New-York tribune., 1899-05-17
IGNORANT OF PooLRooMs.

Police.
IGNORANT OF PoOLROOMs.
like every other Tammany ofhcial who mas
N far bean called. Mayor Van Wyck was alto
.rether ignorant OF the existence OF poolrooms IN
this city. He acknowledged that gambling
p,aces might be running because they always
had been in New-York and always would De.
He knew James A. Mahoney. who Is reputed 10
he a pooroom owner. and had had business
dealings with him. He frequently met Mahoney'
almost daily. but did not know that he was Al
The head OF the greatest poolroom syndicate In
New-York and had never heard that Mahoney'
Carroll and Sexton were Jointly interested IN
this syndicate With his next question Mr.. MOSS
thoroughly aroused the ire OF the Mayor
And YOU never heard" the counsel inquired
.that gentleman named Van Wyck was inter-
ested In these poolrooms?"
"Do YOU mean me?" the Mayor asked, ana
when Mr. Moss declared he did the fun began.
Sitting forward on the edge OF his chair anu
shaking his fist at Mr.. Moss the Mayor shouted
out a denial that he was connected Win any
poorooms. and called upon Mr.. Moss 10 proouce
the source OF the information upon when the
charge was made. Turning TO Mr. Mazet IN w.
ciferous tones he said that the committees couh-
sci ought not to be allowed ito spread out De-
fore the people Of the civilized world that 'he
Mayor OF Ncw-York was interested IN poor
rooms" and urged that II was the duty OF the
committee 10 make its counsel prove the impu-
tation Assemblyman Hoffman, who is ac!ins
more as counsel for Tammany than as a mem
her OF the investigating committee, upneio the
MAYORS appeal as IAN American citizen VINO
believed in fair play" Ultimately quiet was re-
stored by Mr. Moss remarking that ne hao
really done the Mayor a service by giving him
the opportunity to deny the rumors that were
floating around to the effect that the Chief Mag
tstrate Of New-York was interested In pooirooms'
After being upon the stand for over two hours
the Mayor allowed to go for the time oeihs'
and was followed by Police Commissioners John
3 Sexton The Commissioner admitted that ne
was in the habit. when trying policemen OF dis-
posing OF about seventy-fve cases an hour. less
than one minute for each. although these cases
for the most part were Of an important charac-
ter and affected the well-being OF the commu-
nifty Mr. Moss effectively demonstrated that
the witness knew very little OF the practicai
workings Of the Department. and also ehcited
from him that. although he knew OF the exist
ence OF various illegal resorts in the Tenderloin
and elsewhere he took no steps to close them.
INsOLENT AND DEFIANT.
Commissioner Sections demeanor throughout
, his examination was insolent and defiant. The
infection of his voice as he responded to Mr..
Moss was OF the kind that Is heard from the
toughest OF Bowery loafers At one time so fe-
roc,ou. was the attitude he assumed toward Mr..
Moss that II appeared as II he would strike the
counsel What's de matter wild you, anyway?
was the frequent reply Of Police Commissioner
Sexton to some particularly searching question
put by Mr.. Moss Although he was fre-
uuenter Of Wakely's saloon. in Forty -second-st.'
he was not aware that a poolroom was carried
on upstairs nor did he know that Frank Farrell
kept pooroom. rotio
The question why he ordered Chief Mc-Cul-
laeh to transfer the policeman Mcconnell was
then gone into but the only explanation sex
ton could make was that he had heard stories
about that officer. He had forgotten what the
stories were. He admitted he had also urged
the transfer OF Captain Herlihy. who was fight
ing the poorooms
After Commissioner York had been called
and had testified shat he had at first supported
Chief McCullagh In the suppression OF gam
bling-places, but had subsequently voted for his
retirement in the interests OF harmony. McCon-
nell was called but not before Messrs. York and
Sexton promised that his pension would not be
revoked II he gave evidence.
1t was first ELECTED from Mcconnell that on
the recommendation Of the police surgeon he
had been retired on the plea OF disability. with
a pension of about $50 month. To controvert
the stories that Sexton had heard about him
the witness said he had never been accused Of
wrongdoing by superior officer while on the
force. Then he came to the incident of the Far
rell poolroom. He had been instructed by In
spector Brooks to go and get evidence against
Tarrelrs place. AS to what followed Mcconnell
testified: Il went there and rang a bell, and
6 party came down and opened the door. but
kept a chain on the door. He asked me what I
wanted told him. want to see Frank Far
rell' Farrell came downstairs and said:
What's the natter said: The inspector
has been informed by the Chief Of Police that
you are running poolroom here, and he said.
That's right; what OF t? said I have been
told to come up here and II could get evidence
10 get IT, and II could not. TO tell you TO have
this place closed because II II is open twenty
four hours from now the inspector told me TO
say ne would send down here with an axe and
chop the doors down Well, he says. you
know who Is running this. don't your 1t Is not
me: it is the big fellow / said. I don't know
who you mean and he said. Tim Sullivan is
running it.
Farrell INFORMED mcconnell ne would tele-
graph to Senator Sullivan. and that II the po-
iiceman and Brooks and McCullagh persisted IN
interfering something would happen which
would not be beneficial 10 their health. Upon
the very next day Senator Sullivan called upon
Sexton, who subsequently ordered the Chief to
transfer Mcconnell. The Chief refused, and
then as the continued evidence Of Mcconnell.
and subsequently that OF ex-Chief McCullagh.
showed. the plotting began which. with the
sanction Of Mr.. Croker and aided by Mayor
Van wyek. ultimately ousted McCullagh from
the department Further light will be thrown
upon this particular phase of the Tammany ad-
ministration before the inquiry is over
The committee will meet at 10 o'clock this
morning in Part OF the Supreme Court.