New-York tribune., 1899-06-08
A PITIFUL EXHIBITION |!
.rNNOCENCE" OF TENDERLOIN DETEC-
TIvES AROUSES LAUGHTER.


ROOM AND POLICY SHOP
AN ADJOURNMENT
PLANNED.
Some Of Captain Prices detectives were called
before the Mazet committee yesterday to tell
what they were supposed TO know OF the vicious
conditions prevailing In the Nineteenth Precinct
hut they gave a most pitiful exhibition OF as
suned Ignorance. Their display OF innocence
was SO perceptibly affected as frequently TO
cause outbursts Of derisive laughter. John
Henderson. the first OF these men. asserted that
ne did not know the difference between pool
room and a policy shop, and was unable, he
said TO tell the committee where any OF the
suspected gambling houses in the precinct are
He went so far even as 10 swear that he did not
know of any disorderly houses in the district.
John CiIligan, another special duty man. had
been assigned 10 ferret out poolrooms, but mad
never found any in operation. and had never
been able 10 place a bet! Detective Patrick
Curry came 10 the stand with the same slmu-
lated vacuous expression worn by the two pre-
ceding witnesses. and IL was soon evident that
he had been coached Ito know nothing" Ac-
cordng 10 his story ne did not even know that
people who play policy receive a piece of paper
with numbers on It. or that the combination OF
numbers was called gig
And so II went on one policeman after an
other-some Of whom had been On the force for
years-absurdy pleading ignorance of things
that the greenest officer on the force is sup
posed 10 know The whole thing became so
ridiculous that Mr.. Moss at last asked that the
farce be ended Mr. Mazet suggested that
transcript Of some OF the testimony be sent TO
the Police Commissioners that they might
fr a-hfP ha
witnesses did their duties. Mr.. Moss placed the
matter in the right light when he explained that
the men were not making the exhibition of their
own accord but were feigning dense ignorance
for a reason that was perfectly obvious
AGAIN on THE STAND.
Captain Price was once more put upon the
stand and was examined as TO the existence Of
gambling places IN his precinct. While by no
means as turbulent he was last week in the
ten or fifteen minutes in which he was cues
toned by Mr. Moss he was several times re-
buked by Mr. Mazet for the irrelevance Of his
answers and impertinence 10 counsel Captain
Price asserted that there were no poorooms in
his district despite the fact that Mr.. Mosss
detectives have sworn to visiting poolrooms
there. and have corrobOrated their testimony
with proof in the shape Of betting tickets When
counsel read a list Of about fifty suspected
poolrooms taken from the blotters of the Thir-
tieth-st station Price shouted: 'Thems not
my reports Them wasn't from blotter; them's
my predecessors"
Then Mr. Moss took UP the captains report
for April last containing lists Of gambling
houses and disordarly houses. showing by
Prices own record that the district was not as
o,ean had been pretended.
pdny
cerning the vase story told by Jacob B. Wooley,
said the witness had perjured himself. Mr..
Woolley was recalled and repeated his testi-
mony and explained that Price had referred TO
theft Of plate which was an entirely different
case and had occurred two or three years later.
Mr. Wooley deposed further that when the vase
episode occurred Price had said to him. Il in
tended 10 divide with you the money got for
that vase" In yesterdays interview Price de-
scribed how he caught the plate thief after Il
chase Of two blocks. Frank Dugan. employed
in 1883 in the store from which the plate was
stolen called. and deposed that he gave the
thief into the custody OF policeman. and that
the latter In turn had handed the man over TO
Price, who had appeared at that juncture
When the committee reconvened after recess
Mr.. Moss diverted the investigation 10 the Water
Department Acting Fire Chief Croker was sub
poenaed TO produce a statement showing the To-
cation Of the water gates in the city mains, but
the Fire Department had no such data IN lts
keeping, had Ii any records showing the
daily high and low pressure In the mains. Al
though such information would be Of value 10
the fire officials IL had never been supplied by
the Water Department.
HUGH BONNER CALLED.
Ex-Chief Hugh Bonner, who was next called.
said that the Fire Department did not have
sufficient supply of water at the time OF the
Windsor Hotel fire Although there are two
forty -eight-inch mains running through Fifth
ave. there were no hydrants connected with
them. The hydrants In that thoroughfare were
attached TO the twelve and thirteen inch mains.
These mains were totally inadequate TO supply
enough water TO cope with such a fire as oc-
CURED al the Windsor Hotel After the large
engines got to work the amount Of water OBJ
tainable very poor. the former Chief as
serted While he was In office Mr. Bonner fire.
quently had urged that the city be equipped with
modern hydrants The type now in use he told
the committee, was more than twenty years old,
was inferior 10 up-to-date patterns and should
not be used in a city such NewYork. Mr..
Bonner said he understood that General Coils
had arranged TO dispense with the Old hydrants,
but since that Commissioner went out OF Office
nothing further had been done ia the matter
William Dalton. Commissioner OF Water Sup
ply was not able to enlighten the committee
very much as TO the workings of his Depart
rnent and followed by his chief engneer.
George w. Birdsall. The latters evidence was
mainly Of a technical character. Before leaving
the stand, however, ne admitted that the
Thompson company was selling meters to the
city although the National company had litiga-
tfon pending against the validity OF the Thomp-
son patents. The Thompson company had not
been required 10 give bonds protecting the city
in case the National company won John c.
Kelly the president OF the National company.
testified that his company had even secured
permanent injunction against it's competitor A
conv az this Injunction had been served the
CITY. but the authorities still continued TO pur-
chase the Thompson meters.
The committee decided yesterday 10 adjourn at
the END OF next weeks sittngs for a period Of
three or four weeks. Mr.. Moss Informed Trib-
' o..-.~- .h.. ,bare was no truth In the