The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-01-24
W. WHY Wv WI ~$
DISCOUNT SALE ENDS JAN. 10
As SEEN FROM THE AMEN PEW.

Fsiieessa Law. the seeiey Diaasr. aad the
Private Citire.'s Rights.
"The seeley dinner" said the short, fat man
In the Amen Pew at the Fifth Avenue Hotel.
has demonstrated ono thing"
"whAt'sthat2 ?" demanded two United States
Senators. q few Congressman. and the reporter
Its this" said tho short. fat man. "Irs
demonstrated the necessity Of an Official defni-
ton Of tho legal powers Of che police. don't
mean definition BY Board OF Police Commits
sionsrs, or By acongregation Of 7 olice Captains.
or yet BY . com bination Of hypocritical reform
srs who believe In getting men TO commit
crimes so that they can be arrested afterward.
mean II has shown the necessity of having the
powers OF the police defined by some legal
authority that has tho respect OF tho COM
munity."
Amen" said the United States Senators and
the Congressman and tho reporter. Ordinarily
under the standing rule OF the Amen Pew this
would have settled the matter. and tho subject
wonld have changed automatically. But tho
short, fat man clogged the revolving wheels by
continuing:
"Now let me elaborate. In the first place
police interference In private AFFAIRS has reached
q stage In this town that Is hardly equailed any
where in tho world Just think OF II! II is
contended In good faith by policemen that they
hcvs Tisass to , 90 to your home or my
force their way In. II they do not find any VIC.
lation OF the law and / complain OF their In
so% tho, wsrs i IA going 10 your
house To do that they claim the right TO sub
Ss sad tho hoy BE-
only do they claim the right TO subpoena me.
but they say they can keep us locked up In a
room until they want to call US out and ques-
They, haven't any such right" thuudered
there % was solemn Xmsn from the sS erowd a'
But they take It," said AN artist who had
Joined the group. II tell you itmakes my blood
He didn't get any further. No blood 10 ever
permitted to boil In the Amen Pew, and the
YOU'RE right" said one OF the Congressman,
when the artist was out OF tho way. They take
the right. We ought to have some dehnitlon of
are We going TO get Il ?"
why not call on the District Attorney In
~ see by this afternoons newspapers that the
Police Commissioners are going to declare that
Chapman was Justified In raiding the dinner.
and at the same time they arc not going 10 ask
for any indictments against tho people who
gave the dinner or any or the guests, ! nee.
also that the District Attorney Is going to insist
upon having a copy OF the testimony In the case,
and that he Is going to have II all read by an
which an indictment against Mr.. Seeley ana his
guests Can be based Now, why wouldn't It be
better to present the whole matter TO the Grand
Jury and ask for indictments II anybody Ia
guilty OF any crime, and II not indictments.
then a presentment Let the Grand Jury look
at all the evidence and let II say officially
whether Capt. Chapman was Justified. The
Grand Jury Is body that all the citizens re-
spect; let them Just dehne the rights OF the pO-
lice In q case OF this kind. or course a present
ment would not have any binding effect In law.
but the moral effect would be great. II II was
In favor OF tho police. the people would cool of
n II WAS against them. u would bc q long time
beforea police Captain stepped over the bounds
again"
The congregation nodded and said amen
and the Cuban question was taken up.