The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-03-17
OUR zap POLICE.
They Are So Green That
They Did Not KnowThere
Was Gambling at
Greene'S
FARRIER'S TRIAL A FARCE
Detective Douglass Solemnly Says
a Hole in a Table Is
No Evidence.

For over three hours yesterday the
Police Commissioners went through the
pa}pable farce of trying Police Captain
Farrier and several of his subordinates
for failing to suppress gambling. The
whole alleged investigation was treated
as a huge joke by most of those prin-
cipally concerned and afforded much
amusement to the spectators. They were
much amused at the juvenile simplicity
of Detective Douglass. who didn't know
there was gambling at Greene's.' In fact
he was quite positive there was not, as
Greene had given him his word that there
wasn't.
Their curiosiG was also aroused by the
statement made by several witnesses that
a policeman from the Seventh precinct
was playing at the table with Larkins,
but who the policeman was was not made
known. Several times witnesses We're on
the point of mentioning his name when
President Abernethy shut them up. Com
missioner West asked if he might, with
propriety, ask the name of the patrol
man, and was told by his colleague that
he could mot. People were asking one an
other before the investigation was over
why it was that the President of the
Board was SO anxious to conceal the
name of that particular officer when such
stringent resolutions regarding gambling
and it's suppression by the police We're
recently passed at his suggestion.
Many questions were asked before the
hearing was finished, among them: "Why
was Greene such a willing, witness in
Farrier's behalf?' WAS it. moi all a bluff
made for the benefit of GledhilI & Co. 2"
and why did the Commissioners with
hold their decision until Friday night,
after the Gledhill Committee will have
another crack at Hudson eounty?'
Chief Murphy was very particular to
bring to the attention of the Commission
erss and the audience that he was not
responsible for the charges of neglect.
AS each officer was arraigned Chief Muir
ply would testify to having presented
charges against him in, accordance with
the Instructions of you Board"
Captain Farrier left the court room
smiling, while Chief Murphy seemed to
be laughing up his sleeve-it would ave
been beneath his dignity to laugh out
right. The Commissioners wore a look
which seemed to say:-"We have vindi-
Gated the honor of the police force and
are thoroughly satisfied with ourselves"
Chief Murphy, the first witness, told of
his instructions to Captain Farrier to try
and get evidence and raid Greene's gam
bling house at No. 274 Washington street.
and of that officers failure to d. SO. He
then described how Larkins got the neces-
sary evidence and told the details of the
raid which was made on January y,
which are familiar to the readers OF THE
News
At roll call one morning the Chief asked
Captain .Farrier:-ssDo you mean to tell
me that you cannot get evidenceg'
Yes replied Farrier.
Shall / get it?'' asked Murphy.
eyes, if you can said Farrler, and
that is why the raid was made from
Police Headquarters and not from the
Gregory street station.
Captain Farrier questioned the witness.
WAS it not the instruction from you
that in case a Captain could not get
evidence he was to report to you and
that you would take care. of the case?"
1T was"
"some of your men went there and
tried to get evidence before Larkins went
didn't they?"
II did have two young men from the
Fourth precinct go there, but I found
out afterwards tina 1t was energy lost,
as they went to the wrong place and
didn't know what card playing was"
s.Did you send your detectives there?"
mo, they are too well known"
Weren't my detectives as well known
as yours?"
yes" S
Don't you suppose Greene knew every
officer in the precinct"
EMO, I don't know all of them myself
when they are in plain clothes"
Detective Larkins told how he went on
Thursday night to Greene's and got in
without any difficulty. He watched a
game which was in progress for five min
utes or so. and then accepted Greene's in
svitation to f'Take a stack He played
until three o'clock the next morning and
lost SIS. He said he had never played
such a strong game before. He played
again Friday night and at 8 o'clock Sat
urday night went and told Greene that
he would return in an hour with six or
eight friends. He did return with Chief
Murphy and a posse of officers. who made
the raid.
Captain Farrier asked him if he knew
any of the players. He replied that he
only knew the friend he had taken with
him and from whom he borrowed some of
the money which he lost.
Wasn't there a policeman playing at
the table with your, asked Captain Far
rie-.
II did not see any policeman there. J.
didn't know any of the men I played
WITH replied Larkins.
How long nave you known .Greene?'
ssTen or twelve years. We were pass
ing .acquaintances.
Ibid you make any previous arrange
ment to get into Greene's z"
mo"
Captain Farrier told Of his repeated eff
forts and the instructions to his men to
get evidence against gamblers in his pre-