New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-09-10
POLICE DEFY PEOPLE.
SEEM DETERMINED TO
STAND By THE FORCE.
MAYOR WILL DO NOTHING TO REMOVE
BLOT OF RACE RIOT FROM
THE cITYs RECORD.

Considerable interest is felt over the disposition
which the Police Commissioners may make this
week Of the formal charges that Frank Moss has
filed with them against Chief Devery. Inspector
Thompson and Acting Captain Cooney, Of the
Twentieth Precinct growing out OF the race riots
OF last month. 1t Is generally expected that the
Board will refuse to entertain them. since the
Commissioners seem to have become part and
parcel of the force whose motto IT, stick to-
gether' They will take this bold probably
for the alleged reason that the Commissioners are
prosecuting an inquiry OF their own into the con-
duct of the police at the recent riots with the
avowed intention of finding out IL charges ought
be brought against any member of the force
If they find no reason for bringing any charge
they will certainly not entertain Mr. Moss, II Is
said.
But the manner in which this investigation
begun last clearly shows that II Is scheduled
TO end in a 'whitewash" for all those policemen
who dubbed in the riot or nstigated others
TO beat them
zen's Protective League to bring the cubbers TO
justice II possible. asked yesterday what the
prospects Of success were. and he replied fol-
lows:
My clients are not bringing any suits against the
city for personal damages. They merely want 10
be assured that they will be protected in their
rights in future and for that purpose the response
bi1ity OF the police for instigating and permitting
the riots OF last month should be fixed where II
belongs. have gathered evidence OF the clubbing
OF peaceable negroes thirty distinct and different
cases In nearly all OF these the negroes were
caught singly by the clubbers, and each he
dubbed was in the centre Of a group Of rioters
packed closely around him, so that nearly all the
witnesses were against him. Naturally they will
contradict fatty the negro's story that ne
dubbed az all. This will make It extremely diff
cult to secure evidence enough 20 cause District
Attorney Gardiner to ask a Grand Jury for In
dictment againsth any individual patrolman, and
even if few indictments should be found against
patrolmen, they could easily be held back from
prosecution for indefinite period. II the District
Attorney so wished.
Witnesses, too. exceedingly tinid about testi-
Tying against the police several white men having
begged me not 10 subpoena them, saying: Mr..
Moss, II we were to tell truthfully what saw in
those riots the police would allow bands OF young
rufians to smash our windows and beat our chill
dren In the streets with IMMUNITY. We would suf
fer IN innumerable small ways. DO not subpoena
US. for we dare not testify against the police
For these and similar reasons The outlook for
bringing any patrolman to justice is not bright,
but IL a body Of United States troops had been
sent to this city to do riot duty and the soldiers
instead Of suppressing the disorder, had fomented
and taken part in 1t, what do you think would be
the fate OF their officers? Would they not be
cashiered incompetent and inefficient? OF course
they would. Therefore I say that Chief Devery.
at the head Of the force: Inspector Thompson. in
whose district the riots occurred. and Acting Cap
tain Cooney. in whose precinct they ragged most vto
ently, are fairly open 10 charges of incompeteney
and inefficiency TO control their men. II the
charge OF tneffciency be sustained 1t is. by che
police regulations. sufficient cause for removal.
Now let see where the responsibility belongs
for this blot upon the city's record. These riots
began on August Is. nearly a month ago. How
many clubbers have been put on trial yet? Not
one One would have supposed that the Chief OF
Police would have filed complaint against some
one before a month had passed. Has he? No
Then surely the Police Commissioners must have
called upon the Captain of the riot precinct to ex-
plain? No Then without doubt the Mayor must
have taken some step 70 remove this stigma from
the metropolis OF the country Not a step. Per
haps ne intended to- but forgot IL? No such char
liable theory be entertained
wrote to the Mayor, calling his attention to the
disgraceful conduct of the police in this affair and
reminding him that he had the power 70 investi-
gate Il himself or empower his Commissioners OF
Accounts to do What did he do? He turned
over my letter to the Police Board. BY this act
he seemed to say. Whatever the Police Commits