New-York tribune., 1901-01-31
CHIEF DEVERY EXAMINED.
KINGS COUNTY GRAND JURY PROBING
POLICE.
BISHOP POTTER DIsowNs LURID INTER-
VIEW. But SAYS MAYOR rs RIGHT
on FLAG QUESTION.


Chief Devery was ordered before the Kings
County Grand Jury yesterday. So were Com
rnissioners York and Abel. None Of them would
disclose what was said or done. Abel was eN-
smined for a long time York viii be examined
to-day. II is reported that the Kings County
Grand Jury is investigating police protected"
vice in Brooklyn.
Commissioner Sexton explained yesterday how
he came 10 order Devery not TO obey the in
structions OF the Board to inform patrol
men Of the first grade Of the approaching eN-
aminations for roundsmen. Sexton says he
wants the order changed 10 include all
patromen. and told DeveCy to hold up the or
DER until ne could get it changed Then he for
got to tell the Beard The Board meets to-day,
and will, il is said, change the order to suit
Sexton
The Municipal Civil Service Commission real
izas that the Police Board finds il too easy TO
get las favorites for promotion high up on the
eligible list by its rating of each candidates
record, which is practically left to them by the
present law. The Board of Examiners OF the
Commission will meet to-day for the purpose of
DISCUSSING some plan which they can recom-
mend 20 the Commissioners which will do away
with the chance for injustice.
The examination for roul.isnen, which will
begin in about three weeks will be what Secre-
are 400 patrolmen eligible for this promotion.
end at least three thousand of them are expected
10 apply for examination Only surgeon is
available for the physical tests. Mr.. Phillips
says he can average about sixty day. which
would make these tests cover a period of at
least three months. Then there the mental
examinations. the marking of papers, the COM
parison Of individual records, and examination
of the Police Boards ratings 1t is said to be
the largest work the Civil Service Board has
undertaken, and is expected 10 last about six
months.
An alleged interview with Bishop Potter de-
nouncing the police in lurid terms was published
yesterday. II was signed with the name OF
woman, and other newspapers were carefully
warned in large type not to appropriate 1t. None
will. Bishop Potter not only denies it. but says
he does not recollect any interview with wom-
reporter in the last six weeks Only two
sentences in the entire interview are fathered
by the Bishop. He has said TO some persons, not
known 10 him TO be reporters, that Mayor Van
Wyck within his rights in declining to lower
the City Hall flag TO halfTnast for the dead Queen
Of England. and he has said that the head of
the police force ought to be military man.
The last remark he has made before, as Tribune
readers know. OF the Mayor he said yesterday:
Mayor Van Wyck was quite within his rights
and it is a good one. If it were broken in the
case OF Englsnds Queen it might be broken for
any other foreign potentate, and you easily
see that in some cases this might prove most
awkward. The Mayor, however accompanied
his action by words that were unnecessary, un-
fortunate and exceedingly i'll advised. That is
all care to say about him.
That the policy Of the Police Department has
not been changed by cleaning out the Twelfth
Precinct, but rather that the police are protect
ing vice with more energy than ever now that
they see a reorganization Of the Department
staring them in the face, is evident to almost
any one walking at night through the Seven
teenth Precinct between Fourteenth and
North River. New resorts OF disorderly nature
have sprung up in such abundance there lately
that the respectable people of the neighbOrhoOd
are becoming alarmed As usual, this is accom-
panied by an increase OF robberies In the pre-
cinct Within the last week thirteen burglaries
have been reported to Captain Moynihan, com
mander OF the precinct.
Moynihans pet ward man, E. H. Pearson,
died the other day in the J. Hood Wright Hos
pitai from fractured skull. He lay raVing in
his bed for several days before death. and his
rawlings were all about the collection of sums of
money, and the refusal of some of his associates
as ward detective is Policeman Keogh, who was
charged with being asleep in an engine house in
West Seventeenth-st at the time Mr. Peck the
real estate broker, was found dead early in the
morning in front Of saloon KeOgh's beat,
where the body had been laying for several
hours.
IlSlflCL attorney BnllDln mas come TO the con-
ciusion that no special Grand Jury will be need
ed for the vice cases. which are expected TO be
in shape next month for presentation. Judge
Warren w. Foster has turned over to Mr.. Phil
bin a batch of letters which he has received
from residents of the East Side complaining of
certain disorderly houses. These letters Mr..
Philbin gave to Assistant District Attorney
Byrne, with instructions to examine them and If
he thought them strong enough to get indict-
ments on, TO present them to the February
Grand Jury. Mr. Byrne has not yet had time
b do this.