New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-01-30
CHICAGO'S "LEXOW" WOPL
THE SENATE INVESTIGATION an
POLICE NOW MAKING A SENSATION

| OF POLITICIANS POLICEMEN WITH
NOTORIOUS RECORDS
Chicago. Jan. 70 (speclaD.-The sensa,lo, =,
last three weeks in Chicago has been the ss,a. ""
vestigation Of the police and tho incidental ,n.a,'
into the methods Of the Civil Service co,,.,f,y
In Us relations TO tho Police Department, NJ
investigation now In progress was foresh,a.
py the Governors call for special ses.,o. =,
which ne named the enactment OF a Me,rono,,'"
Police bill for Chicago as one Of tho ,rona.n.
! duties OF the Legislature. II was whisnAred w
/ I'm political inner circles that a preliminary .."
10 the enactment OF such law would no a.. e'
| hauling OF the police OF Chicago which 49,, r-
suit In disclosures startling as ,hos. ro, ~
the investigation Of the Lexow Committee q, a. 7"
York. =" New
BY authority Of tho Civil Service l,u, n.
the Thirty ninth General Assembly and 10, !"
Tn" people. the police force Of Chicago NO. - oy
WITHIN the classified service during the asrr,rt''
ton or Mayor Swift. Candidates FOR .,,o,. ~'
10 '"e ponce force are taken from list % eiy,h,
VINO have passed an examination conduc,od ,.
ciVil Service Commission. the members ~ 49,
are appointed by the Mayor Az WA . - "."
/ pected, IN" politicians have resortod N oil =
or clever devices and subforfuees n o,., '
| la" while keeping UP tho pretence Of a conorl,,.
WIN us provisions The revelations Of Coy.-
tanner LfXow Committee. which has -
doing business In the Great Northern Hotel 81
!
concerned, has become the football ~ tho ~
ticlans. Neither the Democrats nor tho D.. pr
cans have kept faith with tho people on th,. ,,,.'
! ton. II the operation Of the civil Service h..
as applied 70 the Chicago police is anv cr,..r,..
| from which to judge Of the power ~ the r,s,,,
system to take the police out of politics #, mus,
be voted a deplorable failure '
The trouble began under the afr7,r,s,r.,,o. -.
! Mayor Swift Republican. who issued a .,vo.,
| order relieving about five hundred Deraoc-.,,, -
| licemen from duty. This famous order wa e.,
| IN the interim between the enactment n, .te 90,
Service law and the appointment ~ tho Coo,
Service Commission II is charged tia, ~.
po.ntment and organization Of the commission v.,.
purposey delayed 10 enable Mayor Swift 70 IL,
charge five hundred Democratic policemen and mn,
Republicans In their places
THE STAR LEAGUE"
Tho discharged policemen formed IN orraniz,,,o,
known as the Star League" What Influenza ,bo.
may have exerted in the subsequent can,,,sn
which resulted In the election ~ Carter Harr,so,
as Mayor. Is the subject Of interesting speculs,o,
among politicians IN the light ~ recent e,e,,.
Certain IT is that through some mysterious hoous
pocus by which the provisions OF the Civil sA-,,,c.
law were practically nullihed for the time heinz
nearly all Of these Star Leaguers" were soon
reinstated by the new administration Il Is also
significant that the man who organized the Star
Loaguers" was made Chief Of Police II should
mnistraton. that the Republicans who were re-.
moved to make places for the star Ieaguers"
not appointed under the Civil Service law
and that the reappOintments were made through
examinations conducted by the new Civil Service
Commission.
Among the five hundred men recommended hy
the Commission for reinstatement sixty or
! moro with VIGOROUSLY bad records. How such
got back on the police force through the Civil
! IA
! investigated by the State Senate Committee II.
stead OF an Investigation Of the Chicago police
the Committee has boldly declared its purpose 70
uncover the inner workings Of the Civil servics
| Board At first the Board prompt declare
| its readiness to be uncovered. Chairman Kraus
announced his willingness to produce AL records
and courted the most thorough scrutiny Mayor
Harrison washed his HANDS Of the whole matter
and declared his purpose 70 assist the comml,,"
| in its efforts 10 secure Information.
| But when the smoking process well unts,
way the members OF the Civil Service Board began
! 10 vince As the FIRE ~ the inquisitorial counuY.
! men grew hotter the valiant Civil Service Com
missioners began to rusa for cover. When h.
committee demanded papers and records the COM
mission peremptorily declined 10 allow the secrs
tary to furnish them. When the COMMITTEES began
startling disclosures Of corrupt practices on tho
! part Of the policemen on the force the Cornis
sion declared the Senate Committee 70 be an
!
effect that the committee had no right 70 subpoena
them AS witnesses. The committee replied through
its chairman that the presence Of the Civil Service
Board not necessary 70 the investigation
! Mayor Harrison. however. ordered Chief K!pey 10
respond 10 the subpoena.
ASTONISHING REVELATIONS.
The members OF the Civil Service Board refused
/ to appear before the committee. But the smoking
process went right on The record Of man after
| man was probed. The revelations in many IT,
| stances were astounding. II found that many
Of those reinstated by the Civil Service Comms
| sion had been repeat edly discharged FOR various
| causes Among the charges were drunkenness
| immoral conduct extorton. matreatment Of cit
zens. neglect OF duty, leaving post Of duty arc
making false reports. II was further proved tna'
the Commission recommended these officers FOR re-
instatement with full knowledge OF their records
and the places to which they were appointed should
! have been filed by men taken from the eligible
| list TIE only defence made by the Commission
| is that they manted expert pOicemen. and tina.
the police ca ptan who assigned TO the WORK Z;
examining them betrayed his trust and deceived
When the Governor included a metropolitan PS..
lice law in his call for special session X ne, VIE
| a storm OF protest from the people and the presa
! The proposition 10 place the police OF Chcas9
| under State control was denounced as scheme o.
the Tanner combination - convert the police sys
tenn into a powerful political machine for the &C.
There is little douh, that the Senate invesug,
ton was devised tor the purpose Of making Dis
closures that would furnish material for argr
rncnts in support OF The Police bill. u there,
fore vigorously opposed by the press on the grolaa
that the motives behind the investigations were y.
litica ard that The probing Of the police system
would be done for purposes Interior 20 those ouV
! lined I'm the resolution which authorized ne ~
quiry. 1t was argued that ths people wanted 10
outside interference ia police affairs and that tg
WEI. perfectly willing 20 let the Civii Service IA.
work ont the reformation and elevation OF th'
! department Of the municipality. =.
30 doubt the civil Servic, law would 90 ,nIs ~. :"
! honestly and fairly enforced But no matter WIS.,
disclosures made by the senate Committee ~;
/ nnonl. are unalttrahy opposed 20 the enactnei.
/ ~ a N.trop0lltan Police law on the ground ths
slch a law would be- an invasion of the con.tt,.
t.onal right Of municipal selt-gt vernment Icy
Az ,,, Uni The ro.ice system of Chicago Tanner,
lied" They believe that the polio" system W.
r.X.r BE- so bad but that II may be made worse "
F ,lncin.- II under tho control ~ a board which y
4 hot RESPONSIBLE 70 the voters of Chicago. end wnM'
/ is the creation Of - most obnoxious po"'l''' "'
chine. . ,.,.,-,