New-York tribune., 1900-10-08

uons Tor the metropolitan district. sent letter
yesterday to Mayor Van Wyck. to the Police
commissioners to Chief Devery and Police Cap
talns Herlthy Diamond and Stephenson, giving
them the addresses of sixty-nine saloons mas
querading as hotels, many of which are also
olsorderiy and gambling houses" thirtv-seven
otner poolrooms and gambling houses and
ninety-nine disorderly houses. nearly all of
which flourish on the East Side below Four
teenth-st McCullagh calls upon the police TO
suppress these pest holes at once, because from
evidence which has come into his possession he
Is convinced that organized attempt is being
made to colonize illegal voters for the next
general election in and from these places. espe-
c1ally from the many furnished room houses
"hlch are maintained for immoral purposes.
WARNS THE POLICE
Mr. McCullagh says it is not his official duty
to proceed against any of these places for a
violation of any law except the laws relating
to the election. but he warns the police that if
prompt action is not taken in suppressing these
evil resorts, which. as he says, threaten the
integrity of the registration of electors, he will
invoke the aid of the State authorities. The
rapid approach of the days Of registration which
fall on October II. Is. 10 and 90 coupled with
the fact that Mr. McCullagh's experience has
convinced him that the sources of the debauch-
ment of the franchise are chiefly found in the
rooms, led the State Superintendent of Elections
to institute a careful investigation of these
places. The consequence was that he soon had
in his possession sworn afldavits establishing
violations Of almost every provision of the law
relating to more than two hundred saloons
hotels. disorderly houses, gambling houses and
poorooms in this city, most of them on the East
Side in the region where Bishop Potter's clergy
have met with insult and abuse from the police
for RI n tbair
A HELP TO BISHOP POTTER's CRUSADE.
Mr.. McCullagh's demand for the closing Of
! these places is made because he regards them
as so many hatcheries of plots against the purity
! of the ballot but at the same time he neces-
sariy provides the public with a striking in
dorsement of all the charges made by the social
reformers that the police protect and encourage
vice in this city because Of the revenue derived
| from protecting the vicious. Since Bishop
| Potter decided to make a determined effort to
| force the police to suppress the scandalous re-
| sorts which flourish openly and ply their
abominable trade brazenly in the neighbor-
/ hood of the Pro-Cathedral in Stanton-st he
| has had many offers of cooperation and aid
from societies who labor for the Improvement OF
the moral conditions of the city, but none have
offered support more powerful than comes indi-
| rectly but pointedly from this demand Of the
!
! Mr.. McCulagh does not however. touch on
this side of the situation in his letter After CIV
| ing the long list of law breaking resorts he
! adds that if the saloons are allowed to remain
| open Election Day when the polling is pro-
ceeding 1t will be in direct violation of the ex-
| else laws. and he will detail his deputies TO pro-
cure evidence of such violation and will at once
take proceedings to have their licenses revoked
WILL MAKE POLICEMEN TELL
He also warns the police that If these de
mands are not complied with he will subpoena
members of the Police Department to his office
| and examine them under oath. and also examine
the records Of the department to ascertain what
steps, if any, they have taken to suppress the
| Illegal resorts complained of.
| In support OF his assertion that these resorts
are the natural breeding places Of plots to vio-
| late the sanctity of the ballot. Mr.. McCulIagh
gives several instances Of convicted coIonizers -
who confessed that their schemes were Matched
! in these places and from them they drew the
men who registered falsely and acted as re-
| peaters.
Altogether Mr.. McCullagh's letter is for
midable document for the police and Richard
| Croker to struggle with at the present time.
| Captain Herlihy, to whom a copy of the letter
was especially sent is in charge of the Eldridge-
| ST station He is the whom the Rev. Mr..
| Paddock. of the Pro-Cathedral in Stanton-st..
| charges with returning brutal insults TO de-
mand that he do his duty
NEAR THE PRO-CATHEDRALA
Two of the gambling houses and four of the
| disorderly houses specified by number in Nc
! Culagh's list are situated right in Stanton-st,
and pistol bullet fired from the roof Of the Pro
| Cathedral would pass over score OF the others
| Saptain diamond who got another special copy
/ of the letter commands the Fifth-st- station,
and Captain Stephenson the Mulberry-st sta
! zion hoth centres Of thriving colonies Of pro
| tarted" debauchery.