, 1900-12-26
NEW YORK NEWS
PROGRESS OF THE ANTl-vICE
CRUSADE GOES HARD
WITH DEvERY.
Chiefs Days are Now Said to be Num-
bered-RooseveIt as Santa Claus
Anxiety Over a Big Liner-A
Noted Playwright Is Dead-A
Bellevue Hospital Sensation.

'N' wv. Nldls vi III
committee of five at the meeting hel,
yesterday issued a statement tina
Chief Of Police Devery could rid tn,
city Of the vice in two hours II he s,
chose. 1t further says it will presen
the facts to the grand jury in the even
or no immediate action being taken b,
the police. Chairman Nixon presided
at the meeting. Several members o.
the police department appeared before
the committee and said the places
mentioned in the list given to Chief
Devery by Chairman Nixon were clos
ed. The majority of places were gam
bling dens and disorderly houses.
After an executive session of two
hours, Chairman Nixon gave the fol
lowing statement: THE list of sus.
picious places handed to the police is
by no means complete, and We shall
be guided by developments as to by
whom and how they shall be made pub
lie. My OBJECT is to close such places
and, by closing them demonstrate to
their owners that those who have TAX,
en- money from them for protection
lack the power to protect.
Every department of the city gov.
eminent except the police department
is doing fine work. | am satisfied by
what l have found that the chief of DO.
lice could close every gambling house
anc pool room in the city in a few
hours. Our motive is now to show that
these places are not protected by the
Tammany organization and further
than that to show that the system
which has existed during this and the
preceding administration can be stop
ped il the police department can be
induced to act. A single headed COM
mission with power can remedy ex-
listing abuses not only for the time but
permanently. A bipartisan police
commission and excise department
are sores on the body polite and they
should be reformed Jointly, and they
will be when people come to a full
knowledge Of the iniquities which owe
their existence to them"
1t Is believed Chief Devery's days
are now numbered. Unless Devery
sends In an application for retirement,
it is expected that charges will be
made against him within a few days
and that he will be placed on trial i'm.
mediately after the first of the year.
Devery, however, is expected to resign
rather than face charges which might
result in his being dismissed from the
force with a consequential loss of So,
900 yearly which he would get if he
was placed on the retired list at hall
pay.
Several ward men and four police
captains were strongly warned by the
committee that they would have to dc
better.
Anxiety Over Big Liner.
The non-arrival of the Allan state
line steamer State Of Nebraska, which
left Clyde Dec. 6 and should have
reached here a week ago Monday, is
being wondered at in shipping circles
and on the maritime exchange fears
are expressed for its safety. There are
many inquiries made for its home com.
ing.
The State Of Nebraska has about 2,
900 tons of freight, including many
packages intended as Christmas pres
ents. There are t~hirty-five saloon and
e%ight-one steerage passengers, besides
the crew Of eighty-lve. The ship is
In command of Chief Officer A. J. Re
tiers, the regular captain having return
home for Christmas.
William Francis Sage Dead.
William Francis Sage, the play,
wright. a brother Of the late Abby Sage
Richardson. died at Z O'Clock yester.
day morning at his home, 231 east One
Hundred and Tenth street. from a
stroke of paralysis.
Since the sudden death from pneu.
monia Of his sister in Rome on Decem,
Der 5, Sage has been melancholy. The
body of his sister is expected to arrive
in this city Wednesday. Preparations
for cremation Of the body increased
his dependency.
While putting on his o%vershoes, pre-
paratory to going down town, Sage be-
came violently i'll. Clutching the door
way he called for his wife. Mrs. Sage
hurried to his assistance. He stag
gered into the parlor fell into a chair.
crying: "Cremate, cremate-" Death
followed in a few minutes. Bright's
disease and paralysis were causes.
Sage for years was a writer on the
atrical topics for Boston and Chicago
papers. Twelve years age he came to
this city. He has written several plays
and comic opera librettos. Only one
Of his numerous plays was ever pro-
duced. That was called Destiny" 1t
was brought out at McVicker's, Chica-
60. and had a run of two weeks. It was