New-York tribune., 1899-07-16
POLICE NEATLY TRAPPED.
CONTINUED from First PageJ


Kennedy to make a charge of disorderly conduct
against them On this he fined the women $40
each, which was promptly paid. and they iei'
the courtroom grinning widely in search OF ne"
victims In their old haunts In spite OF the eac'
that the police had seen them produce the store"
money In the police station, had seen the money
Identified and could have put Booth on the
stand to prove the theft
Robbery from the person is serious cri'"e'
and tffSthief might have been sent away lot
long time where she could bring no revenue 10
those who afford her protection
MR. MOSS ARRAIGNs THE POLICE.
Mr. Moss In speaking OF the outcome OF the
case and the striking revelation the ponce maze
OF their unwillingness to break up TINS parucu-
lar gang, said TO Tribune reporter yesterday
."rbe police have hanged themselves in their
own lariat Mr. Booth, who is as nne man as
Won would want to meet, splendid fellow. con-
Quoted himself with excellent Judgment and the
result Is that he has a splendid case against 'he
police He is a Rescue Mission worker, and mas
been for years. Last night, when he met those
women. ne was on his way TO meeting ana as
a matter of fact. after getting out or the sta'oh
house he made arrangements for the rescue Vi
an unfortunate young girl from oisorueiH
house.
their ewes open. and note and report anything
that they see that is not right Wheh thae
ooored woman accosted him he determined 20
see u through. am surprised that he had the
courage to go into such place alone Yhy' ne
,r,gbt mover have come out alive. 1t shows MS
devotion 10 duty The fly cops TO whom ne
comnlained denied afterward that they knew
who he was. but believe they did. for they ad-
mitted to Booth that they had seen him ABOUT
tho neiqhhorhood The fact that Mr Boom
would not make a complaint against the woman
who robbed him does not affect the case lot IL
&c not our business to make complaints we are
only investigating conditions as we fnd them'
THE poce had all the evidence placed IN 'heir
hands and II was their business TO make d
complaint The woman's action IN restoIliis So o,.o
stolen money was n confession, hotiiiHs M
or less and considering that the dtleh'iU
tho nolce had been directed TO colon! Oh us
orderly women. 1t seems 10 me tnat they nau .
Ali the evidence they needed Yet IN couIt Io.
one said he had any complaint 10 ,nnSerS mar con
tie women and fning them for dlsorueil! Coii :,
duct was altogether the idea OF the MAGISTRATE
FEAR POLICE AND DISTRUsT TAMMANY'
Mr. Moss went on 10 say that letters come
m him daily from men and women in all s'a-
tions Of life telling Of crimes which the. ponce
mn, only hermit but commit Nearly every one
., .baee complainants, however, makes MI
N,oss nron,ise not 10 reveal his name or ideh'i!.
They fear the police, and distrust the Iaiiiii,"l,!
ffncials thoroughly This moral coWdiulCe ~
yadcs the community to an alarming .tr ues,.' a.
NJ Noes declares and while he deprecates IL,
he Knows and realizes that this rear Is oaeGu
on solid grounds. He himself. bold as ne Is M .ii
exposing Tammany. does not know Dut "ny
,,'{nuta he may be assassinated outright vi
made the victim Of some diabollcal Plot asaIiio'
his reputation. Whether he Will De apIe - pa. pc"
tice law in this city with any degree OF pro'
= thrpr, oh
toe investigation is extremely douDuui 10 MS
mind so powerful is the foe ne is nsn.ne me onoi ~,o
so widespread Is lts influence o'ei "'
avenues of business. ., srosb
Nevertheless he is steadily gathering 1resh
evidence against the time when the cohiiiii''e'
resumes its sessions In august
GIRLS BROUGHT FROM OTHER CITIES
II has come to his knowledge. among other
things that the vice of procuring young sris'
little children almost, has grown into hourlS"-
ing business under the Devery ADMINISTRATOR
and that these girls brought from uls'aii'
cities, where the fame Of this wide open o.n toMl
has spread among the vicious classes. inea n
has been a great influx of criminals mere slIce
Tammany resumed control or the CITY aiidii o
and new ones are being added 10 the Ist uanS
Mr. Moss pointed out the fact yesterday tidt
during Mayor Strongs administration erea'
hue and cry raised that the ponce WeIe
kept so busy watching the disorder!y nouseH .he
and the violators Of the excise law that my
had no time to defend the property OF the @ @clI-
zens from robbers and thieves. If there W Wwere
any truth in that argument, surrey % %noma LIB
the Tammany police not numbered WIN
any spy duty of that kind, the robDers ousht
10 he sharply looked after
Yet the figures on the records of the various
pojice stations in Manhattan and The Bronx
show that in 1897, the last year or Mayor
Strong's administration, robbers took properl!
worth only $143,431 AZ, while in 1898. the first
year of Mayor Van Wyck's term, they stole
property worth S202 S39 98 and for this year
the record up to June is $l2I,9oo 90.
POLICE GRAB SEATS IN THE CARS.
Little evidences o. police decentralization are
seen on all sides as well as big ones. For In
stance. there is a rule of the Department which
says that. whereas policemen ride free in the
streetcars. they should stand up when there are
not empty seats enough for all those the
This rule used 10 be observed, but recent
ly IL is observed more often In the breach than
any other way. and fat policemen may be seen
lolling in the seats while tired women and even
mothers with babes in their forced to
stand The car conductors do not dare TO re-
mcnstrate with these uniformed rowdies, and
the passenger who did would probably be
covered with verbal filth and then be arrested
for disorderly conduct
In former days policemen patroled their beats
diligently and refrained from talking to citizens
more than was necessary Now policemen stand
''chinning' on the corners in groups OF two
three or even four. by the hour, and the sight OF
q patrolman walking up and down with a
woman by his side. engaged in lightsome con-
versation to while away the tedium of his
trick" is common sight. No wonder that
OF brutality TO prisoners are becoming
more and more frequent. The fact that police
man must tear himself away from these pleas
ant and easy pursuits TO perform the onerous
duty Of making arrest sours his temper
against the prisoner at once, and the club the
quickest method Of enforcing his commands is
promptly used.
TWO YEARS ENOUGH FOR THE MAYOR
Mr.. Moss declared yesterday that it was. in
his opinion. great pity that the city charter
Rad changed the Mayors term from two 10 four
years. Tammany's assurance Of so long a term
Of power made her careless Of how she used her
trust for the first three and a half years and
she relied upon the short memory Of the average
vycvc 70 rain tote