New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-09-08
MOSS TO MAYOR VAN WICK
The letter 70 the Mayor. mentioned by HIr
Moss was as follows.


Moss. was as follows.
No. 80 Nassau-sr. New-Tork City
To the Hon Robert a Van Wyck Mayor OF tina
Respected SIR On August Is and Is there &C
CURED a dePlorabIe outbreak OF mob violence n
iHg negroes and severely tni1rtag many Of Ten
prehend the rioters Finally the inspector o. The
precinct, reserve officers were brought IL and he
ponce went ou[ under t1e orders o. ne chief tns
inspector and The acting captain
Instead OF protecting the persons against whom
the ourrages were d-rected the 0facers generally
and systematically as though moved BY common
against he helpless persons whom rasy should
Men fleeing Tor their lives from The mob 70 the
II one case were dubbed and thrown % their tor
beaten by the poce and turned loose 70 sIzsgsT
SO le-psss aoo-L Iae streets others were
women were iHsJl1sd and beaten 6T ooIicsrea II
their homes A man lying II his own bed az home
was GUIDED by invading policemen. and dragged
naAed 20 tne station AID dubbed there. Men we're
assaulted n the staten y policemen in The pres
negroes bleeding from wounds inflicted By urre-
sIrleted MODS and BY brutal DoIceuen-
exhibition Of race hatred vita sworn of5cers 81
the law acting chief rioters and did not cease
nous press warned re commanding officers OF their
II Is an unfortunate fact thar The lives and prop
cry o. colorec citizens are insecure IN parts
were reasonably safe e-az-ace persecu-tc-1 N our
~ -rs
uo2 ~ neI2oers OF ne police force has surprised
and alarmed the C0ior=C people while 20 has
Al the request OF 4 c0ulrftree re1-ese-rfrz re
colored people have spent some tine IN gather
sion OF Ulanv sworn statements and o. much in
IoTrna[ior from which II appears that while many
individual patrOlrer were guilty OF brutality the
misconduct % The police on that occasion was
general and 50 systematic Thar the acting captain
eounta6ie, Tor it ether as eoHnitting il OF al
I ~ - 10 2eIen' % coI-
trQl ne lorceS lnCer I1sir command
Il IS noteworthy that neither q these Command
lls oL1cers -as preCerr@c 4 cna-ss AGAINST any
o. taz many pzLro-IaeS gIiiJy OF orutallry. and
WI.68qt Questioning n, good faith o. tha- n
such grave f-noortsnce -har : you'd = Tis -
step FOR YOU a. chief magistrate OF the cf-y or
through your Commissioners OF Accounts. 20 hold
cruelty that NAV appear and dererrinf1g the re-
spousibi-y OF the higher officials OF The uniformed
12rce To- he ossrace-ul OUTBREAK as a Whole
Nsw-Y0rk sepr- 8 1850
Matthew Beattie. president OF the City vIsi-
lance League; ". Il Brooks. chairman Citizens
Protective League, and Frank Luger. treasurer
OF the Society for the Prevention OF Crime.
Joined in the request.
CHARGES AGAINST OFFICERS
The charges presented 70 President York a..
cuse william 5. Devery, chief. Walter Z
Thompson, inspector. and John Cooney. acting
neglect % duty, inef1ciency and i1c0mperency-
The specifications. after describing the racs
riots on august Is and is IN The Twentieth Pre-
cinct when Devery and Thompson we're present
and in command charge that the police did not
until late AZ night on August Is suppress the
said riots. and that no effective action was
caken by the defendants t1C the suppression OF
said riots until that time. and meanwhile many
persons had suffered grIsvOus injuries from
ctote-s. who were practically unresr-ained- The
police are charged with RETAINING from inter-
ference with rioters Who were assaili1g coIOrsd
persons. and with joining in the attacks with
OUT excuse beating. brutstug and cutting with
fists and clubs many cOl0red persons. abusing.
insulting and depressing them. making Illegal
and improper arrests. and wanuonly III treating
their prisoners
II IS further charged that On August "a a
similar occurrence happened n StxcieJh-sr-. IN
the Twenty sixth Precinct, and that The said
Cooney in the TW 6ntisth Precinct, and the said
Thompson and Devery in The Twentieth and
TweL ty-sixrF Precincts, nave not taken any e.
feCtive measures 20 discover and punish thu
offending officers under their command
The complaint is signed by the same persons
who signed the letter 70 the Mayor accompany
ing Mr.. Moss's communication.