she chose if taking tho
oath on Protestant Bible.
The fact was brought out by the Lex
ow committee that there was regular
commercial system Of traffic in infamy.
Keepers of unlicensed saloons and those
that are open on Sunday pay. when
they go into business, from $500 to $500
to the police captains, and after that
regularly from $40 to $75 month dur
ing the whole time they are in business.
Keepers of houses of i'll fame pay at the
same rate.
But these people do not pay the cap
tain directly. Oh, not That would be
bribery. A police captain in the line of
promotion to the highest Offices in the
department could not. soil his fingers
by bride. The police captain has go
between known as "ward man." He
drops in in quiet, sociable way and in
terviews the saloon keeper or mistress of
adisorderly house. Witness after witness
testified that they paid money to the
captains "ward man. on condition that
they should not be molested. No Won
der that fortunes have been made in a
short time by persons connected with
the New York police department. Still
less wonder is it that number of them
found it convenient to take trip to
Europe for their health as soon as the
.Lexow committee began its investiga-
lions. In return for the steady pay
ment of these large sums of money
policemen were instructed not to raid
given resorts. So they fourished.
Policemen themselves were plucked in
turn. The lifted lid reveals that each
member of the force pays $500 for hisap
pointment. Here, too, are go betweens.
In return for the $500. dummies are often
introduced to pass the police examina-
ton where the applicant is unable to
stand the test himself. A fellow was
unearthed who made a business Of pass
ing policemen's examinations for them.
One hapless wretch who 'wanted to be
policemen and with policemen stand was
bled to the tune of nearly $4,000 before
he discovered that it was all game to
get his money out Of him. 1t may be re-
marked that he never got his appoint
ment. Who received the money for ap-
pointing policemen? That is the ques-
ton the cities of this country should one
and all ask at once and see that it is an
swered.
/ One Of the blacklist chapters in this
story of shame is that dealing with the
counterfeit money swindle, popularity
known as the green goods game. The
swindler sends circulars all over the
country to the rural districts, telling the
greenhorn that for few hundred dol
lars he can become rich. He is brought
to New York, shown package of good
money, which he is told is counterfeit,
and on payment of all the money he
has it is supposed to be handed over to
him. But it is changed and a packet Of
green paper substituted. It is a fact
that this swindling has gone on year
after year with the knowledge and con-
nivance Of the New York police, who
shared the profits of it. New York is
notorious as the headquarters of the
green goods swindle. Now that the
Lexow committee have lifted the lid off
the police department. all the world
knows why. ..