New-York tribune., 1901-09-07
TRIBUNE'S OFFER PRAISED.
WIDESPREAD INTEREST IN ITS PROF
FER OF $1,000 REWARD
IT MAY LEAD TO THE DISCOVERY OF
CORRUPTION AMONG POLICE Off
,IALs-HOw 1T WAS RECEIVED
r,or r<-r-

CORRUPTION AMONG POLICE Off
.IALs-How 1T WAS RECEIVED
AT POLICE HEADQUARTERS.
Widespread interest manifested yesterday
in The Tribune's offer Of $1,000 reward for
sufficient evidence TO justify the District Attor-
ney in securing indictments against those re-
sponsible for crookedness in the Police Depart
ment" Many business and professional men of
the city spoke in terms Of the heartest approval
OF the offer. expressing the hope that il would
lead to the discovery Of corruption among po-
lice officials. That such corruption has existed
Il was declared, everybody possessed of ordinary
sense believes. That such corruption has been
increasing during the present Tammany admin
istration of the city government keenly OBJ
servant men of affairs said was apparent The
difficulty is in getting proof that will permit the
punishment of the guilty officials.
1T is one of the requisites of police corrup-
ton" said man who has been active in police
Investigations that the persons who pay
money as victims of blackmail and eXtortion
shall be so much in the power of the officials
that they do not dare TO 'squear or are incapable,
on account of their ignorance or degradation. OF
giving legal evidence against the officials Al
though the LeKow investigation disclosed a state
OF corruption among police officials that shocked
the moral sense Of the entire city. it was i'm
possible 10 DrlIlS many oi
10 punishment, because the Court of Appeals
held that the testimony Of the disreputable
creatures who had been paying money 10 the
police could not be regarded as legal evidence
unless it was corroborated. The failure TO send
10 prison several police officials accused Of eX-
tortion and blackmail had the effect later OF
emboldening officials in eXtorting money from
keepers and inmates of dens of vice. The con-
viction OF Bissert, the wardman. has cast some
CONSERVATION into the camp OF the blackmaiiers'
but ii has not stopped police blackman
The greed of certain police officials in ex-
tending the system Of blackmail TO the rank
and file OF the department and compelling police
men 10 pay money for favorable transfers, or
10 save themselves from being transferred far
from their homes, may have opened the way for
a thorough exposure Of corruption. When
Patrolman o'Nein defied Deputy Commissioner
Devery and declared that he had been bounded
because he would not submit TO a shakedown
he did what no other policeman ever had done,
and what the officials Of the department never
expected a policeman to do. There has been
an understanding that the police force is
close corporation in the sense that no police
man will give evidence against the department
The case of O'Neil indicates that the patrolmen
OF the department are in state Of revolt against
oppression, and the time seems ripe for ex-
posures
IF patrolmen who have been compelled 70
pay money for transfers come to the front and
give evidence. their testimony will be legal and
valid as rneaI.s Of Furnishing corrupt officials.
The public approval Of O'Neilrs course as shown
by offers 10 aid him in every possible way, may
convince injured policemen that this is the
proper time to get redress and to cleanse the
department Of oppreSsors. The offer OF q re-
ward by The Tribune is therefore most timely.
Police Headquarters
the reward did not seem 10 meet great favor.
Officials there We're not disposed TO talk about IL.
One official who knows great deal about the
secret working of the department said: The
Tribune may succeed in sowing suspicion among
the police. but il will not reap many squealers.
because the men who might tell things to cause
damage Wzll not dare, and the men who might
dare 10 TELL il they knew, don't know" Pos
sibly the official may be mistaken TO what
the men who dare to speak out may know.
There was a consultation at the District At
torneys Office yesterday about the statements
made by Patrolman Moran, of Newtown in par
tial support Of Patrolman O'Neill's affidavit
about police blackmailing by transfers. Justice
Jerome and Assistant District Attorney Garvan,
who were in possession OF the facts, declined TO
make the exact character Of Moran's reyela-
tions public. The investigation will be
Quoted in secret particularly until ONeill's trial
Officials al the District Attorneys Office would
not say yesterday whether not more police
men had offered to give evidence regarding the
payment of money or demands for money for
transfers II is expected, however that infor-
nation about the operations OF certain men
known in the police force transfer agents
viii be forthcoming. The names OF the men