The Savannah morning news., 1901-08-22
THE NEW YORK WARDMAN.
THE CONFIDENTIAL AGENT OF
PRECINCT CAPTAIN.


Charles F. Dillon is the most talked
about man in the city.
He is the agent of the Parkhurst So
ciety who brought about the confess
sion made by Edgar A. Whitney, who
says that he was the go-between be-
tween the poolroom people and the po-
lice in tipping off the raids contem-
plated by the agents of the Society for
the Prevention of Crime.
Mr.. Dillon had been offered large
sums of money for this purpose. The
money had been dropped into a letter
box at his house, and Whitney, who
was formerly connected with the Park
he was dealing with Dillon in a
straight manner.
When Dillon was first approached by
Whitney he at once reported to Frank
Moss, counsel for the Parkhurst So
ciety and chairman of the Executive
Committee of that body, and after a
consultation with Supt. McClintock and
Assistant superintendent Hammond.
Jr., it was decided to let Whitney con-
tinue his negotiations with Dillon.
When the proper time arrived Whit
ney was arrested, and he is now a
prisoner in the Temps, waiting a dis
position of his case before Justice Je-
rome.
The judicial inquiry which is now be-
ing conducted before Justice Jerome
and Lawyer Moss in the Criminal
Court building is officially known as
the case of 1.-THE People of the State
of New York against Edward F. Glen
non and Others" Glennon is the ward
man of the Tenderloin Precinct and
right-hand man of Chief Devery, with
whom he has been connected for many
years.
There Is no sperson in this city bet
ter able to tell what the wardman is
than Dillon. Dillon looks anything but
a detective. He is more often taken for
a priest than a sleuth. He goes about
his business in quiet, unassuming
manner and his success is pronounced.
Mr.. Moss and the other members of
the Parkhurst Society have the great
est confidence in Dillon, while at the
same time he is the most feared enemy
of all violators of the law.
What is a wardman?" was asked of
Mr.. Dillon.
By Charles +. Dillon.
According to Capt. Diamond of the
Red-light district, that eminent phre-
nologist, there is not such a piece of
furniture connected with the police de-
partment as a wardman. When Capt.
Diamond was a witness at the trial
of his wardman, George Bissert, before
Recorder Golf, in the Court of General
Sessions, where Bissert was charged
with having received a bride of $3.50
from Lena Schmidt for permitting her
to run a disorderly resort in Stuyves-
ant street, Capt. Diamond appeared as
l. 20 l. 1.,Aa
Diamond told his direct story, and eV-
erybody who heard it declared that the
statement he had made from the wit
ness chair undoubtedly would bring
about the acquittal of Bissert, but
when Assistant District Attorney Os-
borne, that fearless cross examiner.
made an onslaught upon the captain
of the east side Diamond was nowhere.
And the first question which Mr.. Os-
borne asked Diamond was what is a
wardman? Capt Diamond said he
had never heard of one, notwithstand-
ing the fact that he acknowledged that
he had been connected with the police
department of this city for the past
thirteen pears and had been a captain
in command of the Red-Light district
for two years and six months. Now, no
man in this city knows better what a
wardman is than does Capt. Diamond.
The Wardman.
You asked me how the public at
large recognize the wardman. Let me
tell you, the wardman of New York, as
l know him, always wears a brown
derby hat and extension soles to his
shoes. In every precinct there is to be
found a resort, usually not very far dis
tant from the station house, where the
wardman hangs out. In the Fifth pre-
cinct, which Capt Diamond commanded
until he was suspended a few years
ago, the wardman's hangout was in
little saloon just around the corner
from the station house, at First avenue
and Fifth street. There the wardman
could be seen night after night. Ger
tainly after midnight you were sure
to find him in front of that place. Over
on the west side a great hang-out for
the wardman is Bob Nelson place, at
Seventh avenue and Thirtieth street;
and another favorite meeting place of
the wardman for that portion of the
city is lower Eighth avenue.
Now, one would suppose that the
wardman, who is officially known as
the precinct detective, had received his
appointment because of his detective
abilities, but this is not so. 1t is also
supposed that he was slated for that Of
flee because of his general knowledge
of the precinct and of the criminal
classes living therein. But this is not
true in all cases, although there is a
broad suspicion that the wardman does
not confine his efforts to the detective
business exclusively. If he was not en-
gagged in other transactions then GER
tainly George Bissert would never have
been convicted in the criminal courts
and sentenced to five years and six
months in state prison and the payment
of fine of $1,000.
The Wardman at"
1.-THE average wardman of to-day
seems to want to impress you with the
great ability of which he claims to be
possessed. In other words, he makes
you believe that he is TT in this city
and that the entire machinery of the
police department centers around him
self. He is the Great / Am, and no.
body seems to know anything but him.
"Now every wardman has nick
name to which he is known to the Grim
inal element of the district in which he
is located. Bissert, for instance, was
known on the east side as 'Rosenthal."
Just why he was given that name I
have never been able to ascertain.
Glennon, Devery's right-hand man. is
generally known as Eddie Do Every
body
"In some precincts the wardman is
captain, sergeant, roundsman. patrol
man, doorman, all in one. He is the
chief ruler of the district, and woe un-
to the police official connected with that
precinct who dares to interfere with
btv, or m assume authority without