New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-06-04
DEMAND SEVERE PENALTY
PRICES DEFIANCE OF THE MAZET COM
MITTEE DENOUNCED.
PEOPLE WHO RECALL HIS CAREER AS
WARDMAN FOR A. S. WILLIAMS NOT
sURPRIsED-MR. MOSS ON THE
CAPTAINS HISTORY


The opinion that severe measures ought to be
taken to punish Police Captain James X Price
and his counsel for their open defiance and con-
tempt OF the Mazet investigating committee
was being expressed yesterday in positive and
emphatic terms by many NewYorkers who
had read with care the published accounts of
the proceedings in the investigation on Friday.
1t declared that such fagrantly abusive
ard bullying conduct by police captain as that
which had been exhibited the witness stand
by Price ought not to be tolerated by the COM
mittee. Prices offence, it declared.
the more objectionable because IL evidently was
premeditated. He was acting under the advice
of Henry Clay Henderson, his counsel, who was
present to encourage him. Henderson's be-
havior has shocked both lawyers and laymen.
His action in drawing a knife and resisting
orders Of the chairman OF the committee to ex-
pei him from the courtroom has been regarded
as deserving OF severe castigation
BEFORE THE LEXOw COMMITTEE.
That Price should exhibit himself as a person
so wholly untitled for his place a peace
officer does not surprise many persons who re-
member his wardman for Alexander
s. Williams in the Tenderoin. and recall how
badly both men were smrched by testimony
before the Lexow committee. Price was the
shadow and pupil Of Williams during the years
in which Williams earned the title Of "the Club
ber," and gave the name to the Tenderloin dis
trict. Williams acquired fortune of many
thousands Of dollars while he was a captain and
inspector OF police and he able TO retire
a large annual pension which must be paid
to him by the city during the rest Of his natural
life. 1t would not surprise people familiar with
the career of Williams II a disciple like Price
should consider It worthy OF imitation. and be-
come a believer in the ultimate triumph Of bru-
tality and vice over decency and virtue
Frank Moss. counsel for the Mazet committee,
not alarmed yesterday on account or
suit for damages with which he had been threat
ened by Captain Price. He made statement
regarding Price as follows:
Price made his charge in his bullying fashion
before the committee. I called upon him to
make It good or to let everybody see that he
was only buffng. l asked him. in every way
1 knew how. for the details of the charge he
had made against me- After choosing the COM
mittee room as the place to make his charse,
he took refuge In the excuse that IL was no
place to prove IL. | have no present intention
Of pressing the matter further before the com
mittee The public can Judge for itself how
much weight there is to Prices accusation,
which he dared not go into when called on to
do
Prices enmity to me dates back to 1885,
when he was wardman in the Tenderloin
Under Williams and T. young lawyer, was
trying to clean up the vile plague spot on
West Twenty -seventh-st. That locality was the
most Infamous that ever flourshed In the city,
and as the representative Of property owners
made a determined fight to break 1t up. When
Williams gave me no help | had him placed on
trial before the Police Board Price was op-
posed TO me all the time. and did all he could
TO defeat my work there. The result OF the
Williams trial is we'll known 10 everybody. 1t
was a tie vote. and one of the Commissioners
said he would not vote to convict Williams but
would vote TO put his wardman on trial. On
this motion the vote the same AT this
trial | referred to Price as 'Williamss man
Friday and he was greatly incensed by it.
Again. tried to clear out a notorious resort
on West Twenty near Sixth-ave.
kept by an Irishman OF the name Of Joe
Murphy The resort was the gathering place
of toughs and criminals and was tolerated by
the police because the proprietor gave the po-
lice information about the criminals who made
II their haunt. At the trial Price took the side
of Murphy and said to me: We are going to
beat you
In 1895 when Price captain of the
Twentieth Precinct. | was employed by ID. j.
Osgood 10 break up notorious resort on West
Thrty-nlnth-st. Osgood owned a house the
value OF which seriously affected by the
dives next TO It, Three four indictments
were found and Price in whose precinct the
places had fourished. saved himself by going
before the Grand Jury in the cases.
Mr.. Moss has not explained his reason for
issuing another subpoena for Price, calling for his
attendance before the committee Tuesday.
Chief of Police Devery also has a subpoena to
appear before the committee again on Tuesday
but Mr. Moss would not say yesterday II Devery
to be examined further as a witness then.