Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-08-10
NOT STRANGE.
Mr.. Moss Has Hard Work to
Secure Witnesses
To Tell How They Were Robbed in the
TenderIoin and Bowery,
Yet He Proves That Robberies Do Take Place
and duplicates Police.

TEL nc fTUveS Sudt UODDorleS 10 axe race
and duplicates Police.
New York, Aug 9.-Almost all the
testimony elected at the meeting of
the MaZet investigating committee was
for the purpose of showing how fire.
quently men are robbed in this city
while paying visits to THE Tender
loin,' THE BOwery." and other sec
tons of the city where groups gather
after the midnight hour. Mr.. Moss
had difficulty in obtaining witnesses
for today's session. The men who had
been victims of this sort Of crime APP
peared decidedly adverse to appearing
before the committee and telling about
it. Two hundred and fifty subpoenaes
had been issued for men who had been
robbed by women. Not a quarter Of
these men could be found. Neverthe
less Mr.. Moss was able to put witness
after witness upon the stand and Sc
cure account after account Of robber-
les alleged to have occurred in disor
derby houses in this city. Occasionally
the witness under oath told of facts
which appeared to show collision be-
tween the police and the feminine
robbers.
Mr.. Moss announced that similar
testimony with variations would be
produced before the committee, tomor-
row. The variations. il is understood,
refer to the investigation OF the opium
dens Of the city which il is said Mr.
Moss contemplates making.
Before the opening OF the session. to-
day. Mr. Moss said il was true that
he had subpoenaed Acting Captain
Cooney to bring Nathan Kronman, ac-
cused Of the murder of his wife. be-
fore tine commission. but that in the
light Of certain information he had re-
ceived since the service of the sub
poena he had decided not ID put Kron-
man on the stand
Mr. Moss prefaccd the days pro-
ceedinSs Of the committee with the
statement that the book kept by the
chief Of police showed that in the so po-
lice precincts of the city there We're
hut So houses suspected OF being dis
orderly. II places where policy was
played. . pool rooms and II suspected
gambling places.
Joel Harris. a detective on Mr.. Moss
staff testified that he entered house
i'm West 26th street in company with a
colored girl. who robbed him of 81
bill. which he had wrapped around a
roll Of stage money" Harris then
sent for 4 policeman and the negro re-
turned the dollar. Harris said the po-
liceman blackguarded him for making
such fuss about a dollar.
navoanrn 10 10,
Of the committee. declared these rob
berries We're fakes and said he wish
cd to protest against the states money
being used for such purposes.
Mr.. Moss read from the blotter of the
18th precinct rhe tenderloim COM
plants made by. citizens of five robber-
les alleged to have been committed in
two houses in West 33rd street. He
then read from the precinct and head
quarters books Of suspicious houses"
and neither of them made any refer
ence to the two houses mentioned in
3rd street.
George p. Hammond. one of Mr..
Moss detectives, said that. one night,
he saw a policeman compel young
woman to alight from cab in the Ten
derloin district. They went into hall
way and the woman handed something
to the policeman. who then let her go.
Hammond said he had discovered wo-
men from all parts of the world who
had come to New York because of the
city's reputation as being wide open"
Charles Lomax. a colored man. who
keeps a laundry in West Goth street.
said there We're frequent robberies near
his place. A hundred times in the past
year men had brought the police TO his
home by mistake claiming to have been
robbed there. He had heard sums men
toned by the victims from s. up: one
of $500.
Mrs. w. p. Reardon of West Goth
street. said the policemen who patroll-
ed in her neighborhood We're very
friendly with the colored women who
live in the disorderly houses. They
drank beer with the women. The color
ed women of the district often spoke of
paying money for protection.
Mr.. Hartman of West seth street
testified regarding a house in his block
which, he said. was occupied by dis
orderly women and is known to the
people in the block as a resort for po-
licemen.
Allen Herring told of being robbed of
$65 and of making a complaint to the
police.
Was any one arrested?" asked Mr..
Moss.
Yes" replied the witness. Il was.
No one else I was discharged, the
next day"
A number of witnesses told how they
had been assaulted and robbed by men
and women in the Tenderloin precinct.
the assailants in almost all of the
cases escaping punishment
Mr.. Hoffman, minority member, sew
eral times suggested that officers and
magistrates charged with laxity and
negligence by witnesses be brought be-
fore the committee and made to ex
plain their actions.
Patrick Curry. detective in the Ten
deroin precinct station. said there were
very few cases reported of robberies by
women where no arrests We're made. Out
of 500 prisoners he had arrested for rob
berry 100 We're women.
Mr.. Moss tried 10 get witness details
concerning his efforts to arrest women
accused of robbery. but he would only
reply that the records would show.
Have you any book showing the re-
ports of robberies in the precinct?" aske l
Mr.. Moss.
,,,rr h,,t h. II Att