New-York tribune., 1901-09-01
MERCHANTS URGE MURPHY
&c ASKED TO REMOVE CORRUPT Po-
LICE OFFICIALS.
BUSINESS MEN WILL STAND BY PArRoLMEN
WHO ARE BRAVE ENOUGH TO
BE HONEST.

.-,ss The fact that one ponceman had the
,.r+,,pde 10 denounce such methods publicly. in
-. face Of Deputy Commissioner Devery. has
s.,,ses many people 10 believe that other police
...n will follow his example if they can be
me- 20 nroner aid It is evident from the
ak in the city that policemen who have been
U--a,enea 10 pay money for immunity from in
'-,o,,s transfers will be supported by public
..,rion if they expose the nefarious system Of
.rtort,on and help to put stop TO it,
,he Merchants Association of New-York has
.,,ncad irs intention to protect from injury
a,,oernen who. like O'Neill. do their duty fear
,.~s,v Commissioner Murphy yesterday re-
.o,ys5 a letter from the association, signed by
,,s nresident. D. lie Roy Dresser containing
,bese significant statements:
NJ. believe that the men composing the rank and
s,s og our Police Department are honest, fearless
and reaoy 70 0oce 90 oicers are being transferred
md otherwise punished Simply because @ oaeE
ts tssss reports are not eroundless. We feel tnat
04cer ONelll or any other oiheer who re- & 20 ,ti 40
ns ns.S harshly and punished by a superior oIncei
Ne shall DO al IN our power 10 te5 see Ss Ealing
one oS1 step 10 protect such men while they are en-
sssSed in The actual performance OF their duty
A sLUR on THE CITY
rhs letter 10 Commissioner Murphy declares
.,., the Merchants Association is spending
,r,sreds Of thousands of dollars in keeping
Nsv-York before the public as the nations
Greatest commercial centre and in advertising
the citv's attractions. and that the police scan
GALS create a prejudice against the city in the
minds OF country merchants IN closing the let
Ter says:
The existing evils ought 10 be rooted out, thereby
removing the cause for scanas mere - h no h1s
Ike the present Tor DONG ms oq; a. l1
nnhlic servant connected with the Police Depart
nent ia % ns 5der YOU whose action degrades the
department and casts slur on the city
Possibly Commissioner Murphy may think the
Merchants Association takes high ground in ad-
yising removals from office of officials who cast
"a slur on the city, but a great many New
Workers have been saying that Devery is such
an official and ought 10 be removed There are
many. too who say that Devery really governs
the Police Department, and that Commissioner
Murphy as a rule, does what Devery wants him
to do There has been talk in the Police De-
partment that Devery has controlled transfers,
and that when policemen have been shaken
down" the money was extorted by a man who
seemed 10 have a commission from Headquar-
ters.
II was said al the District Attorneys office
that Commissioner Murphy's action in orans-
ferring O'Neill back TO fremont would not pre-
vent an investigation Of the transfer agent"
oNein refused to give to Commissioner Muir
ply the name OF this agent. but he had given
it to Justice Jerome. II is probable that when
Justice Jerome returns 10 the city tomorrow, he
may send for the agent and put him through an
examination. Other policemen may support
o'Nein m describing the operations of the
transfer agent" and compelling that individual
10 explain how many onerous transfers have
been sidetracked at Police Headquarters
MURPHY NOT SURPRISED.
Commissioner Murphy said that Devery had
not preferred any charges of insubordination
against o'NelIl, and he hoped there would be
no such charges. He said significantly that
while Devery could prefer such charges. they
would have to be passed upon by the Com
missioner. The attention Of the Commissioner
was called 20 the statement IN ONeill's inter
view published in The Tribune. that Devery
was the real head OF the department, and that
Commissioner Murphy was honest but merely
fgurehead." Murphy replied:
Why. he's just repeating what the papers
have been saying right along"
The conversation then continued as follows
How do you regard the statements made by
oNen here before you yesterday"
1T wouldn't be fair for me TO say anything
about that All l wanted TO find out was If the
FeD4Aolcu EldltIufNL lDdt ne SalQ men were pay
Ing money in this department now was true
He says he didn't say any such thing and swore
70 IT,"
Has Deputy Commissioner Devery preferred
cnafges OF INSTRUMENTATION against O'Neill?"
4 think not"
Has Devery the right to prefer such charges? ?''
That question win be disposed OF later"
VIII you pass on these charges yourself?'
VIII either do il myself or / will appoint
somebody else 10 60 it, ] don't think IL would
De lair 10 have the man who prefers the charges
sl IN Judgment the ANYWAY. there
nave been no charges preferred yet / don't
mink there will be. I hope there won't"
Don't you regard INSTRUMENTATION the
statements made by O'Neill in his interview,
ment?"
oh, don't care what it is know that when
ISSUE an order il is obeyed."
How was il that O'Neill was not transferred
ior day after you ordered it?'
NO REFLECTION ON DEVERY.
The END Of the month was near when the
platoons changed tours under the new system
and when payday comes transfers are usually
held over
Was the transfer OF O'Neill a reflection on
deputy Commissioner Devery, in any way?'
No. the day before the trial he came to me
ano asked for a transfer l told him TO put 1t
70 writing; he wasn't very clear in his state
lnehts Then told Cortright to investigate, TO
- II X was true or not. have good many
~ ~ hese transfers, ] investigate them L
nave mad three men here this morning within
90. .en an hour. i have made il policy to trans
ler men as near home possible, so | get
good many requests"
Will that fine Of thirty days pay stand?"
i II tell you as soon ] read the evidence
"a your interview with O'Neill yesterday, ac-
Oorolng TO the stenographic report. you did not
question him about his statement that he was
HaisIerreo because Of an excise arrest?
- Oh' yes, did. But. unfortunately, that part
olent get into the printed statement. / found
srs Ira "a things that We're not in the statement
s. snu SO asked him some questions in your hear
ing, you remember"
w W nat did he tell you about that?"
, ne simply said he made an excise arrest
aeaht remember now just what he did say. III
y as something trivial j didn't want to go too