The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-04-18
By the Mazet Investigation
Committee Results In
QUEER DISCLOSURES.
Keeper of a Resort Testifies to
an Arrangement
With the Police For Systematic
Robbery on Shares.

again the principal object of Mr.. Moss
examination, and the most important
development was the probability that
the Tammany chieftain and John F.
Carroll will be the subject of contempt
proceedings before the state legislature
shall adjourn.
An adjournment of the committee was
taken in the afternoon until next Fri
day morning and Mr.. Croker was sub
poenaed to reappear before the session
on next Monday morning. By the init
alive of Moss, many of whose questions
Mr.. Croker repeatedly refused to an,
swer, and with whom he had seVera4
sallies that came very near being per
sonal, the chairman of the committee
took such action as would leave Mr..
Croker in technical contempt. 1t was
stated last night that when Mr.. Fal-
lows, of the committee, left for Albany
he had instructions to prepare papers
adjudging Mr.. Croker and John f. Car
roll in contempt.
When the committee began it's inquiry
about the first thing brought up was a
resort known as the Broadway garden,
which had f1ourished in the upper
Broadway district for some time. In
this place the alleged robbery of former
mayor of Trenton, Frank Mcgowan
took place. Simon Buttner, the former
proprietor of the garden, made some
startling charges against Police Cap.
tain Price, and his walters corroborateu
in part his testimony.
Buttner testified that Price told him
he would have to pay him 800 a month
to insure the protection of the resort
which he started. and that if anybody
was robbed, he (Price) was to get half.
And 1 have done business with him
for quite awhile" said Buttner.
Buttner testified that it was in 1890
81, that he paid the money to Price. AT
that time, Buttner said, he was simply
running an ordinary saloon. Buttner
said his Broadway garden had been fire.
quently examined by police officers and
declared to be all right Everything
had gone well until Captain Price came
to the precinct. Then, Buttner said.
sWore that the first thing Price did was
to threaten to close the Broadway gar
den up unless he received $3.50 and half
of any robbery that was accomplished
in it. He objected and told Price he
was running a straight forward game
and letting out no rooms, but accord
ing to the witness Price said: Il do not
care a - if you let out hundred
rooms a night. I want $3.50 month
Price was not a man to argue point
in a gentlemanly way, Buttner said,
he should do business. He was told to
see Bob Nelson, a salOOnkeeper. Wit
ness objected to Nelson and Price began
to make arrests in the garden. Buttner
went to see Nelson, but though he call
ed dozen times he was always unable
to see him. Then Buttner said he was
advised to go to see AL Adams, the
policy king and owner of the Karsch
brewery. by taking beer from Ad-
ans" Buttner said, you will be pro-
tected''
Buttner said he did not see Adams
personally, but got message from him
saying he could expect no protection in
that precinct. Buttner testified to a
later interview with Captain Price. in
which he alleged that the police officer
said: Il will tell you, Simon, 1 have
nothing against you personally; never
did have anything, but you can not stay
in this precinct and he advised Butt
ner to sell out. Buttner said the con-
VerSatiOn then turned on a robbery of
$500 which had taken place the previous
day at the Broadway garden. Buttner
said to Price: Don't blame me for it,
captain. As soon as we heard of it
we sent to get one of your officers and
we told him who the woman was. He
got the money from the woman. Now
if your people encourage these women
to rob men, If they stand in for one
half, you can't blame us, we can't put
a watch over every man and woman
and watch them"
Buttner asserted that he had known
more than a hundred similar cases in
which the police had made W(men
share with them money they had stolen
from men. He swore that on one oc-
casion a woman robbed man of s., 500
and gave the whole amount to the ward
man. The robbed man complained to
Captain Price, and, said Buttner, this
misfortune happened to these people
price and the complainant) They
met the girl on the street and they had
to arrest her. She said: Il gave the
wardman the wad of So, 500 After she
told that they returned the $4,000 and
let the girl co.
Buttner said Bob Nelson baiIed all
the women arrested in the Tenderloin
Buttner alleged that Price had him ar
rested on the charge of rObbinC Ma
gOwan purely for spite and that Ma
gowan previous to the arrest had APP
parently been satisfied with the ex-
PLANTATION which Buttner had given to
him.
Buttner's testimony was suspended
and George Tuohigh gave evidence in
support of that of Stephens Tuohie-h
had been a waiter in the Broadway
garden. Mr.. Moss said that Tuohfgh
and Stephens had been followed by his
men during their entire transactions in
the Broadway garden case.
Richard Croker was then called Mr.
Moss asked him about the controbu-
lions made by the judicial candidates
last year. Mr. Croker could not tell the
amount The Tammany leader and Mr..
Moss had a little tilt as to whether Mr.
Croker had said that the city was not
wide Open.'
Mr.. Croker had never heard that the
Metropolitan Street railway or persons
interested in it had contributed s75. 900
to Tammany Hall during the last cleo
ton. Mr.. Croker had received no mon
ey directly or indirectly from MI Car
roll during the last year. From An
drew Freedman, he, or rather his firm,
Meyer & Croker, had received money.
Mr.. Croker said he was interested with
Mr.. Freedman in the United States Fl
deity company.
You know that all the bonded Off
GERS of the city government take out
their bonds from your company
queried Mr.. Moss.
Not all of them said the witness.
Some take them from your boss COM
pany." This caused a loud laughter.
do you mean Mr.. Platt's company ?''
asked Mr.. Moss.
Yes" said Mr.. Croker. "You know