The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-06-01
Sensational Testimony Before Mazet
Commission.
Sensational Charge
Against Counsel Moss.
Evidence About Prisoners, Con-
cert Halls, Etc.

New York, May sl.-The Mazet invssti-
CATION committee resumed its sessions
here today. Police Commissioner York
was the first witness called. Mr.. York
submitted records of the police depart
ment which he had been subpoened to
produce. Theswitness had not heard that
a special order had recently .been Issued
by Chief Devsry, drawing the special at
tention Of the police commanders to COM
plants Of law breaking as published In
newspapers. Mr.. York said such an order
might have been issued, but he had not
seen it. Mr. Moss questioned Mr. York
at considerable length rsgar ding the
policy Of the police.commissioner toward
concsrt halls. Nothing remarkable was
ELECTED. Two detectives employed by Mr..
Moss testified to witnessing violations Of
the excise law in concert halls Hast Sun
day night.
Mr.. Moss said that he had received
large number Of complaints from sailors
and soldiers who had been robbed In
| sucA places on the Borevy. He did not
wish to crowd the record with indecent
testimony. but If 1t became necessary Mr..
Moss said he would enlighten the police
as to all details regarding the concert
halls as he had enlightened them regard
ing the pool rooms. MIR. Moss then began
an Investigation of the Tombs prison.
he called Warden James j. Hagan Of
that institution.
Warden Hagan admitted that q woman
coming from u respectable home, accused
Of shop lifting and awaiting trial would
have to associate with women taken from
the vilest resorts. He said 1t was impos-
liable TO avoid such conditions. He said
he had allowed Mrs. Fayne Moore and
Mrs. louise Vermeuile to remain In their
cells instead of promenading with the
other prisoners He had been criticizsd
for doing this and had decided that be
| would do it for no other prisoner, so
when another prisoner, Mrs. Howard,
asked him for the same privilege, OF stay.
ing in her cell, he refused her. Commits
sioner of Corrections Langtry. however
had interceded on Mrs. Howard's behalf,
and the warden had allowed her to re-
main in her cell.
Mrs. Ruth Howard testified to being in
| the Tombs eight or nine weeks. She said
that the food was handled by the
stripes, or workhouse women prison.
| ers. She described the stripes" as being
very dirty. She had been denied hot
water to bathe In by the matron of the
Tomhs. She said some Of the women
prisoners used frightful language, fought
| among themselve and told most disgust
ing stories. Mrs. Howard swore that the
| sheriff who took her from the Tombs to
the criminal court had insulted her, put
ting his arm around herwaist and calling
her his Darling Ruth" She saw other
women treated similarly.
Other women who had been imprisoned
| In tha TOmhS o0rrOhorafad Mrs Hanarl
summing up the testimony MIR. Moss
said: The main point Is the hardship
which Is imposed upon innocent per sons
waiting trial. 1t is one Of the defects of
the system which has gone hack of this
administration, but Is one Of the things
that ought to be attended it,
Roger Sheedy, receiving clerk OF the
Old Dominion Steamship company testi-
fled that wishing to become q policeman.
he had been taken by Policeman Dugan
| to a man named Hart In the liquor busi-
ness. and at Dugan's suggestion had
given Hart s4OO to secure him position
ON tho force.
An indictment against Hart for these
| matters had been dismissed.
Mrs. Sheedy corroborated her husbands
statement. She had gone yesterday TO
police headquarters but an inspec tor had
told her he could not do anything as Du-
| gan denied ell the charges.
MIR. Moss tried TO find out the inspec.
tors name, but failing in that. got
| good description Of him. Mrs. Sheedy
testified that Dugap told her he had q
roundsman who wanted to be made a
captain, but that IL would COST him $1,000.
Mrs. Dugan also told her that Hart was
a brother -in-law of President York Of the
police commissioners and that "There
would be NO fear Of her money when she
put 1T up
The witness did not know IL Mrs. Du-
gan's statements were true
| Regina o Brien, the wife of Detective
Sergeant o. Brien, was then called. She
had introduced a young man named
Cunningham TO James j. Hassett. COL
lector of insurance. because CUNNINGHAM
wished TO get on the police force and Has
sett had said he might be able TO help
him.
referred to by Mrs. o. Brien, then testified
that Hassett said he could put him on
the police force for s400, and that he
would have TO pay him 1900 down. Cum
ningham said Hassett told him his Sin
tlnence'' was a lawyer who had "a great
pull with President York"
de gave Hassett the $500 and Hassett
gave him receipt That was in April
1925, and his application was filed. IN
i August he met Hart to whom Hassett
told the witness be had turned over the
| money.
ndrt asked him Tor 500 more 70 push
the thing along" He got his examina-
tion papers, which Hassett told him to
bring to him so that he could 'fix 1t with
the examiners. Later Hassett told him
that Hart had gotten into trouble. Then
he had Hassett arrested and he was held
in the police court for trial.
Detective Sergeant OiBrien testified
that Hassett had told him that he had
paid the money to Hart. O'Brien said be
had not reported the matter 10 the police
authorities or arrested Hassett or Hart,
but had notified the insurance company