Evening star., 1901-08-14
GOSSIP FROM GOTHAM
iH1I
-0
S e -
Much Interest::ssiR Recent Exposures
Of Police Corruption. !:
MAY Be MADE POLITICAL ISSUE
oo-E
Effort to Sayeaothez Old Receiving
TH ; ~
Ship Vermont.
SOME NEWS OF SOCIETY
MAY Be MADE POLITICAL ISSUE
SOME NEWS OF SOCIETY

III q.
SOME NEWS OF SOCIETY
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star
NEW YORK, August 13, 1901.
Politically interest centers in the recent
exposures of the Society for the Preven-
tion OF Crime. IT is impossible to even
venture a guess as to what the final ef-
fects of the campaign now being conducted
by ex-Police Commissioner Frank Moss
will be- Certainly nothing has occurred
since the days Of the Parkhurst crusade
that will begin to approach in Importance
the revelations which have connected the
telegraph bureau Of the police department
directly with the protection of the pool
rooms and gambling houses Of the city. 1t
was the crusade OF DR.. Parkhurst that re-
suited In the repuplican-reform combina-
tion and the nomination and election of
William L. Strong as, mayor. VIII history
repeat itself? Is 1t possible that these
latter day revelations will result In the
nomination and election Of a republican
like Seth Low or a democrat like Thomas
Crimmins on repuplican-reform ticket?
The voters of New York city do not ex-
pect place the size Of New York to be
conducted on a country village basis. The
average citizen does not mind the saloons
pool rooms, gambling houses or even q
red light" district, provided his own
neighborhood is quiet and orderly What
the line is in the matter of blackmafl by
public officials, and anything that goes to
prove the existence of blackmaiiing tactics
by city officials helps to bring about the
downfall Of Tammany. DIR. Parknurst rec
OgniZed that and was accustomed to say
over and over again that his warfare was
not on Tammany Hall; not even the sa-
looms, the gambling houses or the dives,
but on blackmail, pure and simple.
Moss Is Parkhurst's Successor.
Frank Moss. who Is Parkhursts success
sor In the present crusade, has been fight
ing corruption In the police department for
years. At the present time it is interesting
to hear how he became identified with the
work Of purifying the force.
1T all came about in a peculiar way"
he says. Back IN 1885, in the old days
very bad old days-l was practicing law
In connection with firm, and was not
very well posted about the police One
day some property owners with whom
had become acquainted came to me and
asked me II l couldn't do something to
break up the evils of that street in which
they lived, They gave me pretty big
problem. The street at2that time was the
worst end of the Tenderfoin. All the pros
on this street were the lowest dives. There
were also two or three. well organized and
dangerous bands Of criminals tn the dis
trict. took up the task. and in my inno-
cence said to myself that the best place
to go for relief vas the police station 1
went to see Captain williams, and I told
him OF the complaints of my clients. I
was absolutely amazed when he rebuffed
me. Then we organized a society and be-
gan holding weekly meetings in a little
paint shop in this same street But pro-
tests began to attract attention and
brought an unpleasant buzz about the ears
OF Williams. We were threatened with
personal violence by the vicious element
and our meetings ewererinterrupted by the
most annoying seranadeS. One day po-
Hceman came to me as friend and told
me conffdentially that the captain was dis
pleased with our meetings and would raid
us some day. So IN - - US
Dynamite for the Captain.
You go back to- the captain said,
and tell him that we want him to raid
us, because We have little can Of dyna-
mite in that paint shop that will blow Kim
into ten countries ----a-------.--------,--
1--WE were not raided. and before LONG We
began to make matters very uncomfortable
for Captain Williams. We got justice
IN one of the uptown courts to issue war
rants and had several raids made by the
court officers without the knowledge Of
the captain. Then, in 1897 we had Will
worked up We proved our charges before
the police board. literally nailed them
down, and when the vote was taken there
was tie"
Seth Low. who headed the citizens union
ticket in the campaign four years ago, is
In the city to confer with friends who be-
lieve that he should be made the fusion
candidate against Tammany Hall this
year There is a rumor that Mr.. Low
would issue a statement of his position.
He made such a statement before his nomf-
nation four years ago, saying that he
would accept If it was believed that he
would be unifying force.
The citizens union has adopted a novel
method to get the sense of It's party as to
favored candidates. 1t has sent out to
each of the members of it's conference COM
mittee OF 101 letter marked "confiden-
tial in which the union asks that the
headquarters a list Of three names fer
every office on the municipal ticket, SO
that the officers of the union may know
what is the sentiment of all the members
toward the men whose names have been
mentioned for office.
Effort to Save the Vermont.
The old ship Vermont has suddenly be-
come an object Of interest to thousands,
and effort is being made to save her
from the junk yard. She has been re-
ceiving ship for years and years: she saw
OF vessel that has passed almost wholly
from view the world over. 1t is proposed
to retain her somewhere above the navy
yard as museum. This Is an excellent
use for her. though it would be for the
advantage of people who might like to see
her and her collections IL she should find
moorings elsewhere, for the process OF get
ting in and out of the yard can be and
sometimes Is matter OF irritating inter
ference and delay That the old hulk can
be so saturated with germs as to make her
publication hopeless Is not to be believed.
Other ships do not become so charged. nor
1t Is said, Is the life of a disease germ,
even in hospitable surroundings so long
that one is liable to find any on the Yer
mont which have grown gray IN tniqu1ty.
People who are Interested In saving the
old ship say that ;sheds of value as an
example of naval architecture She can
be stored with models and relics of impor-
tance and Instructive consequence, and
until our cruisers, tod. become obsolete
she would continue to Ybe happier place
of residence than the hot and unclean box
Of steel that is to take her place.
Davis and Wurd Praeticing.
Dwight Davis is In town, and he and
Holcombe Ward are. pfActicing daily for
hai daft nf m