The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-03-10
BLACKMAIL AS A HERITAGE.
Cornerstone of Police BIackmaiI i'm
New York Laid in Stuyvesant's Day.

C. c. Buel, in the Century.
In Stuyvesant's time many abuses of
the eternal customs of the town. Shortly
after his arrival he observed that lone full
fourth part of the city of New Amsterdam
nave become bawdy houses for the sale of
ardent spirits. Of tobacco and BEER on
some of the business streets this proportion
still holds. good. He inaugurated Sunday
closing with the result perpetuated to our
time. of side-door opening. Fines were es-
tablished for this, that and the other in
constables a legal basis for making repris-
ais. In 1858 eight men were constituted the
mlddle-watch and were authorized to take
to be brought into the house of the captain
OF the watch, and held for the benefit of the
occurring four times year.
Thus extprtion was put as it were, upon
q basis of police discretion and right; but
club on the proceeds. So the habit of po-
lice collections, contracted as pleasurable
duty, has been handed down as a vast and
secret perquisite" of the guardians of the
public peace; and it must not be overlooked
that from those days to these the police of
the city have been in the personnel a con-
tinuing body. 1t was as necessary then
as now to admonish the police not to use
violence upon peaceful burglars.
was granted by Stuyvesant to please the citi-
zens. and prevailed as trading and electoral
fury. stuyvesant fixed the fee of great
burghers, from whom municipal officers
We're CHOSEN, at SO forms; and of small
Durghers, qualified to pursue a trade or
to keep shop, at rs forms. Partly from this
acorn has grown the Tammany oak of as
sessments and reprisas on merchants.
Followers of shady callings in the early
days were the spoil of the autocratic au-
thorities just as they have been to-day of
equally irresponsible blackmailers. Some of
the earliest settlers were freebooters from
the Spanish main. Smuggling was common
as Indian cheating, and Stuyvesant and
other Governors, English as well as Dutch,
were openly charged with sharing in the
profits of Illicit trade. Subsequent to the
Dutch Governors piracy found in Manhattan
its chief emporium Even reputable mer-
chants devised moral and legal bubbles for
engaging in sea poaching, usually under
William Kidd was peculiarly a Manhattan
product. Governor Fletcher, in 1896, adj
mitted that he had exchanged presents
with the notorious pirate. Thomas Tew, but
explained that his chief, desire in seeking
his amusing conversation ito
claim him from the vile habit of swearing
which parallels the Tammany theory that
a proper way to reclaim Tnalefactors is to
appoint them to public office. In 1898 the
Earl of Bellomont, who had succeeded
Fletcher as Governor, complained to the
English lords. of trade that he had en-
deavored to place four merchantmen about
to supply pirates at that notorious trysting
place with supplies, and bring their booty
to Manhattan; .but the Council, some of
them being concerned in these ships he
writes, unanimously opposed this method,
as not prescribed by law, and because it
was never practiced here before, SO was
forced to discharge the said ships"