The Saint Paul globe., 1901-08-27
ON TRIAL
CHARGED WITH WORKING TIE
STATE OF ILLINOIS FOR
EXPENSE MONEY
BRINGING BACK PRISONERS
Apparently Has Reen source of
Regular Income for Members
OF the Chicago Detect
i've Force.

CHICAGO, Aug. 26.-The three officers
of the detective bureau of the city police
department. who are charged with de
frauding the city by means of fictitious
expense accounts were put upon trial to-
day before the civil service commission
The accused officers are Lieut. Peter j.
Joyce, Detective Sergeant John c. Cramer
and Detective John j. Tracey.
The charges against them were pre-
ferred by Chief of Police O'Neiu, who
was recently placed at the head of the
department.
The case of Joyce was taken up first
and the board went into the matter Of
the expense accounts for the return Of
Prisoners Lovece and Larl0ns, from
Cleveland last May
After w. II. Eubanks, chief clerk in the
safe auditors Office at Springfield, had
identified the requstiOn paper and a
check for $3.50 which Tracey received as
expenses in bringing back Larkin, Tracey
was called before the board. Though he
proved an unwilling witness, the cor
poratiOn counsel drew out of him con-
siderable discriminating testimony against
Lieut.. Joyce and Detective Sergeant
Cramer. Tracey refused to answer a
number of questions put to him by AS
sisant Corporation Counsel Fyffe, on the
ground that it might incriminate him. In
attorney Simeon Armstrong, who fre-
quently Interrupted mis- examination with
suggestions that he refuse to answer
Finally President Ella, OF the civil service
commission, threatened to have the
lawyer elected from the room unless he
desisted and the warning had the desired
effect
WORKED THE STATE.
Tracey testified that he and Cramer
had been assigned to run down the man
Larkins, who was charged with horse
stealing and that they were finally noti-
fed that the man was under arrest in
Cleveland He admitted that they did
not go after Larkins, but arranged with
Policeman Gallagher who was in Cleve-
land after the prisoner Lovece, to bring
both men back. Pressed further by the
attorneys, Tracey admitted that he had
signed and presented the messengers eX-
pense account, making full charges for
bringing Larkins to Chicago He eX-
planned that Lieut.. Joyce, a desk officer
of the detective bureau, made out the
expense account and attached the notary
seal moment later, he said, he got
the check and cashed it.
what did you do with the money!"
Tracey was asked.
His attorney advised him not to answer
and the witness said: II do not wish TO
Continuing, Tracey said Joyce told
me that it was the regular thing for an
officer to bring back another mans pris-
oner and to put in an extra expense ac-
count for it,
Chief O'Neil has charged that the
money illegally obtained was divided
among the accused officers. Pressed
further, Tracey explained that he had
given Cramer ST. He admitted that this
amount covered the actual expenses Of
bringing Larkins to Chicago and that the
remainder of the sum received from the
state represented the surplus which was
to be divided. He said he had received
$48 50 and that ne still had it.
did Joyce know that only SE was
spent in actual expenses?" asked At
torney Fyffe.
"Of course he did. He saw the vouch-
ers and knew just what was spent"
This closed the direct examination Of
Detective Tracey and an adjournment
was taken until tomorrow.