Omaha daily bee., 1899-04-25
NEW YORk'S FINEST" TALKS
MaSet Committee Looks Into Policemen
Benefit Associations,
DECLARED TO BE PURELY NoN-poLlTICAL
Witness Denies Any Assessment Has
Ever Been Made Except for En-
dowmcnt Purposes - chief
DcNcry on the stand.


DcNcry on the stand.
NEW YORK, April 24.-The Mazet investi-
eating committee resumed its sessions today
in the rooms of the Board of Trade and
Transportation. The early indications
pointed to an interesting session. MIR.
Croker and his partner, Peter f. Meyer,
were on the list Of witnesses subpoenaed,
and that list also included Thomas J. Brady,
commissioner of buildings, and Police Chief
Devery. After today's sessions the commit
tee expects to adjourn to May 8.
The first witness was Police Captain
Eason, who has done duty in Brooklyn for
good many years, The witness said the New
York City Officers Endowment association
was formed in March or April, this year. All
the police captains, inspectors deputy chiefs
and chiefs belonged to It. The witness said
all the police force took an interest in the
bill providing for single-headed police
force while it was pending at Albany.
The endowment association, Captain Eason
said. was a mutual benefit organization, by
which members would receive 81 600 upon
retiring or dismissal from the police force.
Captain Eason denied that in March last
he addressed his officers and told them that
he had been assessed by this new endowment
association, ana lnHt as tneTe were no Sa-
looms or pool rooms to be taxed in his pre-
cinct, which consists almost entirely of the
Brooklyn bridge. they must chip in and help
him out. Captain Eason alleged that he
had not yet been assessed. Chief Devery,
Captain Eason said, was the president of the
endowment association.
| Captain Eason stated that upon the recent
death Of Police Captain Worth the endow-
ment association had charged all its mem
| bers $3.50 which went to make UP the
| 81 900 to Captain Wortl's heirs That was
| the only money, except a small amount paid
| for stationery. that he had paid to the asso-
| citation. Captain Eason said he had paid no
| large assessment, such as $500, as intimated
| by Mr.. Clarke The witness denied that the
endowment association was secret order
or that it had any desire for political in
| nuence.
| Croker Excused untis august.
Police Inspector Kane was the next wit
| ness He admitted that he sent a telephone
call for a conference of the captains of his
| precinct on the night of February 20, for
| what purpose he could not remember, but
| whatever was the cause of the call was as
! signed on the official books. He had not the
| books there. Inspector Kane said he took
| not the slightest interest in the pending po-
| lice legislation at Albany. Mr. Clarke's
| efforts to get the witness to acknowledge
| that the conference of the captains was to
| discuss the endowment association or mat
| ters political were not successful.
While Inspector Kane was being examined
| Mr. Croker arrived Mr. Moss told him that
| he would not be needed today Mr.. Croker
| said he was anxious to go to Europe, as he
had important business there that would
suffer from his absence. He said he had
| bo Hni with
him at once. Mr.. Moss had conversation
with Mr.. Mazet, and they gave Mr.. Croker
permission to go to Europe, If he would
promise to return before the end of August.
Mr.. Croker said he was willing to accept the
| conditions and Mr. Moss served him with a
subpoena to appear before the committee on
| August 30.
! Inspector Kane was questioned regarding
| several alleged pool rooms running in his
| precinct. He denied knowledge of their eX-
| istence The location of these resorts were
! given to the witness by Mr.. Moss, and the
inspector said he would look them up.
| Police Captain Haughey was then called.
He said that at the conference called by In
spector Kane on February 20 the captains,
including himself, were given instructions,
| something about excise something about
| Sunday law"
The witness denied that the endowment
association was for the purpose of intiuenc-
! ing legislation in favor Of the police de-
partment.
Police Captain Sheehan followed. He
knew of no pool rooms and was hampered
| by no one in the enforcement of the law.
| Police Sergeant OBrien was subjected to
| a lengthy examination, but failed in any way
| to connect the endowment association with
| political motives. Sergeant Tins followed,
but his testimony was uninteresting.
Sergeant Tins had an assortment of pa
pers in his pocket which he handed to Mr..
| Fallows Most Of them dealt with the Po-
lice Sergeants' Endowment Benevolent So
! ciety.
| The value of the evidence If there was
any, secured from the witness did not trans
pire Sergeant Tins denied that letter
from a Brooklyn assembyman advising pa
| trolmen sergeants and roundsmen that no
bills at Albany jeopardized their interests
was read at a meeting of the Sergeant' Be
nevolent association. Afterward witness
! qualified this by saying he did not remem-
ber such a letter being read
O'Brien Makes signs.
Witness denied that Police Sergeant
| O'Brien was present at the meeting of the
| Sergeants' Benevolent association referred
! to- Mr.. MaZet asked II he was in the room
That officer stood up and Mr.. Fallows asked;
Wont you go out of the room, Sergeant
| O'Brien?"
mo, sir" said the policeman promtly.
Then will you stop making signs to the
witness?" asked Mr.. Fallows.
II amt making any signs" rejoined the
| policeman,
Tins denied that OBrien had made any
sign to him and insisted that he, the wit
ness, was a plain, unyarnished individual.
This was rejoinder to the remark of Mr.
| Moss that Sergeant Tins was very, very
| smooth"
Tins denied that he had ever heard any
! body say that 1t was better to pay the as
sessment to the Sergeants' Benevolent as
sociation than to be transferred The most
! anyone paid, witness said, was 81.
Sergeant John Floyd was called. Mr.,
Clarke asked him II he had not been talk
| ing to the witnesses as they came off the
stand Floyd said he had spoken to only
! one witness and that was Sergeant O'Brien.
| All OBrien had said to him was that he